El Sol Latino | February 2020

February 2020

Volume 16 No. 3

Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Puerto Rico Tiembla

Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

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Editorial / Editorial

contents

Thomas J. Schwab: 1927 – 2020

2 Editorial / Editorial Thomas J. Schwab: 1927 – 2020

La familia de El Sol Latino desea extender nuestras más sinceras condolencias a la familia de nuestro amigo Thomas J. Schwab.

3 Portada / Front Page Puerto Rico Tiembla 4 Earthquake forecast for Puerto Rico: Dozens more large aftershocks are likely 5 De los remezones del 1867 a los temblores del 2020 7 150th Anniversary of the Holyoke Library 8 Economía / Economics Where are the Hispanic executives? 9 P olítica / Politics Crean American Latinos United para derrotar al presidente Trump 10 Opinión / Opinion Who Really Benefits from Food Stamps? 11 Libros / Books Cocinado Suave – Ensayos de la Salsa en Puerto Rico 12 P oesía / Poetry “Morir Soñando”: de Martín Espada a Luis Garden Acosta 13 Arte / Art Lydia Freytes y sus Expressions from the Diaspora 14 Medios / Media Hispanics Favor English Content and Brands that Reference Culture 15 Educación / Education STCC to offer legal interpreting certificate program Holyoke Community College introduces L atinx Studies program

Thomas J. Schwab falleció el 14 de enero en su casa en Loomis Village en South Hadley debido a una insuficiencia renal crónica. Deja a su esposa, Lois, a sus tres hijos y a sus cónyuges: David Schwab y su esposa Carla Cantor de Maplewood, N.J.; Dr. Jonathan Schwab y su esposa Cheryl McNeill Schwab de Northampton; Liv (Schwab) Nash y su esposo Michael Nash de Needham, Mass. y seis nietos: Danielle y Michael Schwab; Zachary y Alec Schwab; y Ethan y Ellie Nash. También deja a su cuñado el Dr. Robert Abrams y su esposa, Frances, de South Hadley, y muchas sobrinas y sobrinos. Su hermano Edgard, su cuñada Estelle (Cookie) Abrams, su cuñada Frances Radovsky y su esposo Milton habían fallecido anteriormente. En el 1984, después de retirarse de su práctica de abogacía, se mudó con su esposa Lois (Abrams) de Bethesda, Md. a Holyoke. Lois es de Holyoke y se crió en esta ciudad. Tomo interesaba dedicar mas tiempo a sus intereses – el servicio comunitario y la música. Por los próximos 35 años, Tom fue una figura reconocida y respetada en la comunidad, usando su trasfondo jurídico de manera voluntaria para ayudar a varias organizaciones cívicas tales como Nueva Esperanza, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Holyoke Reach Out and Read, Providence Ministries, y la Biblioteca Pública de Holyoke, a la que ayudó durante su extensa renovación. Tom fue un firme creyente en el servicio comunitario y un excelente ejemplo de compromiso con la justicia social. Se preocupaba profundamente por el bienestar de los demás. Buscaba y abogaba por mejoramiento de las condiciones de vida de los menos favorecidos. En Holyoke, muchas de sus acciones de justicia social estaban dirigidas a promover nuevas oportunidades educativas y culturales para la población puertorriqueña de la ciudad. Tenía un espíritu gentil y una personalidad cálida. Conocerlo fue un honor y un privilegio.

Cita del Mes/ Quote of the Month “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.

Founded in 2004

Foto del Mes/Photo of the Month

Jossie Esteban and his Orchestra Come to Holyoke The Hispanic Family Festival Inc. announces that the popular musician Jossie Esteban and his Orchestra will perform on May 30 at Springdale Park. The Hispanic Family Festival that will be held May 28 – 31, 2020 at Springdale Park, 844 Main Street, Holyoke. For more information visit www.lafamiliahispana.org.

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Volume 16, No. 3 n February 2020

Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau Managing Editor Diosdado López Art Director Tennessee Media Design Business Address El Sol Latino P.O Box 572 Amherst, MA 01004-0572

Editorial Policy

El Sol Latino acepta colaboraciones tanto en español como en inglés. Nos comprometemos a examinarlas, pero no necesariamente a publicarlas. Nos reservamos el derecho de editar los textos y hacer correcciones por razones de espacio y/o estilo. Las colaboraciones pueden ser enviadas a nuestra dirección postal o a través de correo electrónico a: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino welcomes submissions in either English or Spanish. We consider and review all submissions but reserve the right to not publish them. We reserve the right to edit texts and make corrections for reasons of space and/or style. Submissions may be sent to our postal address or via electronic mail to: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino is published monthly by Coquí Media Group. El Sol Latino es publicado mensualmente por Coquí Media Group, P.O Box 572, Amherst, MA 01004-0572.

Portada / Front Page Puerto Rico Tiembla por MANUEL FRAU RAMOS A partir de finales de diciembre de 2019, el suroeste de Puerto Rico ha estado siendo sacudido por una serie de temblores (réplicas), incluyendo seis de magnitud 5 ó mayor. El 7 de enero ocurrió un terremoto de magnitud 6.4 en la costa suroeste a las 4:24 a.m., con epicentro a 11.7 kilómetros (7 mi.) al sur de Yauco, Puerto Rico, e hipocentro a 10.0 kilómetros (6 mi.) bajo el lecho marino.

El Sol Latino February 2020

El 17 de enero, el secretario de Estado, Elmer Román, manifestó que se calcula que hay cerca de 20 mil personas durmiendo en la calle o en carros que no han regresado a sus hogares por miedo a los continuos sismos que siguen afectando la zona sur. Según el Servicio Geológico de los Estados Unidos, los daños pudieran llegar hasta los $838 millones y éstos podrían aumentar una vez se completen las evaluaciones de todos los municipios afectados y se tome en consideración que la actividad sísmica continúa.

Este terremoto ocasionó el colapso del sistema de energía eléctrica en casi todo Puerto Rico, en adición a la destrucción de viviendas y edificios que dejó en el suroeste de la isla. Dos de las principales plantas generadoras de electricidad de Puerto Rico, Costa Sur y Eco Eléctrica, ambas ubicadas en Guayanilla, zona cerca del epicentro del terremoto, sufrieron daños daños sustanciales que limitan la producción de energía eléctrica. Entre el 25 y el 26 de enero de 2020 La Red Sísmica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Mayagüez, reportó que entre estas fechas han ocurrido 6 réplicas en la zona sur de la isla, con magnitud que va desde 2.5 hasta 4.3. El apagón se suma a la crisis eléctrica del 2017 tras el paso de los poderosos huracanes Irma y María cuando el colapso del sistema eléctrico dejó en oscuridad a gran parte de la isla por meses, incluso hasta por un año. Este apagón es considerado el más largo en duración en los Estados Unidos. El terremoto afectó significativamente los pueblos de Yauco, Guánica y Guayanilla donde se reportó el colapso de alrededor de 500 casas en cada uno de los municipios, además de la pérdida total de 5 escuelas en esa región. Otras estructuras afectadas lo fueron el Hospital Pavía de Yauco y Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción localizada en el pueblo de Guayanilla. En Ponce, la Alcaldia y la zona histórica en el centro de la ciudad sufrieron daños significativos. El zona histórica actualmente está prácticamente clausurada. Se cerró indefinidamente el Complejo Recreativo y Cultural La Guancha en Ponce debido el deterioro que provocó el terremoto en la infraestructura. El Auditorio Juan “Pachín” Vicéns quedó inhabilitado, por lo cual no se ha podido usar como refugio para personas afectadas por el terremoto.

Guánica. Foto por Datos Climáticos y Meteorológicos

Otras estructuras de gran valor histórico que sufrieron daños considerables en Ponce lo fueron: El Museo de la Masacre de Ponce, el museo de la Residencia Armstrong-Poventud y la Casa Vives. Sin embargo, el pueblo de Yauco encabeza la lista en cuanto a residencias afectadas, con un total de cerca de 2,000. El terremoto del 7 de enero de 2020 también fue sentido en sectores de la República Dominicana. La Sociedad Sismológica de Puerto Rico había estado advirtiendo desde 1988 la posibilidad de un sismo de gran catástrofe. El archipiélago de Puerto Rico está ubicado al sur de varias fallas y de la fosa marina conocida como Fosa de Puerto Rico —con una longitud de 1500 kilómetros— y en el límite de dos placas tectónicas (la del Caribe y la de Norte América) que hacen fricción. Para el 13 de enero, el gobierno central estimaba el número de refugiados en toda la isla en alrededor de 9.000, incluyendo los refugiados en campamentos o albergues en sus propios municipios.

