Thursday, May 01, 2008

Community calendar

Centro de Estudios Puertorriquenos
Hunter College
Presents

between the air, the bark, and the green...where all things go...

An exhibition by
David Antonio Cruz


itneverwaswhatyouthoughtitcouldbe,lovingmewasnevermeanttobesoeasy
Oil canvas, 2007
David Antonio Cruz

On view until Friday, June 27

Reception tonight from 6-8 p.m.

Gallery hours
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.

www.centropr.org

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

LatinoJustice

LatinoJustice connects hundreds of students and young leaders for May 1 action

New civic engagement network promotes Latino activism across the country

The next generation of Latino leaders has a new tool to help them get involved in the fight for civil rights. LatinoJustice, an online civic engagement network created by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF), connects students and young Latino activists across the country, and helps engage them in the fight for social justice. LatinoJustice connects doers, thinkers and motivators who seek to galvanize their communities.

In the weeks leading up to this year's May 1 events, LatinoJustice connected hundreds of students and young leaders from across the country with information on where and how to get involved. After May 1, the network will continue to connect young leaders for future activism, including organizing naturalization campaigns and voter registration drives, and conducting poll watching to ensure that Latinos are not intimidated when they cast their votes this November.

"This generation plans activities, talks about what's on its mind and makes friends in a different way. It is also a generation that is eager to make a difference," said PRLDEF President and General Counsel Cesar Perales. "We are asking these young activists to become leaders in their communities: Leaders in the fight for justice and equal opportunity at a time when Latinos are facing a barrage of prejudice from the media, from politicians and from many other people in this country."

With their growing numbers, Latino youth stand to exert an important influence over civic society in the coming years. Our country saw its first glimpse of this potential power three years ago, when young activists helped convert messages on social networks into high turnout at massive rallies and marches for May 1, the national day of action for immigrants' rights.

Young Latinos are the country's fastest growing demographic; about 34 percent of Latinos are under the age of 18. And approximately 60,000 Latinos turn 18 every month in the United States, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

"Our young activists are residents and new immigrants who realize the importance of standing up for the rights of their community," said Madeline Friedman, Director of the LatinoJustice Network. "LatinoJustice provides them with the tools to be advocates for all Latinos."

LatinoJustice brings together young leaders from various colleges and states across the country, allowing them to debate important policy on discussion boards, comment on the latest news affecting their communities, and post and view workshops and events that promote community engagement. For more information, visit LatinoJustice's profile on MySpace at myspace.com/latinojustice or visit Facebook.

Source: Press release from PRDLEF

Museum to honor Latino culture and history advances

Featured Story

The House votes to create a commission to look into building the National Museum of the American Latino in the nation's capital.

WASHINGTON -- Four years ago, a museum celebrating the history and culture of Native Americans opened at the east end of the National Mall. Within a decade, one honoring the contributions of African Americans will be erected on the west end, near the Washington Monument. Yet Latinos, the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority, have no museum of their own in the nation's capital.
But the National Museum of the American Latino came one step closer to reality Tuesday when the House, by a vote of 291 to 117, approved legislation that includes creation of a commission to study the feasibility of building such a facility. For more, go to
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-latino30apr30,1,496988.story


Editor's Note: The history of Puerto Ricans in the United States (and even on the island) must play a prominent role if this museum ever becomes a reality.

img_1408_sm


img_1408_sm
Originally uploaded by Ola Lola.

CINE_REAL:

a curatorial series on cinema and new media

Judith Escalona's "Bx3M: a work in process"
Hector Canonge's "Idolatries/Idolatrías"

Closing Reception: Wednesday, April 30, 6-8 p.m.
Music provided by Joe Falcon and Coco Rico with Stuart Watson

MediaNoche is located in the corner store at 1355 Park Avenue, NE corner of 102nd Street, NYC's El Barrio

MediaNoche, Uptown's gallery devoted to new media, presents Cine_Real: a curatorial series on the impact of new media on cinema. The two exhibiting works utilize digital technologies towards very different ends, altering our film sense.

