The race for the new Bronx boro prez

Politics

Bronx Borough Prez Adolfo Carrion Jr., a boricua, is moving on to his new job for the Obama administration. His last full day on the job as Bronx prez was Friday.

Now the race for the new boro prez is heating up. So far, the only one who has announced that he is in the race is Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr. City Councilman Joel Rivera has expressed interest. Diaz and Rivera are boricuas.

Here's a WNYC report by Elaine Rivera of what's going on:



Bronxites, the special election for a borough president is an important one. Rather than getting blinded by petty partisan politics and last names, residents should be looking at what the new candidate will offer. What are his or her positions on improving the quality of life in the Bronx? Remember that the South Bronx is still considered the poorest Congressional district in the country. The mayor is expected to announce a special election. Bronx Latinos, this race matters.

Here's the description of what a borough president does as posted at http://bronxboropres.nyc.gov/en/gv/president/index.htm:

"The Borough President works with the Mayor to prepare the annual executive budget submitted to the City Council, reviews and comments on major land use projects, and proposes sites for City facilities within his jurisdiction. The Borough President also monitors the administration of City services and engages in strategic planning for the economic development of the borough. He appoints a representative to the New York City Board of Education and the New York City Planning Commission. The Borough President also appoints the members of the Community Boards and is the Chairperson of both the Borough Board and the Borough Services Cabinet. Among other distinctions, the Borough President sits on the New York City Off-Track Betting Site Selection Board, and is a trustee of the New York City Employees' Retirement System. The Borough President's Office also houses the Borough's Topographical Bureau, which is responsible for maintaining the borough's official maps, and assigning street addresses." -- Clarisel Gonzalez

Serrano Passes Senate Resolution Honoring Joe Cuba

Senator Serrano yesterday introduced a resolution in the State Senate that honored the life and music of Joe Cuba, a renowned musician who ventured into all aspects of Latin music. The resolution passed unanimously, a testament to the importance of Cuba's contribution to the music and culture of the community he loved so much.

"It is a great privilege to be able to pay my respects to Joe Cuba with this resolution," said Serrano, chair of the Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation Committee. "Joe Cuba's music defines an era."

Cuba is most famously known as the Father of the Boogaloo, a 1960s musical style that mixed African-American and Latino musical traditions. Boogaloo was a powerful reminder of the diversity and vitality of the neighborhood that spawned the style. The fusion of Latin and R&B rhythms exploded onto the popular charts in the 1960s and 1970s, and helped to define the emerging Nuyorican identity of the time.

"As a distinctly New York sound, boogaloo is an important part of the history of El Barrio," Serrano said. "By singing in English as well as Spanish, he was able to introduce Latin music to a wide audience."

Cuba passed away at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City on Sunday, February 15, 2009. He is survived by his wife Maria Calderon, sons Mitchell and Cesar, daughter Lisa and grandchildren Nicole and Alexis.

To see the video "Serrano Passes Senate Resolution Honoring JoeCuba" on the Senate floor:
http://www.nyssenate28.com/28/Default.aspx

source: press release from Senator Serrano's office

(photo of Senator Serrano)

A conversation with martial artist Shihan Warixi Soto

Bronxite Shihan Warixi Soto is a high ranking martial artist, a multiple Hall of Fame recipient and the creator and Executive Director of F.A.S.T. (Female Alternative Street Tactics) and "Secure Your Child."
F.A.S.T focuses on urban survival and has been created to empower and teach women and teen girls how to avoid all forms of attacks and confrontations. The program was created for the streets of New York City. The other program teaches children ages 4-12 street awareness, self protection and self defense. Both programs have been taught throughout the city since 1983. That same year Shihan Warixi was awarded the rank of “Kaiden” in “Miyama Ryu Combat Ju-Jutsu.” The rank is very similar to 10th degree black belt, and it’s the highest rank awarded. Her specialties are anti-rape tactics, live blade knife techniques, and Ju-Jutsu for adults and children.
She has trained and holds certificates in weaponry. She has training in Jodo (the long staff), bokken (wooden sword) and tanjo (short staff).