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Guánica. Foto por Datos Climáticos y Meteorológicos

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Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino February 2020

Earthquake forecast for Puerto Rico: Dozens more large aftershocks are likely By RICHARD ASTER This article was originally published in The Conversation | January 14, 2020 Multiple strong and damaging earthquakes in southern Puerto Rico starting around Dec. 28, 2019 have killed at least one person, caused many serious injuries and collapsed numerous buildings, including a multistory school in the town of Guánica that luckily was empty at the time. These quakes are the most damaging to strike Puerto Rico since 1918, and the island has been under a state of emergency since Jan. 6, 2020. This flurry of quakes includes onshore and offshore events near the town of Indios and along Puerto Rico’s southwestern coast. So far it has included 11 foreshocks – smaller earthquakes that preceded the largest event, or mainshock – with magnitudes of 4 and greater. Major quakes occurred on Jan. 6 (magnitude 5.8) and Jan. 7 (magnitude 6.4 mainshock), followed by numerous large aftershocks. Seismologists like me are constantly working to better understand earthquakes, including advancing ways to help vulnerable communities before, during and after damaging events. The physics of earthquakes are astoundingly complex, but our abilities to forecast future earthquakes during a strong sequence of events in real time is improving. Forecasting earthquakes is not a strict prediction – it’s more like a weather forecast, in which scientists estimate the likelihood of future earthquake activity based on quakes that have already occurred, using established statistical laws that govern earthquake behavior. An undersea fault zone Puerto Rico spans a complex boundary between the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates, which are sliding past each other in this region at a relative speed of about 2 centimeters per year. Over geologic time, this motion has created the Muertos Trough, a 15,000-foot depression in the sea floor south of the island. This plate boundary is riddled with interconnected fault structures. The present activity is occurring on and near at least three interrelated large faults. Faults are pre-existing weak zones between stronger rocks. In response to surprisingly small force (stress) changes, they rapidly slip to produce earthquakes. The “hair-trigger” nature of fault slip means that predicting the precise timing, location, and size of individual quakes is extremely challenging, if not impossible.

During an earthquake sequence, changing stresses act on nearby fault systems as stress is gradually redistributed within the Earth. This process generates thousands of protracted aftershocks. Many earthquake sequences simply start with the mainshock. But it is not especially rare for scientists to recognize after the fact that foreshocks were occurring before the main event. Improvements in earthquake instrumentation and analysis are helping scientists detect foreshocks more often, although we have not yet figured out how to recognize them in real time. Will one shock lead to another? Researchers have known for over a century that the rate of earthquakes following a mainshock declines in a way that we can characterize statistically. There is also a well-established relationship between the magnitude of earthquakes and their relative number during an earthquake sequence. In most seismically active regions, for a decrease of one magnitude unit – say, from 4.0 to 3.0 – people can expect to experience about 10 times as many 3s compared to 4s in a given time period. Using such statistical relationships allows us to forecast the probability and sizes of future earthquakes while an earthquake sequence is underway. Put another way, if we are experiencing an aftershock sequence, we can project the future rate of earthquakes and what magnitudes we expect those quakes to have. For example, as of Jan. 14, the U.S. Geological Survey forecast estimated a 3% chance of one or more quakes larger than magnitude 6.4 in Puerto Rico over the next seven days. It also noted that the region should expect between 40 and 210 smaller quakes, with magnitude 3 or larger – sizes that are likely to be felt – during that time. With extended statistical modeling of earthquake sequences that include foreshock and aftershock probabilities, seismologists can forecast the likelihood of key earthquake scenarios to inform public safety efforts while earthquakes are occurring. For example, the USGS also estimated as of Jan. 13 that there was an 81% chance that the largest shock had already occurred – namely, the magnitude 6.4 quake on Jan. 7. The agency calculated a 17% chance that a closely sized “doublet” 6.4 earthquake could yet occur. Recognizing in real time when a set of earthquakes is likely to be a foreshock sequence is a challenging and active area of earthquake forecasting research. Progress in the effective forecasting and communication of ongoing earthquake hazards could mean the difference between life and death for people in the eastern Caribbean and other seismically active areas on an increasingly urbanized planet.

Multiple faults crisscross the eastern Caribbean. Those outlined in red have a potential to generate a large earthquake. The arrow at top right shows the direction of the North American plate’s motion relative to the Caribbean plate. Red stars denote intensity centers for past earthquakes. USGS

RICHARD ASTER is Professor of Geophysics and Department Head, Colorado State University. He is an Earth scientist with broad interests and publications in geophysics, earthquakes, seismological imaging, glaciology, volcanology, and seismic coupling between the oceans, solid Earth, and atmosphere. He works has involved significant field research in western North America, Italy, and Antarctica. I have served in a number of community and leadership capacities, including as president of the Seismological Society of America (20092011) and, currently, as Department Head of Geosciences in the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University.

Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino February 2020

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De los remezones del 1867 a los temblores del 2020 por JOEL CINTRÓN ARBASETTI Centro de Periodismo Investigativo Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en periodismoinvestigativo.com | 9 de enero de 2020

ahora con un psicólogo. “Manejo de emociones tras terremoto”, dice el cintillo en la parte baja de la pantalla. El hombre que estaba debajo del televisor en Café Rubén se levantó de la silla, fue a la barra y pidió una cerveza. Son las 3:47 de la tarde y seguimos sin luz. El hombre, ahora con la Medalla en mano, vuelve a colocarse en la mesa debajo del televisor. Mira el celular, lee un libro y sorbe la cerveza. Una mujer de unos 70 años mira atenta al televisor. Se ven montones de bloques de cemento apiñados a la orilla de una carretera. Es una nueva imagen del desastre, distinta a los familiares postes de luz doblados o en el suelo. Muy diferente a la escena mojada de árboles arrancados y coronas de palmas despeinadas que dejan los huracanes. Es una imagen seca, de grietas y casas en el suelo. La mujer que mira la tele está sola, tiene el pelo blanco como algodón, blusa negra y gafas oscuras. En el cuello, una bufanda de tela fina azul turquesa y un rosario marrón grueso. Tan pronto vino la pausa comercial, su cabeza se desplomó, le quedó colgando del cuello como si se estuviese mirando el ombligo. Las gafas le tapan los ojos, pero supongo que cayó en un sueño profundo que venía aguantando desde esta madrugada. Mientras duerme sostiene el bastón plateado con fuerza. Luego de la pausa comercial, levantó la cabeza, justo a tiempo para ver el reinicio del segmento informativo sobre el nuevo desastre isleño.

Vecinos del restaurante Café Ruben en Santurce se reúnen a ver los noticieros luego del terremoto de 6.4 de magnitud que despertó a los puertorriqueños en la madrugada del martes, 7 de enero de 2020. Foto por Joel Cintrón Arbasetti | Centro de Periodismo Investigativo

En el televisor se ve un mapa de Puerto Rico. El área sur de la isla está llena de círculos amarillos, azules y verdes que marcan los temblores de tierra que impactaron la zona en este 7 de enero del 2020. La meteoróloga Ada Monzón hace un informe junto al periodista Julio Rivera Saniel. Un defecto en el audio no permite que se entienda lo que dicen. Las voces se escuchan con eco y distantes entre el bullicio de Café Rubén en la Parada 19 de Santurce. El televisor cuelga sostenido por un tubo que sale por un agujero del plafón del techo. ¿Aguantará un movimiento fuerte de tierra? Si no, caerá sobre la cabeza del hombre que mira el celular sentado en una mesa justo debajo. Este restaurante es uno de los pocos lugares abiertos en Santurce, luego del temblor de 6.4 en la escala Richter que provocó un apagón de madrugada y el desvelo del país que dormía tras la celebración del Día de los Tres Reyes Magos. En la penumbra, poco antes de que saliera el sol, lo primero que se escuchó después del jamaqueo fueron las voces de las vecinas que salieron a la calle en el barrio Hipódromo de Santurce a comentar el temblor. “La puerta del closet se movía, tum tum tum tum”, dijo una. “Ayer se movió de un solo lado; hoy se movió por los dos”, dijo un hombre, que seguramente se refería a su cama, en donde el remezón cogió a la mayoría. Poco después del primer temblor a eso de las cuatro de la mañana, vino otro movimiento, y luego otro. Las voces se iban callando como si rápidamente se acostumbraran al baile telúrico. Enseguida se escuchó el motor del camión de la basura, el ruido de los drones y el ladrido de los perros mientras el sol comenzaba a despuntar. “Los animales lo sienten primero que los humanos”, fue el último comentario que escuché por la ventana desde esa reunión oscura y espontánea entre vecinos que provocó el movimiento de tierra. “Terremoto en Puerto Rico”, se lee en la pantalla del televisor, sobre una imagen de cemento agrietado con una bandera de Puerto Rico, el nuevo fondo del noticiero de Wapa TV, en donde Julio Rivera Saniel conversa