Free admission

Regular gallery hours: Wednesday - Friday, 3-7 p.m., and by appointment

For more information: (212) 828-0401 or visit www.medianoche.us

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Boricua Roots Music



Community Calendar

A Chat with Tato Torres of YERBABUENA
An Informal Discussion on Contemporary Puerto Rican Music in New York

6-8 p.m., Wednesday, April 30
Admission: $5
Cemí Underground, 1799 Lexington Ave., NYC's El Barrio

Description:
Tato Torres, singer/musician/composer and founder and director of the renown Boricua Roots Music band YERBABUENA hosts an informal open discussion on the history, presence and future of contemporary Boricua Roots Music.

Boricua Roots Music is a musical movement in which Boricua musicians have combined and re-combined elements of traditional and/or "folkloric" music as contemporary musical expressions. This style of modern music, which reaches back to the roots of Boricua (Puerto Rican) tradition has come to be called "roots music" or "música de raíz" in Spanish. The movement is also often referred to simply as "roots" or "raíces" in Spanish.


For more information, call (212) 860-2820 or e-mail info@yerbabuena.biz


(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

In the Mailbox

Saludos:

Aquí sólo un breve aviso para que sepan que nuestra película, "Ladrones y Mentirosos" (Thieves and Liars) ya está disponible en DVD.

Un abrazo,
Poli Marichal y Ricardo Méndez Matta

Monday, April 28, 2008

In the Mailbox




Dear Editor,

Do you know a young person with something to say?

Well, there’s still time!

The New York Civil Liberties Union is sponsoring its annual Freedom in Expression contest that asks youth to tell their stories, voice their opinions and speak out. Winners will receive cash prizes of up to $1,000.

Contestants can enter an essay, a song, a spoken word piece, a poem, visual art, a video, a public service announcement or something even more creative. Entries just need to express views on an aspect of justice in America.

The contest is open to all New York City youth younger than 20-years-old and the deadline is coming up! Entries must be submitted by Monday, May 19.

(For more information and to enter the contest, go to http://www.nyclu.org/contest.)

Good luck!


Donna Lieberman
Executive Director, NYCLU

Salsa Symphony


Salsa Symphony
Originally uploaded by clarisel.
The Bronx Arts Ensemble perform "Fifty Years of Salsa A Symphonic Odyssey" at the Hostos Center for Arts & Culture in the Bronx. It was a packed house Saturday night with audience members enjoying salsa hits such as "El Bombon de Elena" (50's), "Oye como va" (60's), "Periodico de ayer" (70's), "Lluvia" (80's), and "Vivir lo nuestro" (90's). All songs were performed with a symphonic twist. Boricua Raymond Torres-Santos served as the conductor and arranger.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

From the PRSUN TV Archives

In March 2007, El Barrio and New York City celebrated the naming of East 106 Street in East Harlem in honor of the late Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos. The street is now also known as Julia de Burgos Blvd. PRSUN TV was there. This is a shorter version of the show, which originally aired on Bronxnet in the Bronx. -- Clarisel Gonzalez, producer

Refrescante chorro en la fuente en la Plaza Quinto Centenario


Saturday, April 26, 2008

Festival of New Play Readings



The Puerto Rico Traveling Theater kicked off its Festival of New Play Readings 2008 this month and it will run until May 27. The readings are part of the theater's Playwrights Unit.
Among some of the upcoming plays are "Widows" by Nancy Nevarez, which is about Latinas growing up in the South Bronx in the 1970s and "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy" by Carlos J. Serrano about a baseball star who is his own toughest rival. (Note: Click on the image posted here to see the text in larger size of all the readings.)
All readings are free at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, 304 W. 47 St., Manhattan. They are at 7 p.m. After each reading, there is a short discussion with a guest moderator.
For more information, visit www.prtt.org or call 212 354-1293.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Sports

Serrano Urges Selig to Rethink Approach to Developing Puerto Rican Baseball Players

In a letter to Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig sent on Thursday, Congressman Serrano asked Commissioner Selig to reconsider Major League Baseball's policy for signing prospective players from Puerto Rico. In the letter Serrano expressed his opinion that including Puerto Rican players in the regular draft keeps them from having the opportunity to fully realize their potential.
To read more, go to
http://serrano.house.gov/Newsletter.aspx?NewsID=1551#baseball_cont

Source: The Serrano Report