The Q&A

Q: What got you into martial arts?
A: It was a few things that contributed to my getting into the martial arts. First, I loved Angela Mao, Bruce Lee, and Sonny Chiba. Second, I grew up fighting. When I was little, my father would take me to the fights. Third, I needed to get in shape. You can see it was a few things.

Q: Were you ever a victim of a crime or bullied?
A: Whenever I got bullied, I had to fight or my mom would kick my butt. I grew up fighting. I was the oldest. Sometimes I had to defend my brothers. I’ve always hated bullies.

Q: Were you often the only female in the martial arts class and how did the men treat you?
A: Yes. Some men were really soft, treating my like a real girly girl. Others were really really hard like they wanted me out of there.

Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born in East Harlem and lived there until I was eight. We then moved to the Bronx.

Q: How was it? Were you a tough girl growing up?
A: No. No gangs, No bullying. In fact, I hated gangs and bullies. I was more the athletic type: bike riding, swimming, horseback riding, skateboarding, knife throwing, street basement karate.

Q: What do you teach your students?
A: Wow, there is a whole lot that I teach my students. If I’m teaching my children’s program “Secure Your Child,” then I teach everything from how to walk alone, how to deal with bullies and strangers and much more. I don’t teach children about weapons. When I teach my “Female Alternative Street Tactics” eight-hour program, I teach women how to use everyday items for self defense. I also have a workshop called “Using everyday items for self defense.” There I teach how to use everyday items, including weapons.

Q: Which weapons do you specialize in teaching?
A: I specialize in knife, stick, and Bokken (wooden sword).

Q: Could you tell us the certificates you have received and what is the role of the shihan?
A: I have received numerous awards, really too many to mention. I have been inducted into seven Hall of Fames. My most priced award came from my own peers in Miyama Ryu Combat Ju Jutsu. I was given “The Keeper of the Lost Art” Award for “Woman of the Year” in 2004. Shihan is my title, my rank is Kaiden. It means that I have devoted my life to this art, and I am qualified to teach, and rank. It means “All things passed.” Check out my blog at www.shihanwarixi.blogspot.com .

Q: You seem to have a special bond with children. Why?
A: I love children and truly believe that all the children in the world are my children. Children are loyal, honest, truthful and fun. More adults should try to be like children.

Q: Do you have children and are they also in martial arts?
A: Yes, I have three children. When they were young they were in the art. They ranked in Judo and Ju Jutsu. My daughter still trains.

When she is not involved in martial arts, she devotes time to her love for the Taino culture. She enjoys educating people about the rich history of Boriken. For more information, visit www.kukarey.com. – Ismael Nunez

(photos courtesy of Shihan Warixi Soto)

Community calendar

PowerHouse Arena presents
Latinos in Literature
A fresh crop of Nuyorican authors
7-9 p.m., March 5
PowerHouse Arena, 37 Main St., Brooklyn


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http://www.powerhousebooks.com

Editor's Note: Support our Latino authors.

ALL of these books are also available for purchase at the PRSUN aStore (a way of supporting this Puerto Rico Sun community media project). The PRSUN aStore highlights the work of Puerto Rican writers and artists.

Movement to name a NYC street in honor of Richie Perez

Activism

A petition is circulating online in support of naming 22nd Street and Park Avenue South Richie Perez Way. You are invited to sign the petition. More street names should honor boricuas like Richie Perez who made a difference in the story of this city. The petition is addressed to the local community board.

Councilwoman Rosie Mendez who knew Perez would like to see a street named in Perez's honor during her tenure. The street is in Mendez's district and she will submit the proposal to Community Board 5 at a public meeting on March 5.