En realidad, este desastre no es nuevo sino una repetición. No es la primera vez que hay temblores de tierra de forma continua en Puerto Rico. Recuerdo a mi abuela de Barranquitas decir que su abuela le contó que amarraba los calderos cuando cocinaba al fogón para evitar que se derramaran o cayeran al suelo por los continuos temblores de tierra. Mi abuela murió a sus 70 y pico a finales de los años 90. Nació en la década de los ‘20. Su abuela vivió parte del siglo XIX. En su libro Un país del porvenir la historiadora Silvia Álvarez Curbelo apunta que “para Puerto Rico, 1867 fue uno de esos años que la memoria de los trópicos registra como calamitosos. Un huracán, meses de intermitente actividad sísmica y una sequía extraordinaria llenaron de pavura a las gentes… Los fenómenos fueron vistos como ‘tremendos vaticinios solo comparables con los postreros días del apocalipsis’”, escribe Álvarez Curbelo, citando a Vicente Fontán Mera, Inspector General de Instrucción Pública y Oficial de Hacienda que escribió una crónica titulada La memorable noche de San Narciso y los temblores de tierra, publicada en 1868. Álvarez Curbelo señala además, citando a Fontán Mera, que “la fuerza irresistible de los elementos, que habían convertido a las casas y a los templos en frágiles barquillas, confirmaba que Puerto Rico vivía todavía a merced de una temporalidad natural acechada siempre por el azar… los desastres eran más bien un punto de llegada que un punto de partida, un golpe más para un país que experimentaba desde hacía tiempo una crisis fatal… Los eventos más dramáticos -el huracán San Narciso y los temblores de tierra- habían acaecido en un período comprimido de tiempo -los meses de octubre y noviembre de 1867-, pero, como en tantos otros tiempos de la historia de Puerto Rico, no hacían sino poner en relieve una postración de más larga duración. Los desastres se combinaron para acentuar una crisis de largo cocimiento y que convergía desde varias zonas simultáneamente”. Los temblores del 2020 llegan, igual que los del 1867, en medio de tiempos calamitosos. Solo que ahora las calamidades se difunden al instante y se confunden con teorías de conspiraciones tecnológicas. A diferencia de la gente de Chile, Los Ángeles, California y México, quienes tienen continued on page 6

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Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino February 2020

De los remezones del 1867 a los temblores del 2020 continued from page 5 “un sismógrafo en el alma” a decir del cronista Juan Villoro, la de Puerto Rico, versada en vientos huracanados, es inexperta en movimientos telúricos fuertes. Por lo tanto, somos proclives al mito y vulnerables ante la desinformación. En estos días, un personaje asumió la tarea quijotesca de informar y derribar mitos con conocimiento científico: el geomorfólogo José Molinelli Freytes. En una emisora de radio que sintonicé al azar en un radio de batería, un cansado Molinelli Freytes explica elementos básicos de los temblores: “El temblor son una serie de ondas, esas ondas son diferentes, llegan unas primero, unas segunda, unas tercero y otras cuartas. Es como una carrera de caballos. Todas salen a la misma vez del epicentro, pero hay unas que son más veloces y otras son más lentas”, explica Molinelli, quien dice que una de las ondas “crea un movimiento elíptico que da como un sentido de náusea cuando está ocurriendo”. Mi hermana, que está en Naranjito, me cuenta que mi sobrino de 12 años vomitó a causa del temblor y del miedo. Todos los vecinos se reunieron en la marquesina de la casa de mi papá, cuya parte lateral está sostenida por largas columnas de cemento enterradas en una pendiente. Papi dice que confía más en su casa rural de la Farmers Home Administration que en la mía, un segundo piso de una casa vieja de Santurce. ¿Cuál aguantará más en caso de un terremoto como el de 8.8 grados que devastó a Chile el 27 de febrero del 2010?

La gente sigue llegando a Café Rubén para cargar los celulares, una escena que recuerda a la secuela del huracán María. Son las cuatro de la tarde y el comedor del restaurante se siente como una sala de espera. Una expectativa indescifrable enrarece el aire junto al eco del televisor, en donde hablan voces de la oficialidad, pero no se les entiende. A través del ventanal lateral se ve una bandada de palomas que vuelan rápidamente haciendo un círculo entre el estacionamiento y la Avenida Ponce de León. Recuerdo las palabras de la vecina en medio de la oscuridad de esta mañana: “los animales lo sienten primero que los humanos”. Nunca he visto una bandada de palomas tan alborotadas, pienso. O nunca les había prestado atención. JOEL CINTRÓN ARBASETTI comenzó su práctica periodística como fotógrafo y redactor para la revista de cultura urbana Noctámbulo. Luego fundó su blog “Post-Data”, donde cubría la escena de música y arte subterránea mientras hacía su bachillerato en Periodismo en la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. Siendo estudiante colaboró con el semanario Claridad y con Diálogo, donde trabajó mientras cursaba su maestría en Teoría de la Comunicación en la Escuela de Comunicación de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras. Escribió para la publicación El Rehén, ha colaborado con la Revista Cruce y fue parte del equipo de 80grados.net. En 2012 comenzó a trabajar con el Centro de Periodismo Investigativo. Síguelo en @JCArbasetti o escribe a jcintron@periodismoinvestigativo.com

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Back by Popular Demand!

Holyoke Local Cultural Council

Romantic Spanish Guitar Concert with guitarists

Orlando L. Zayas and Eliezer Torres

Wednesday • February 12, 2020 • 6:30 p.m. Holyoke Public Library 250 Chestnut Street, Holyoke, MA 01040

For more information, call the library at (413) 420-8101. All library programs are open to the public free of charge thanks to our generous donors and supporters. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Holyoke Cultural Council. Parking available along Chestnut Street and in lots adjacent to and immediately across the street from the library.

Eliezer Torres, born in New York City, son of Puerto Rican parents. At age 5 they bought him his first guitar and since then, dedicated his life to this instrument. During his teenage years, he performed alongside a quartet of young ladies; his sisters. His dedication to the instrument has helped him develop a unique style which he teaches to others through different mediums. Eliezer’s versatility in the instrument and love for music moves him to interpret different modes of music; jíbaro, jazz, pop, classical, boleros, gospel, not all inclusive, are all part of his repertoire. Eliezer plays for the love of music and not for recognition which speaks of his humble spirit. With the same dedication, he will interpret music for one individual as well as for the crowds. Throughout his professional musical career, he played with a diverse number of musical groups and made many recordings. Musical groups such as Trio Mizpa, Grupo Siembra, Sol Sin Fronteras, just to mention a few, where influenced by Eliezer musical talent. His fellow guitarist call him “Maestro” for his proficiency, unique style, precise fast fingers, and soft touch on his guitar strings. He has influenced many individuals in the field of music in their recordings, in composing as well as in musical arrangements. Unifying Eliezer’s and Orlando’s guitar has resulted in a duet dedicated to interpreting latin romantic Melodies which the public will enjoy.

Orlando Zayas, born in Ponce Puerto Rico, graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in the mid 70s. While still in High School he showed an interest in music and learned to play the guitar. Participated with several musical groups in his native Ponce while attending the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. After graduating and working with the State government in the Island he moved to Massachusetts, where he still lives. During the time he lived in Massachusetts he was not involved in musical projects, and it was not until retiring from the Massachusetts state government that began to be more active in music again, playing guitar. In 2013 began to teach himself (with help of online videos) the “Cuban Tres”, an instrument that he had always found to be very versatile to play different types of music. A few years later he teamed up with Eliezer Torres,a masterful guitar player with years of experience, and formed a duet. Their musical interest were very similar, including popular music, semi-classical and Brazilian music. They continue to enjoy playing and developing new ideas in what they do.