Here's the text for the online petition:

To: Community Board 5

We write to urge Community Board #5 to rename 22nd Street and Park Avenue South Richie Perez Way, to pay homage to one of the nation’s greatest advocates, a community leader and longtime activist in the struggle for global social justice and human rights.
Richie Perez was a leading exponent for social justice and political participation. A former Young Lord and National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights co-founder, Richie brought his unique mix of integrity, zeal and unity to the diverse ethnic and racial communities of New York City and beyond.
Born and raised in the Bronx, Richie graduated from the NYC public school system and the City University of New York. He also earned an MA in Business Economics from New York University.
Richie’s commitment to the education of young people began when he taught at Monroe High School and was involved in the movement for community control of the schools. He went on to teach college courses on the Puerto Rican urban experience, the mass media, social policy in the United States, the history of the civil rights, and the history of the labor movement at educational institutions (Richmond, Brooklyn and Hunter Colleges, the College of New Rochelle, Empire State College and the Center for Legal Education and Urban Policy). He designed the course "Urban Reality and Mass Media" for pre-law students at CCNY's Urban Legal Studies Program.
Richie has been a leader in the struggle to eliminate racial bias and to demand accountability in cases of police brutality. He commenced his volunteer work as a member of the Young Lords Party (YLP) established in New York City in 1969. In the 1970’s, Richie created the Committee Against “Fort Apache: The Bronx” which held protests at movie theaters urging New Yorkers to boycott the movie because of the negative depiction and stereotypes of Puerto Ricans.
In 1981, Richie worked with others in creating the National Congress of Puerto Rican Rights (NCPRR), a not-for-profit volunteer organization. It has been a voice and vehicle of empowerment for Puerto Rican people. The NCPRR is a civil rights organization addressing the ill treatment of Puerto Ricans and Latinos by individuals and institutions. Richie chaired the NCPRR’s Justice Committee that primarily worked on issues of police brutality and racial violence. Richie continued his work with victims and surviving family members of police brutality and racial violence until his death in March 2004.
In 1983, the Community Service Society hired Richie in a series of challenging positions during his 21 years of employment. In 1987, he was appointed the Director of Organizational Development and the Voter Participation Project. Thanks to Richie's creativity and tireless efforts, VPP registered over 250,000 new voters in NYC. Since 1992, Richie served as the Director of Political Development and worked closely with CSS' Legal Department on the issue of felon disenfranchisement.
Finally, Richie was a family man, married for twenty three years and raised a wonderful son.
The biggest tribute we, as his “global family” and community, can make to acknowledge Richie’s life commitment to social justice struggles is to co-name the street where the Community Service Society is located and where Richie spent most of his day working on these issues.

To sign the online petition, go to
http://www.petitiononline.com/rpw32704/petition.html

Community calendar

Preserving Identity: Puerto Rican Shift from Catholicism to Pentecostalism

An examination of the indirect and direct factors why the change from Catholicism to Pentecostalism allowed the early generation Puerto Rican to preserve their identity in New York City

Presenter: Ramón Ortiz, New York Theological Seminary

6 p.m., Wednesday, February 25

Centro Conference Room 1437 East Bldg.
Hunter College
68th & Lexington Avenue, Manhattan

www.centropr.org

Miguel Cotto delivers a great show at the ring

On the sports corner

After boxer Miguel Cotto suffered a bitter defeat in the hands of Antonio Margarito last July 2008, there were some who questioned whether Cotto lost his confidence. At the same time, he lay low for more than 200 days. There was concern that the layoff would make him rusty. But on the night of February 21, he proved everyone wrong at Square Garden in front of a large fan base.
That night Cotto met Michael Jennings from England who came in with a record of 34-2 and 16 knockouts. It was Jennings first time fighting at the Garden. Cotto won every round, scoring with left jabs, shots to the body, two knockdowns in round four and one more in round five. When referee Benji Estevez saw enough, he said no mas, stopping the fight with 2:36 remaining in the fifth round.
Cotto captured the vacant World Boxing Organization Welterweight Champion.
After the fight, there was some talk about a rematch with Shane Mosley who this past January 24th defeated Margarito.
My advice: Cotto relax, train, be confident, but don’t get over confident. – Ismael Nunez

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan to lead the Archdiocese of New York

We have a new archbishop.

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of Milwaukee, as the new Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York.

The new archbishop says he is looking forward to working with the vibrant Latino Catholic Church community here. When I first heard that Dolan was appointed instead of Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan, Puerto Rico, I was a little disappointed. I guess the Archdiocese of New York is not ready for a Latino archbishop yet. They decided to name another Irishman (nothing against the Irish), but I think it is about time to diversify the leadership of the church. But I'm feeling good about Dolan's appointment. Hearing him speak today, I got a sense that he is very aware of how important Latinos are to the Archdiocese. It is definitely not a community to be taken for granted. He seems to be a down-to-earth kind of bishop. I hear he's strict on such issues as abortion and celibacy in the priesthood.

A historian, he seems to be familiar with the story of immigration and the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of New York. He is still working on his Spanish and hopes to improve it. He knows Italian too and admits he sometimes confuses his Spanish and Italian and prefers to use text when he speaks Spanish. I suspect he will pick up a lot of Spanish in New York City.

Puerto Rico Sun welcomes the new archbishop to our Latino parishes.

Here's the press release:

Archbishop Dolan Appointed Archbishop of New York Retirement of Cardinal Egan Accepted

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, has appointed His Excellency, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of Milwaukee, to the Archdiocese of New York. Archbishop Dolan has served as the Archbishop of Milwaukee since 2002. He will be the 13th Bishop and 10th Archbishop of the See of New York. He succeeds His Eminence, Edward Cardinal Egan, who submitted his letter of retirement upon reaching the age of 75 on April 2, 2007.

Cardinal Egan has been named Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of New York until the Installation of Archbishop Dolan. The Archbishop will be installed by His Excellency, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States at Saint Patrick's Cathedral on April 15, 2009.

In a statement, Archbishop Dolan addressed New Yorkers, saying, "My brother bishops, priests, religious women and men, seminarians, committed Catholics of this wonderful Church, I pledge to you my love, my life, my heart, and I can tell you already that I love you, I need so much your prayers and support, I am so honored, humbled, and happy to serve as your pastor."

Born in 1950, the oldest of five children to Robert and Shirley Dolan, Archbishop Dolan's education began at Holy Infant Grade School in Ballwin, Missouri, and continued at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary, Cardinal Glennon College, and the Pontifical North American College, in Rome.

Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis on June 19, 1976, Father Dolan then served as a parish priest, earned his doctorate in Church History at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D. C., worked at the Apostolic Nunciature (Vatican Embassy) in Washington, D.C., served on the faculty at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, and returned to Rome as rector of the Pontifical North American College.

He came back to the Archdiocese of St. Louis as auxiliary bishop in June 2001, to be appointed Archbishop of Milwaukee a year later.

source: Archdiocese of New York

(photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of New York)

My upcoming show: Latinas En Foco/Women in Photography

You are invited

March 2009
NYC
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Community calendar

Artists raise money to create 'The Freedom Album' and help Puerto Rican political prisoners and their families


The Puerto Rican Freedom Project will be throwing a fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at the 1199 MLK, JR Union Center, 310 West 43rd St., Manhattan. Proceeds will go toward the creation of "The Freedom Album," a dual CD featuring Puerto Rican artists from the island and beyond, due out early this spring.
The musical compilation is being created to raise funds for the Puerto Rican political prisoners and their families. The current Puerto Rican political prisoners are Oscar Lopez, Carlos Alberto Torres, Haydee Beltran and Avelino Gonzalez Claudio. Suggested donation for the event: $10-$15.

For more information about this project, go to www.prfreedomproject.org or www.myspace.com/freeourpoliticalprisoners.


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Obama names Bronx BP Adolfo Carrion as the White House Director of Urban Affairs

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, President Barack Obama announced that Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, a boricua, will be the new White House Director of Urban Affairs.

President Obama and Vice President Biden created the White House Office of Urban Affairs to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to ensure that all federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs. The Director of Urban Affairs will report directly to the president and coordinate all federal urban programs.

Carrion has served two terms as Bronx Borough President and one term as the President of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). As Bronx Borough President, Carrion oversaw the creation of 40,000 new units of housing in seven years, 50 new schools, $7 billion in capital and infrastructure expenditures, and over $400 million in new parks and parkland renovation. Prior to his service as Bronx Borough President, Carrion represented the 14th City Council District on the New York City Council and also served as an urban planner at the NYC Department of City Planning and a teacher in the New York City Public Schools. Carrion received his bachelors in World Religions and Philosophy from King’s College in 1985 and his Masters in Urban Planning from Hunter College in 1990.