Portada / Front Page 150th Anniversary of the Holyoke Library HOLYOKE, MA | HOLYOKE PUBLIC LIBRARY | January 15, 2020— We are pleased to announce plans for the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Holyoke Public Library. The library is planning a slate of initiatives for its 150th anniversary in 2020, driven by a deepened commitment to inclusion, community and lifelong learning. The yearlong celebration aims to bring more people the library—signaling the aspirations for the Library’s future. The Holyoke Public Library, the most valuable learning and educational resource available to all for free, has always played a vital role in the community we serve. “The Library’s 150th anniversary is a moment to honor our past and, more critically, anticipate our future. Our Community continues to have challenges. And though the Library cannot meet all the needs our community has, we can help make a difference. In the coming years there is so much more to do. We will continue to provide the traditional core library services and develop new goals. For the coming year, as we celebrate 150 years of service, we will focus our efforts in providing more programs that are relevant to the needs and wants of our community, as well as broadening our impact and contributions to local economic development.“ said Maria Pagan, Library Director.

In honor of the Sesquicentennial Anniversary, the Holyoke Library will offer new patrons who apply for a new library card a limited edition 150th Anniversary card. There will be several occasions to celebrate the Holyoke Library’s 150th anniversary in 2020. Below are a few planned so far: • On February 14, the Library will host a Legislative Breakfast where local city, state and federal representatives will be invited to speak and discuss the role of libraries and how the government can help support and sustain their efforts in the community.

El Sol Latino February 2020

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• On March 7, the library will host poet Dan Shanahan on a Saturday afternoon, where he will perform selections from his new book of Holyoke poems. • On April 4, we will once again host the Mini Golf and Games at the Library event. There will be exhibits around the building detailing the history of the library. • The Library will mark the 150th Anniversary with a community birthday party near the anniversary day of the signing of the Act of Incorporation that founded the library in April. Details will be announced at a later date. • In November 2020, the Library will host a concluding fundraiser with proceeds designated to support future programming efforts at the library. There is ample evidence that over the years of its existence the founders of the Holyoke Public Library were fully aware of the far-reaching consequences that a library can have in the life of a community. In dedicating the Maple St building in 1902, President Whiting referred to it as the “People’s College”, and added that: “A library is as much a part of the intellectual life of a community as its schools, and should be supported generously as part of our educational system. Within these walls you will find authors devoted to literature, arts and science, and they are free to any who will ask. We can say to the citizens of Holyoke you have only to ask here and you will find knowledge to make your life useful and happy”. These words spoken then are as applicable today-and will be tomorrow--as they were then. Today’s citizens of Holyoke owe a great debt to those farsighted and public-spirited citizens of yesterday whose enthusiasm and perseverance in the face of discouraging circumstances resulted in this vital contribution to the improvement of the educational and aesthetic climate of their city. Holyoke residents have long been aware of the importance of education and the pursuit of knowledge. Libraries are not static, and their constant change is key to developing priorities for the Holyoke Public Library as a support mechanism for the community’s changing needs. The changing roles for libraries are: • From keeper of books to service-oriented information provider • From information gatherer to information consultant • From one medium to multiple media • From own collection to library without walls—through resource sharing • From passive interest in reading to encourage reading and life-long learning • From a meeting place to intellectual community center For more information, Nancy Kocsmiersky, HPL Development Office (413-420-8109) nancy@holyokelibrary.org or visit www.holyokelibrary.org

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Economía / Economics

Where are the Hispanic executives? by JD SWERZENSKI, DONALD T. TOMASKOVIC-DEVEY AND ERIC HOYT This article was originally published in The Conversation | January 22, 2020 Several 2020 presidential candidates are putting forward plans to increase minority executive positions by diversifying corporate boards, punishing companies with poor diversity track records and increasing funding for minority-led business institutions. However, according to our own 2019 analysis, white men still hold the majority of executive positions such as CEOs, management directors and financial officers. As economic and communication scholars, we looked at Equal Employment Opportunity Commission employment data for executives at large and mid-sized companies. Our analysis shows that white men sit in 85% of these high-paying boardroom positions while representing only 38% of the U.S. workforce.

El Sol Latino February 2020

These findings fall in line with our earlier research showing that minority representation in executive positions is highest in areas with the lowest minority population. The final city in the top five, Miami, stands out for its high representation of Hispanic executives at 24.6% and high percentage of Hispanics in the overall workforce at 44.1%. Miami is also an anomaly among other large cities with Hispanic work forces such as Houston – 43% overall labor force and 10.3% executive representation – and Los Angeles – 34.2% labor force and 8% executive. Driving Miami’s high representation is likely the city’s strong economic connections to Central and South America, which favors Hispanic cultural background and Spanish language capability among top executives. This is especially true with regards to the many media-based companies located in Miami, such as Telemundo, which targets consumers throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

The dominance of white male executives, however, is by no means evenly distributed across the country. Our report tracks representation among Hispanic executives city by city.

Trends at the bottom So how do things look at the other end of the scale? New York City has the largest Hispanic population in the U.S with 2.3 million individuals. They comprise of 22.6% of the city’s total workforce, including 28.7% of its service workers and 40% of its laborer positions. But only 4.5% of New York’s executives are Hispanic. New York matters because of the large number of Hispanics who live there and the relative power of its executive positions. In 2019, 73 of the Fortune 500 companies were headquartered in the city, among them Citibank, Verizon, MetLife and many other major firms. C-suite inequality As of 2019, Hispanics are the largest minority group in the U.S. at 18.3%. Statistics from 2017 show that Hispanics make up 17% of the labor force. However, they occupy only 4.3% of executive positions in the U.S. Hispanic representation is roughly equal to that of black executives and somewhat lower than Asian American executives. The gap between labor force and executive representation is wider among Hispanics than any other group. Executive jobs offer salary – US$155,586 on average – benefits and job security that simply are not available in lower level positions. They also offer the power to drive initiatives, including those focused on diversity. Where do the Hispanic executives work? Pittsburgh is the only large city in the U.S. to nearly reach equity. Hispanics comprise 1.3% of the city’s executive workforce and 1.4% of its overall labor market. That low overall representation is a trend among cities with the best equity. Four out of five American cities with the most equitable representation – Pittsburgh, Detroit, St. Louis and Cincinnati - have Hispanic populations of less than 4%.

It’s unlikely that there is one key factor behind the lack of Hispanic representation in these jobs. One possibility is an entrenched corporate culture in New York dominated by white male executives. Further, unlike in Miami, Hispanic cultural and linguistic backgrounds are perhaps less valued in these boardrooms. This, however, shouldn’t eliminate the possibility for change. New York’s trade workers – a group once dominated by white men – now includes 21.3% Hispanic workers, one of the highest rates in the country. Efforts to develop Hispanic executive candidates similar to Miami’s youth entrepreneurship program or Pittsburgh’s business incubator program centered in the city’s Hispanic Beechwood neighborhood might lead to greater diversification of New York’s corporate offices. Rounding out the bottom five are San Jose, Salt Lake City, Hartford and Oklahoma City, all cities with at least 10% Hispanic representation in the labor force. Diversity matters Research indicates that boardroom diversity can positively impact both profitability and job satisfaction within companies, in particular by bridging the divide between company executives and lower level employees. continued on page 9

Política / Politics

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Crean American Latinos United para derrotar al presidente Trump WASHINGTON, DC | PRNewswire -HISPANIC PR WIRE | 13 de enero de 2020 - El ex alcalde de Los Ángeles Antonio Villaraigosa y el empresario Fernando Espuelas anunciaron hoy el lanzamiento del SuperPAC American Latinos United (ALU), enfocado en derrotar al presidente Donald Trump activando a los votantes latinos en estados en disputa claves. La misión de ALU y su único objetivo estratégico es reducir la proporción que favorece al presidente Trump en el electorado hispano mediante un pequeño cambio de porcentaje que por consiguiente negaría al presidente una victoria en el Colegio Electoral y la reelección a un segundo término. ALU trata de bajar a Trump del umbral nacional del 30% que consiguió en 2016 a un 25% o menos en 2020. Elección tras elección, expertos y ex líderes de campañas quedan desconcertados al no poder explicar por qué la estrategia de “los hispanos no tienen otra opción” falla para los demócratas. Aunque hay una amplia apreciación del cambio en el poder relativo del electorado latino, las campañas generales suelen afrontar un déficit de conocimiento. Hay una ignorancia considerable entre operativos políticos, campañas y otros grupos políticos sobre los matices de una comunicación efectiva con una población diversa que tiene perfiles psicográficos diferentes, basándose en una serie de factores objetivos. “El presidente Trump captó alrededor del 30% del voto hispano en 2016. Si queda por debajo de ese umbral en 2020, los estados en disputa claves estarán fuera de su alcance”, dijo Espuelas. “Con el Colegio Electoral en juego, tenemos el propósito de empoderar a los latinos en estados en disputa para derrotar a Trump con sus votos”. El equipo de ALU, dirigido por el presidente Antonio Villaraigosa y el CEO Fernando Espuelas, integra una profunda experiencia política con la innovación tecnológica. ALU combina una sofisticada tecnología de selección, mensajes culturalmente apropiados, y una activación en el terreno para que vayan a votar electores en seis estados en disputa que son fundamentales para bloquear una victoria de Trump en el Colegio Electoral. La organización concentrará sus esfuerzos de participación de los votantes en: Arizona, Florida, Carolina del Norte, Michigan, Pensilvania y Wisconsin.