Congratulations to Carrion on his accomplishment.

sources: Bronx BP's Office/White House Office of the Press Secretary

Photo of Adolfo Carrion Jr. at the Bronx Puerto Rican Heritage Month last November at the Tropicana. (photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

The search for Hostos' new prez is on

Hostos Community College is an important institution in the story of Puerto Ricans and Latinos in New York City. Hostos is not only an educational institution but a crown jewel in promoting Latino culture, arts and entertainment. The college is in search of its new president. The selection of the new president is very important in our community.

Here's an announcement of upcoming meetings to meet the candidates next week:

The three candidates for the position of President of Eugenio María de Hostos Community College are Felíz Matos Rodríguez, Natalie Gómez-Vélez, and Wilfredo Nieves.

The candidates will be on campus next week for meetings with groups representing the student body, the faculty, the staff, the administration, and the community at large.

There will also be three open forums at which all members of the Hostos family can meet with candidates individually and ask any questions they may have. These open forums will be held in Multipurpose Room on the second floor of the Savoy Building, 120 East 149th Street.

Here's the schedule:

Monday, February 23, Matos Rodríguez

Tuesday, February 24, Gómez-Vélez

Thursday, February 26, Nieves

All sessions run from 4-5 p.m. each day.

CANDIDATE PROFILES

Félix Matos Rodríguez

Félix V. Matos Rodríguez has a distinguished academic, educational, and social service policy career record. Trained as a social scientist, he has worked in foundations, universities, policy centers and government were he has been able to combine his scholarship with social policy, advocacy and change.

On December 31, 2008, Matos Rodríguez finished serving as Secretary of the Department of the Family for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. As Secretary, he formulated public policy and administered service delivery in the following programs: Child Support Enforcement, Adoption and Foster Care, Child and Elderly Protection, Food Stamps, TANF, Child Care, and Head Start. Matos Rodríguez managed a $2.2 billion dollar annual budget and oversaw nearly 9500 employees. Previously, he had served as Social Welfare and Health Advisor to the Governor Anibal Acevedo Vilá.

Matos Rodríguez is an Associate Professor of Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies at Hunter College (currently on leave) and teaches courses on Caribbean, Latin American and Latino history. He is also part of the History Department at CUNY’s Graduate Center. Matos Rodríguez served as the Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College [CUNY] -- one of the largest and most important Puerto Rican/Latino research centers in the US -- from 2000-2005.

He has an extensive publication record on the fields of Migration, Women's, Puerto Rican, Caribbean and Latino studies. Matos Rodríguez is the author of Women and Urban Life in Nineteenth-Century San Juan, Puerto Rico [1820-62] [University Presses of Florida 1999; Markus Weiner 2001]; co-author of “Pioneros:” Puerto Ricans in New York City, 1896-1948 [Arcadia Publishers, 2001]; editor of, A Nation of Women, An Early Feminist Speaks Out: Mi opinión sobre las libertades, derechos y deberes de la mujer by Luisa Capetillo. [Houston: Arte Público Press, 2005]; co-editor with Gabriel Haslip Viera and Angelo Falcón. Boricuas in Gotham: Puerto Ricans in the Making of Modern New York City. [Princeton: Markus Wiener, 2004]; with Matthew C. Gutmann, Lynn Stephen, and Patricia Zavella. Blackwell Reader on The Americas. [London: Blackwell Publishers, 2003]; and co-editor of Puerto Rican Women's History: New Perspectives. [M.E. Sharpe Publishers, 1998]. Matos Rodríguez's work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Urban History, The Public Historian, Latin American Research Review, Centro Journal, Revista de Ciencias Sociales, and the Boletín de la Asociación de Demografía Histórica, in addition to having chapters in several anthologies. He was the founding editor of the series New Directions in Puerto Rican Studies published by University Press of Florida. He has also reviewed manuscripts for Temple University Press, Rutgers University Press, M.E. Sharpe, Blackwell Publishers, Hispanic American Historical Review and the Revista de Ciencias Sociales. He has been a member of the advisory editorial boards of the Latino Studies Journal and New York Archives. Matos Rodríguez expert commentary has been included in prestigious newspapers and publications.