Where are the Hispanic executives?

ALU se dirigirá a los latinos en inglés y en español, en medios tradicionales y en plataformas digitales, con mensajes específicos y una profunda comprensión de la diversa composición cultural de la población latina en los Estados Unidos. Además, ALU llevará a cabo operaciones en el terreno en los seis estados objetivo para dirigirse en persona a la gente para que vote. Combinada, la campaña de ALU motivará los cambios incrementales en la votación para dar el margen de victoria al nominado demócrata. “Nuestro país está en un precipicio. La incompetencia y la corrupción del presidente Trump están amenazando a nuestra democracia y al modo de vida norteamericano”, dijo Villaraigosa. “Los votantes latinos pueden ser los que decidan, si sabemos cómo captar y activar a los millones de personas que no participan en la mayoría de las elecciones. A través de ALU, nos conectaremos profundamente con nuestra comunidad y crearemos los mecanismos para que la asistencia a la votación tenga proporciones históricas”. Aun cuando Trump adoptó una postura decididamente anti-latina en la campaña, la asistencia de los latinos en general a las elecciones fue similar a la asistencia cuando el presidente Obama fue reelecto en 2012. Los demócratas no lograron impulsar el entusiasmo y la activación. Esta clase de asistencia mediocre, si se repitiera en 2020, casi garantizaría la reelección de Trump. Para impulsar la asistencia de los demócratas, ALU también se conectará con votantes que basan su decisión en la postura de los candidatos ante un solo tema y que han descartado a candidatos demócratas en el pasado, explicándoles el peligro moral que Trump representa. ALU comenzará sus esfuerzos digitalmente, agregando esfuerzos de base popular en cada uno de los seis estados. Para más información, para unirse al equipo de ALU o para hacer una donación, visite americanlatinosunited. com.

continued from page 8

With recent reports showing stagnation in the overall number of Hispanic executives nationwide, it’s particularly important for cities and companies to consider what more can be done to bring more Hispanics into the boardroom. Cities might bolster Hispanic business participation and entrepreneurship by helping build business incubator programs, supporting Hispanic business development groups and promoting educational opportunities at area universities. To make change Hispanic workers need to be employed in positions that feed into to the highest company levels. Currently, 8% of all managerial and 6% of all professional positions in the U.S. are Hispanic, far below their labor market share of 17%. Overriding these discrepancies means acknowledging cultural blindspots that often exclude Hispanic workers, such as non-Latino employers recognizing unconscious biases in their communication styles and providing opportunities to professionally use Hispanic cultural competencies. These efforts are important nationwide. However, they apply critically in

cities such as Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Phoenix, all cities with large and deep-rooted Hispanic populations where representation is lagging. JD SWERZENSKI is a Ph.D. Candidate in Communication, University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst). Through the critical pedagogy and new media literacy approaches, my interest is in uses of media technology in classroom practice, specifically in the service of developing critical thinking and responsible cultural production. DONALD T. TOMASKOVIC-DEVEY is Professor of Sociology at UMass Amherst, Director of the Center for Employment Equity, and Associate Editor of the SocioEconomic Review. He is the convener of the Comparative Organizational Inequality Network (COIN) which includes twenty-two scientists exploring relational inequality theory with longitudinal linked employer-employee data from thirteen countries. ERIC HOYT is a Research Director with the Center for Employment Equity at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he conducts empirical analyses using restricted-access EEO-1 data obtained from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

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Opinión / Opinion

Who Really Benefits from Food Stamps? by MIGUEL ARCE and WALTER MULLIN

A debate between a conservative and liberal about food stamps would typically center on the role of government in caring for people without resources. Should a government address the basic needs of its citizens or should each individual take care of themselves? When it comes to food stamps, the subject might easily relate to the belief that it is a human right for all people to have enough food versus the opposite argument that the costs are too high and that food stamps, raised from taxes, ultimately hurt the economy while undermining the profits of businesses. The debate might easily turn to a discussion about the general personal characteristics of people without resources, with the built-in assumption that it is those people who are benefiting most. Hidden from view, however, is the knowledge that a social program, such as food stamps, is a driver of prosperity for farmers, the food industry and other big businesses. It is reasonable to ask, “Is a social program like food stamps a type of ‘welfare’ for both those with resources as well as those without?” The answer is “yes”. In fairness to conversations about poverty, it is worthwhile to know this and speak honestly about themes of social justice. The term “food stamps” is no longer an official name of the United States government’s program to combat food insecurity. Whereas formerly, people were given paper “stamps”, now people are provided a plastic card, similar to a debit card. The name of the program is now Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program operates under the Department of Agriculture, not the Department of Health and Human Services. Its official government location makes it clear that the program is not simply about meeting people’s needs for food, but about the connection between food production and the economy. Who benefits from SNAP program? SNAP offers benefits to people who live within 130% of the poverty line. A family of three in 2020 that earns $2,311 a month ($27,700 per year) might qualify for approximately $378 per month. This is helpful. But who else benefits? People across the country benefit, regardless of their economic needs benefit. The multiplying effect of food: How food creates an economy Food is business! Food is a critical component and a driver of the economy. From seed to growing to harvesting to processing to transportation to the table, there are famers, distributors, owners of storage buildings and processing facilities, transporters, employees of retail and wholesale stores, food service providers, and business owners, all of whom must be paid for their part in this chain. The non-farm sector of the food industry is a significant source of food production and consumption, but also employment. Food must be transported. There are first line handlers and food manufacturers, wholesalers and retail food stores and food service establishment. In 2012 there were approximately 23 million workers involved in food system jobs, often with annual earning of slightly more than $19,000 per year. Annual average earnings for retail and food service sectors tend to be low. Every aspect of the system has a local multiplier effect. For example, a farmer has to purchase seeds and fertilizer, must purchase gasoline for the tractor and must maintain it. The farmer has to go to the bank to purchase essential aspects as well as an attorney and accountant. Even a smaller farm will need general laborers. Food production on farms includes planting, caring for, and harvesting food. Often these activities are undertaken by farm laborers. Besides producing food, small family farms are traditionally tied to the good of their communities. Generational longevity foster accountability to their locale and help support a vibrant community. Small farms, as a model of rural development, makes more sense than does the large-scale, mechanized, chemical intensive, corporate dominated and socially excluding model. In an article published three years ago entitled “Economic and Social Impact of Family Farms—and Their Loss” it stated, “…areas having more small farms have lower poverty and unemployment rates, higher average household incomes, and greater socioeconomic stability. When small family farms disappear, main streets become less active, fewer retail businesses can survive, and less money is spent in the community. While it seems counterintuitive, large agribusinesses are associated with lower incomes, more poverty. and economic inequality.” (Inspired Economist).

El Sol Latino February 2020

When looking at this multiplying of the food economy this way, it takes on new meaning. Lots of people earn their incomes from it. But a side question still is “who benefits most?” While vibrant family farms are being corroded by commercial farms, that is agribusiness or industrialized farms the small farmers are motivated to “get big or get out.” Commercial farms typically earn incomes higher than the small farms or average United States households, and owners are wealthy. Small farms are dwarfed by agribusiness. Agribusiness tend to be large scale business operations. Similarly, food processors, retail grocery stores and manufacturers tend to be large corporations with the potential for good earnings. Workers in the retail food companies include stockers, checkers, and managers. There are also workers who cook and prepare food. The average income of food service workers, $24,857, is about the same as the poverty level for a household of four persons. Government’s policies that raise questions about fairness and the importance of caring for our fellow citizens There are two noteworthy United States government actions that need highlighting. The first is connected to the recent trade war between the Trump administration in the United States and China’s government which has caused an uproar from farmers. As politicians argued over balanced trade, the Chinese government and their businesses cut their purchases of food from US farmers. To minimize the United States farmer’s distress, President Trump instituted a program which is named “Market Facilitation Program” that provided 16 billion dollars to farmers who were impacted. The Environmental Working Group studied the distribution of grants from this program and determined that the “biggest and most profitable industrial scale farms received half of all the dollars”. This program offered significant welfare benefits to the wealthiest of food producers, not small farmers. Second, beginning in July and continuing to December, the United States Department of Agriculture proposed a rule that would end the policy called “Categorical Eligibility” by which households receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are automatically eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). With comments from the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Steven Purdue, such as “We cannot allow people to get an indefinitely giving hand” and “SNAP is not a way of life” thousands of people have lost this benefit. Based on the administration’s beliefs that there is a moral character flaw in people who use SNAP benefits, the eligibility for benefits will be set higher. President Trump has proposed other massive cuts in food programs to feed poor and hungry people. The Trump administration is proposing rollbacks on school lunch guidelines. Under the proposed cutbacks, schools would be allowed to cut the types of vegetables served during lunch and to reduce the amount of fruit served during breakfast. The school meals program serves 30 million students, mostly low income. Impact of food insecurity Food security for the nation’s people is at risk. Food insecurity is connected to a range of health and psychosocial problems. Children who are food insecure have increased risk of asthma, cognitive impairments, and behavioral problems. Food insecurity is a market failure that occurs when private markets do not provide enough food even when the benefits of providing it outweigh the social costs. “Food itself is a private good, but food security is a public good so the government has stepped in to help alleviate some the problem. Approximately 60% of food insecure households participate in one or more government nutrition or food programs” (Feeding America, 2014) which include Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), School Lunch Program and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Nutritional programs help inter-generationally. The current United States government narrative about benefits to those with economic struggles continues to diminish those same people, while hiding details about the level of support that those with economic means obtain. In a search for social justice and fairness, the hidden should be known. This guest opinion is one in a series on living in poverty. DR. WALTER MULLIN (wmullin@ springfieldcollege.edu), Professor of Social Work and MIGUEL ARCE (marce@ springfieldcollege.edu), Associate Professor of Social Work at Springfield College.

Libros / Books

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Cocinado Suave – Ensayos de la Salsa en Puerto Rico por CÉSAR COLÓN MONTIJO - editor • San Juan, PR: Ediciones Callejón | 2015 | 258 páginas Cocinado Suave – Ensayos de la Salsa en Puerto Rico (2015) parte de la metáfora culinaria tan presente en la poética salsera para hacer un junte de investigadores, ensayistas, críticos, cronistas, poetas y fotógrafos. Esta compilación de 18 textos – editada por César Colón Montijo – incluye foto-ensayos, poesías, crónicas, testimonios y ensayos críticos que exploran el luto salsero, el coleccionismo como espacio de sociabilidad, los cruces ente la guerra contra las drogas, el sistema penitenciario y la industria discográfica, el monopolio de Fania Records, la interacción entre géneros musicales, así como distintas manifestaciones de género, religión, raza y folklore en la salsa. Este junte se propone como un ensayo de orquestación intelectual, afectiva y crítica en el que la disonancia y el desafine son tan prominentes como la armonía. Cocinando suave evita el consenso celebratorio y convoca a un contra puntero entre editor, autores y lectores con diversos intereses, propuestas y preguntas salseras. En 2016, publicó Viaje a la Casita: Notas de Plena en el Rincón Criollo, una breve etnografía sobre la cultura y música puertorriqueña en el sur del Bronx. Su tesis doctoral, titulada Espectros de Maelo: una biografía etnográfica de Ismael ‘Maelo’ Rivera, estudia la vida, la música y el mito del cantante de salsa afro-puertorriqueña Maelo Rivera a través de una investigación etnográfica realizada en Venezuela, Panamá y Puerto Rico. Colón-Montijo está trabajando actualmente en un conjunto de proyectos superpuestos: transformando su disertación en una serie de artículos, y también en un manuscrito de libro titulado tentativamente Después de tanta salsa: Variaciones maeleras. Más allá de su disertación, está realizando una investigación para un proyecto de libro a largo plazo que examina los cruces de antropología, farmacología, colonialismo, música y sonido en Puerto Rico. César Colón-Montijo es etnomusicólogo, periodista y documentalista. Completó un doctorado. en etnomusicología en la Universidad de Columbia en 2018, tiene una maestría en antropología y comunicación audiovisual de la Universidad de Barcelona, España. Obtuvo un B.A. en Comunicaciones de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Su investigación y enseñanza abarcan los estudios culturales y de medios de comunicación de Puerto Rico, el Caribe y América Latina, con intereses particulares en las articulaciones de música, sonido, religión, masculinidad, raza, enfermedad e imperio. Ha impartido cursos sobre temas que van desde la teoría de los medios, documentales, escucha y sonido intercultural, y música occidental y caribeña.

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Fue profesor de periodismo y teoría de la comunicación en la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, y enseñó un curso de periodismo web y documental en la Universidad de Puerto Rico, en Río Piedras. Trabajó como productor general de la serie de documentales «Zona franca» para WIPR y fue co-productor del programa «Salsoteca» en Radio Universidad. Ha publicado sus escritos sobre música y cultura en 80 Grados, Diálogo Digital, El Oído Pensante, Mayagüez Sabe a Mangó, La Calle Loíza y Antilla News. Su trabajo ha sido reconocido por la Asociación de Periodistas de Puerto Rico y el Club Ultramniro de Prensa. En 2005 completó un grado de maestría en Antropología y Comunicación Audiovisual en la Universidad de Barcelona, en Cataluña. Su tesis doctoral estudia la vida y música de Ismael «Maelo» Rivera a partir de una investigación etnográfica que desarrolla en Venezuela, Panamá, Puerto Rico y Nueva York desde 2006.

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Poesía / Poetry

El Sol Latino February 2020

“Morir Soñando”: de Martín Espada a Luis Garden Acosta Nota del editor. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en 80grados.net el 17 de enero de 2020. Está basado en una entrevista realizada a Martin Espada el 14 de enero de 2020 por Amy Goodman y Juan González en el program Democracy Now!

here the karate lessons, feet spearing the air to keep schoolyard demons away; there the dancers in white, swirling their skirts to the drumming of bomba; here the workshops on Puerto Rican history, La Masacre de Ponce where your mother’s beloved painted his last words on the street with a fingertip of blood. I was a law student, first year, memorizing law school Latin, listening to classical guitar on my boom box as I studied the rules of property: It’s mine. It’s not yours. I saw only what could be proven by a preponderance of the evidence: the church abandoned by the church, the cross atop the church abandoned by the Son of God. My belly empty as Saint Mary of the Angels, I told you I was hungry, and we left. I wanted Chinese food, but you told me about the Chinese take-out down the block where you stood behind a man who shrieked about the price of wonton soup, left and returned with a can of gasoline, splashed it on the floor and pulled a box of kitchen matches from his pocket. Will you wait till I pick up my egg roll and pork fried rice? you said, with a high school teacher’s exasperated authority, so he did.

Considerado como uno de los principales activistas de la comunidad latina y de derechos humanos de la ciudad de Nueva York, Luis Garden Acosta murió en enero pasado a la edad de 72 años. Ex seminarista, activo en el movimiento antiguerra católico, Garden Acosta se unió a los Young Lords en 1970. Más tarde fundó el capítulo de Massachusetts de ese grupo cuando todavía era estudiante en la Facultad de Medicina de Harvard. Luego fue pionero en campañas exitosas de acción directa no violenta contra escuelas públicas segregadas y contra el racismo ambiental en la ciudad de Nueva York. En sus últimos años, junto con su esposa Frances Lucerna, Garden Acosta creó la Academia El Puente para la Paz y la Justicia, una escuela secundaria pública alternativa orientada al activismo de derechos humanos. Para honrar su legado publicamos este texto del reconocido poeta Martín Espada, quien es profesor de inglés en la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst y autor de más de veinte libros. Su última colección de poemas se titula Vivas to Those Who Have Failed. (Ver Democracy Now!)

For Luis Garden Acosta (1945-2019) Brooklyn, New York by MARTÍN ESPADA

I saw the empty cross atop the empty church on South 4th Street, as if Jesus flapped his arms and flew away, spooked by one ambulance siren too many. I saw the stained glass windows I wanted to break with a brick, the mural of Saint Mary and the Angels hovering innocent as spies over the congregation, and wanted to know why you brought me here, the son of a man punched in the face by a priest for questioning the Trinity, who punched him back. This is El Puente, you said. The Bridge. I knew about the Williamsburg Bridge, eight lanes of traffic and the subway stampeding in the open windows of the barrio all summer. You spread your arms in that abandoned church and saw the spinning of a carousel better than any wooden horses pumping up and down at Coney Island: here the ESL classes for the neighbors cursed with swollen tongues in English; there the clinics on contraception, the pestilence in the veins of the unsuspecting;

You could talk an arsonist into postponing his inferno till you left with lunch, but you couldn’t raise the dead in the ER at Greenpoint Hospital, even in your suit and tie. You couldn’t convince the girl called Sugar to rise from the gurney after the gunshot drained the blood from her body. You couldn’t persuade the doctor who peeled his gloves and shook his head to bring her back to life, telling him do it again, an arsonist in medical scrubs trying to strike a wet match. You couldn’t jumpstart the calliope in her heart so the carousel of horses would rise and fall and rise again. Whenever you saw the gutted church, you would see the sheets of the gurney dipped in red, all the gurneys rolling into the ER with a sacrifice of adolescents. We walked to the luncheonette on Havemeyer Street. A red awning announced Morir Soñando. To Die Dreaming, you said, from the DR, my father’s island. The boy at the counter who spoke no English, brown as my father, called Martín like me, grinned the way you grinned at El Puente, once Saint Mary of the Angels. He squeezed the oranges into a drizzle of juice with evaporated milk, cane sugar and ice, shook the elixir and poured it till the froth spilled over the lip of the glass. Foam freckled my snout as I raised my hand for another. Intoxicated by morir soñando number three and the prophet gently rocking at my table, I had a vision: ESL classes healing the jaws wired shut by English, clinics full of adolescents studying the secrets of the body unspeakable in the kitchen or the confessional, karate students landing bare feet on the mat with a thump and grunt in unison, bomba dancers twirling to a song in praise of Yoruba gods abolished by the priests, the words of Puerto Rican rebels painted on the walls by brushes dipped in every color, pressed in the pages of notebooks by a generation condemned to amnesia. Morir soñando: Luis, I know you died dreaming of South 4th Street, the banners that said no to the toxic waste plant down the block or the Navy bombarding an island of fishermen for target practice thousands of miles away. Morir soñando: I know you died dreaming of vejigantes, carnival máscaras bristling with horns that dangled with the angels at El Puente. Morir soñando: I know you died dreaming of the next El Puente. Morir soñando: I know you died dreaming of the hammer’s claw, the drill whining to the screw, the dust like snow in a globe, then the shy genius raising her hand in the back of the room. Morir soñando: I know you died dreaming of the poets who stank of weed in the parking lot, then stood before the mike you electrified for them and rubbed their eyes when the faces in their poems gathered there, waiting for the first word, so we could all die dreaming, morir soñando, intoxicated by the elixir of the tongue, oh rocking prophet at my table. MARTÍN ESPADA es Profesor de inglés en la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst, autor de más de 20 libros. Su última colección de poemas se titula “Vivas to Aquellos que han fallado”.

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Arte / Art

El Sol Latino February 2020

Lydia Freytes y sus Expressions from the Diaspora Lydia Freytes Rodríguez hace su debut como pintora en el mundo de las bellas artes del Pioneer Valley el 10 de enero de 2020. La primera exhibición de su colección de pinturas titulada Expressions from the Diaspora se hizo durante el evento Oops: An art experience en su Gallery Night celebrado en 258 Exchange Street, en Chicopee, MA. Freytes Rodríguez, pintora del folclor puertorriqueño, logra esta meta tras sólo tres años de haber comenzado a pintar profesionalmente. Esto coincide con la mudanza dela familia de Puerto Rico al oeste de Massachusetts en el 2017. “Mientras viví en PR jamás participe en exposiciones o competencias. Aquí en Massachusetts tampoco.” Nació el 28 de junio de 1973 en Río Piedras y se crió en Vega Baja, la mayor de tres hermanos. Sus padres son Ismael Freytes Trinidad y Lydia E Rodríguez Muñiz. Dice que los Freytes somos de Manati y hemos tenido artistas, músicos, artesanos entre otros. Su esposo José A. Pérez y su hijo José G. Pérez siempre la han apoyado y la motivan a continuar su labor de artista. Tiene una hija de 23 años, Lydia Meléndez Freytes, y tres bellos nietos. Explica la pintora que “después de mayor comencé otra vez a criar y tengo un hijo de 5 años.”

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por MANUEL FRAU RAMOS

su madre en su interés por las artes. Todo comenzó cuando su madre compró la tan reconocida Enciclopedia La Cumbre. Con la compra le habían obsequiado un libro de la historia del arte. Freytes señala que “Me encantaba el libro donde podía apreciar obras del Renacimiento, Romanticismo y demás, donde el desnudo era muy popular tanto en la pintura como la escultura.” Además, su madre tuvo un centro de cuido y fue ella quien pintó las paredes con flamboyanes, ratoncitos, mariposas y otras cosas. Explica que fue aquí en Massachusetts que comencé a pintar más profesionalmente. “Cojí un curso online con el artista Juan Luis González y pude ampliar mis conocimientos de luces, sombras y las reglas de la pintura.” Para más información, visite Etsy.com/shop/FreytesArt o su página en Facebook, FreytesArt.

Se graduó de cuarto año del Liceo Hispanoamericano en Bayamón. Obtuvo un Bachillerato en Ciencias del Caribbean University y realizó estudios profesionales, obteniendo un Doctorado en Medicina de la Universidad Central del Este en San Pedro de Macorís, República Dominicana. La nostalgia de estar lejos de su patria la lleva a retomar a su interés por la pintura que ha estado en ella desde su niñez y comienza a pintar escenas folclóricas de su bello Puerto Rico. Lydia reconoce la importancia que tuvo

Puerto Rico Beach, acrylic canvas

Dancing in the Flamboyán, acrylic canvas

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Medios / Media

El Sol Latino February 2020

Hispanics Favor English Content and Brands that Reference Culture LOS ANGELES, CA | PRWeb | January 23, 2020 - H Code, the only advertising entity reaching the U.S. Hispanic market at scale digitally, today released its 2020 Digital Fact Pack, showcasing new research conducted by H Code’s Intelligence Center to understand the preferences and habits of Hispanic consumers in the U.S. when it comes to digital media. Findings explore the shift in content consumption among U.S. Hispanics, who now prefer digital and social channels to traditional mediums. Surveying more than 1,000 English and Spanish-speaking Hispanic respondents in the United States, the study also highlights the adoption of smart technology, device and language preferences, sentiments around brand advertising, and the importance of culture and authentic connections with this powerful audience. “H Code’s Digital Fact Pack reinforces our knowledge that brands can no longer ignore the rapidly-growing U.S. Hispanic market. With a $2.3 trillion GDP and accounting for half of the country’s population growth over the past two decades, this demographic is a crucial target for brands trying to increase their ROI,” said Parker Morse, CEO and Founder of H Code. “Our research shows that Hispanics are paying close attention to brands and those that make an effort to represent them gain their loyalty.” Despite their massive influence, brands dedicate only 4.2 percent of advertising budgets to this audience. And Hispanics are taking note: 78 percent don’t think brands target them enough and believe it’s time brands recognize the power of the Hispanic community. If brands commit to prioritizing this audience, they will be rewarded with increased brand loyalty, affinity, and customer lifetime value: In fact, 75 percent of Hispanics say they are more likely to think favorably of a brand or purchase their products if they make an effort to include elements of their culture and 80 percent stay loyal to a brand once they find one they like. As a result, insight into this audience will be an incredible resource for brands looking to inform their campaigns and influence this consumer market. 100% Hispanic and 100% American Culture is a significant part of the Hispanic market in the U.S. and is driven by the varying heritages and backgrounds that make up this highly diverse audience. The majority (84%) of respondents say their culture is a mixture of American and Hispanic culture. Brands must understand that this audience has interests, values, traditions, and preferences that blend two worlds. Understanding their nuances is key for any brand looking to successfully reach them. • 72% are more likely to connect with an ad that shows their culture • 69% believe there should be more ads specifically made to resonate with the Hispanic community

Spanish over English? Try Both When it comes to language, the Hispanic market shatters stereotypes, meaning that marketing to Spanish-dominant audiences is an outdated practice. The majority of this diverse, engaged audience either prefers English-language content or consumes bilingual content across mediums and platforms: 66 percent take notice of bilingual advertising campaigns because they reflect their own experience and 71 percent don’t have a preference to the language of digital ads, so long as they match the language of the surrounding content. • Language preference watching TV or movies: º 53% watch in English º 30% watch in both English and Spanish º 17% watch in Spanish • Language preference listening to music: º 41% listen to English and Spanish º 40% listen in English º 19% listen in Spanish Family Over Followers 64 percent of Hispanics say they use social media to stay connected with friends and family, emphasizing the importance of emotional connections, family, and social communities to this audience. The two most popular social media platforms among U.S. Hispanics are Facebook (78%) and YouTube (71%), followed by: • 65% Instagram • 43% Snapchat • 41% WhatsApp • 36% Pinterest • 34% Twitter Founded in 2015, H Code is the leading media entity reaching U.S. Hispanic consumers at scale digitally. The company was formed to better connect brands and advertisers with U.S. Hispanics online across all channels. It reaches this niche audience through digital and integrated campaigns that bring together targetable data, exclusive inventory, impactful creative, branded content, and more. Through H Code, brands can more effectively reach and influence Hispanics than with any other partner in the Hispanic market. Key clients include Disney Theatrical, Toyota, General Mills, Target, Walmart, Delta Air Lines, Chase, Kaiser Permanente, Clorox, Sprint, and USPS.

Holyoke Community College introduces Latinx Studies program continued from page 14 spring 2020 semester: one college-level class on campus; one for students in HCC's alternative high school program, Gateway to College; and a third at Holyoke High School. "My plan is to create a pipeline of students," he said. "I want to do the groundwork and build the foundation for the program. By reaching out to high school students I hope that when they graduate they will decide to come to us." Gutiérrez notes that the program is not meant just for students of Latinx heritage. "The students who tend to learn the most are non-Latino," he said. "This type of ethnic studies allows students to find their voices and learn about important aspects of U.S. history and culture." During an end-of-the-semester class discussion, Najy Knee, one of the nonLatino students in "Teatro Nuestro," gave her assessment. "I entered this class with a sort of outsider's perspective," said Knee, who is from Chicopee. "I knew a lot of surface history, but I didn't really know the deep

undercurrents, like the history of U.S. intervention in Latin American countries. The class very much opened my eyes." To learn more about HCC’s Latinx Studies program, go to: hcc. edu/latinx Holyoke Community College theater professor Patricia Sandoval leads students in an acting exercise in an HCC Learning Community course called "Teatro Nuestro," a combination of "Introduction to Theater" and "Introduction to Latinx Studies."

Educación / Education

El Sol Latino February 2020

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STCC to offer legal interpreting certificate program SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | January 22, 2020 - Interested in working as a legal interpreter? Springfield Technical Community College will offer training beginning February 25. The course runs through April, with classes meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Offered as a certificate program through the Workforce Development Center at STCC, this class is open to Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Russian speaking students who would like to expand their interpreting skills in legal settings. Interpreting is a high-demand field. Jobs are expected to grow by 19 percent through 2028, which is much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Large increases in the number of non-English-speaking people in the United States will drive growth, the BLS reports. The course will cover the most in-demand types of hearings such as due process hearings, unemployment Hearings, and depositions. Students will learn legal terminology and procedural protocols needed to interpret for these various types of hearings. In addition, students will have the opportunity for intense practice through mock hearings. These mock hearings will give students the experience and comfort-level needed to apply for work in the field. Trained legal interpreters are in demand throughout Massachusetts and nationwide in law offices, schools, state agencies and contracting agencies.

For more information and to enroll online, visit stcc.edu/wdc/ descriptions/legalinterpreting. To contact the Workforce Development Center Office, call (413) 755-4225. Springfield Technical Community College, founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of Western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, liberal arts, and STEM fields continue to provide the most affordable options for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of about 7,000 day, evening, weekend, and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity. For more information about STCC, visit www.stcc.edu. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@S_T_C_C) and Instagram (@stccpics).

Holyoke Community College introduces Latinx Studies program HOLYOKE, MA | HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | Janaury 10, 2020 – As a new student at HCC in 2018, Alexandra Santiago started out as a communications major. But last fall she signed up for a class at the college that took her in an entirely different direction. That was "Teatro Nuestro," a Learning Community course that explored identity through the literature, culture, history, politics, movements, and influence of people of Mexican, Central-American, South-American and Caribbean descent. "Teatro Nuestro" – "Our Theater" in English – actually combined two classes from different academic areas, "Introduction to Theater" and "Introduction to Latinx Studies." The latter was the first course in the college catalog with the prefix LAX, which denotes Latinx Studies, a new program and academic concentration introduced at HCC for the fall 2019 semester. "I wanted to learn more about the history of where I come from," said the 21-year-old Santiago, who moved to Holyoke from Puerto Rico after Hurricane María devastated the island in September 2017. By the time the course concluded in December, Santiago had switched her major to Latinx Studies. She will be taking two more courses required for her new major during the spring 2020 semester, which starts Jan. 27: "Latinx Literature," an honors class; and "Latinx Politics," a class co-taught by HCC political science professor Mark Clinton and Sony Coranez Bolton, an assistant professor of Spanish and Latinx and Latin American Studies at Amherst College. "I found that I was interested in politics," said Santiago. "With a major in Latinx Studies, I can focus on that. I want to advocate for Latinx people, in some way or another." "Teatro Nuestro" was co-taught by HCC theater professor Patricia Sandoval and assistant professor of Spanish Raúl Gutiérrez, co-founder and chair of the Latinx Studies program. Gutierrez said he hopes more students like Santiago will decide to pursue Latinx Studies, which is offered as a concentration option to an associate degree in liberal arts.

population of Latino students, or Latinx students, especially those from Puerto Rico," he said. The term "Latinx" (pronounced "Latin-X") has evolved on college campuses in recent years as a gender-neutral alternative to Latino. But Gutiérrez says the use of Latinx at HCC does not represent an initiative to replace one word with the other. Rather, the choice should be personal, and exploring identity and selfidentity is a significant part of the course. "Being Latino or Hispanic or Latinx or Puerto Rican or Mexican – that's a difficult thing to unpack, and we take a whole semester talking about it," said Gutiérrez, who was born in Mexico, grew up in Chicago., and now lives in Holyoke. "We chose ‘Latinx' because it is the most inclusive term, but that is still problematic. I'm not going to say it's not." The Latinx Studies program grew out of a $120,000 "Bridging Cultures" grant HCC received from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2015. The goal was to help the HCC faculty incorporate Latinx Studies material into existing courses with an eye toward new ones. "In three years, we trained 15 faculty members to be more inclusive and more responsive, adding Latinx Studies material into their coursework," he said, "whether that be a history class or an English class, for example. In the process, we were creating curriculum." The result was courses that became cornerstones of the new major: "Latinx Literature," "Latinx Politics," "History of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean," and "Introduction to Latinx Studies." Requirements for the major also include an internship or Latinx civic engagement project and electives from a wide variety of other areas of study, such as anthropology, sociology, communications, history race and ethnicity, and Spanish. The program prepares students for transfer to a four-year institution for those who want to complete their bachelor's degrees and pursue careers such as community organizing, law and advocacy, city and urban planning, politics and policy, counseling, and international relations.

As far as Gutiérrez knows, HCC is the only community college in Massachusetts to offer a Latinx, Latino or Latin American Studies program.

"The great thing about Latinx Studies is that you can go in any direction," Sandoval said to students on the first day of class.

"It makes perfect sense for HCC to have this program because we are an HSI" – federally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution – "and we have a large

Gutiérrez will teach three sections of "Introduction to Latinx Studies" during the

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El Sol Latino February 2020

Fine Arts Center

PHILADANCO!

Temporada 2019 -2020

THE PHILADELPHIA DANCE COMPANY

Jueves, Febrero 6, 7:30 pm Fine Arts Center Concert Hall

Un espectáculo de los clásicos de la compañía de danza, además de nueva coreografía que resalta los issues sociales más importantes del momento.

Asian Arts & Culture

GUGU DRUM GROUP FROM SHANGHAI

Martes, Febrero 11, 7:30 pm | Fine Arts Center Concert Hall Este premiado grupo teatral incorpora técnicas tradicionales chinas de tambores y movimiento con un toque contemporáneo.

FINDING NEVERLAND Martes, Febrero 25, 7:00 pm Fine Arts Center Concert Hall

La historia presenta la relación entre el dramaturgo J.M. Barrie y la familia que inspiró Peter Pan. La magia del clásico de Barrie cobra vida en este encantador evento teatral. Finding Neverland es “¡sin duda alguna el mejor musical del año!” (NPR).

Para boletos llamar al: 413-545-2511 ó al 800-999-UMAS ó en línea fineartscenter.com