Matos Rodríguez graduated from Colegio San Ignacio High School in San Juan. He attended Yale University as an undergraduate and graduated cum laude in Latin American Studies. He received his Ph.D. in history from Columbia University.

Prior to his work at Hunter College, Matos Rodríguez was a Program Officer at the Social Science Research Council in New York City and a faculty member at Northeastern University in Boston. He has also held visiting and adjunct teaching appointments at Yale University, Boston College, and City University [CUNY].

Matos Rodriguez has also been active in community organizations. He has been a board member of Aspira of New York, Inc.; Phipps Community Development Corporation, and of the Community Advisory Board of El Diario- La Prensa. He has received numerous awards for his community service including a special recognition by New York City’s Council during the 2003 Hispanic Heritage Month and by the New York State Senate and House Puerto Rican Latino Caucus for excellence in education in 2002.

He is married to Dr. Liliana M. Arabia, a dentist, and has two sons: Lucas (7) and Juan Carlos (5).



Natalie Gómez-Vélez



Natalie Gómez-Vélez is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and an Associate Professor of Law at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law. Prior to her appointment with the law school, Dean Gómez-Vélez served as Special Counsel to Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman of the New York State Unified Court System and as Assistant Deputy Attorney General for Public Advocacy in the administration of New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Gómez-Vélez has also served on the Lawyering faculty at New York University School of Law, as an attorney with the ACLU and the Brennan Center for Justice, and as General Counsel to the New York City Department of Youth Services. Gómez-Vélez began her legal career in private practice.

Gómez-Vélez, a native New Yorker, received her Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law (where she was an Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Fellow, and as a member of the Latino Law Students Association Steering Committee). She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York (where she graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa). (In 2007, she was inducted into the Hunter College Hall of Fame.)

Gómez-Vélez recently completed an unexpired term on the New York State Board of Regents, where she served as Regent for the Twelfth Judicial District (the Bronx). She is the former Bronx Representative to the New York City Panel for Educational Policy (Board of Education), appointed by Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. and serving from 2002-2004. She currently serves on New York’s Statewide Judicial Screening Committee, the New York State Continuing Legal Education Board, and the Board of the City Parks Foundation.



Wilfredo Nieves

Wilfredo Nieves brings 30 plus years of education experience to his role as president of Middlesex Community College. A long-time community college administrator, his career demonstrates the depth and breadth necessary to provide exemplary leadership in the complex environment of higher education today.

Nieves’ extensive career exemplifies a lifetime commitment to the community college mission. From his early work in student services to his more recent roles and accomplishments as an academic and administrative leader, he has a comprehensive understanding of college leadership. His appointment as President of Middlesex Community College in 2001 positioned him as a valuable contributor to the Middlesex service area and to many national community college organizations.

Nieves serves as an evaluator for the Commissions on Higher Education for the Middle States Association and New England Association of Schools and Colleges. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to education and community service.

Nieves is a committed community leader and is active in many civic organizations. His community involvements have included service on the boards of directors of the National Coalition of Advocates for Students, the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, the Middlesex United Way, and the Portland Visiting Nurse Association. He is on the American Council on Education’s Commission on Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equity, a corporator of Liberty Bank and the Middlesex Health System, Inc. and a member of the Middletown Rotary Club.

Nieves holds a baccalaureate degree in Mathematics from Kean University of New Jersey, a Master of Arts Degree in Human Development and the Master of Education in Guidance from Columbia University and a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Rutgers the State University of New Jersey.

source: National Institute for Latino Policy

Puerto Rico Sun wishes all the candidates good luck. Judging by their background, they are all worthy candidates. It is important to select the best candidate to continue the legacy of Hostos Community College in the Bronx.

Spotlight: Puerto Rico Sun photo group

Since 2004, I have been running the Puerto Rico Sun photo group at flickr.com. Puerto Rico Sun is a cultural photo group with an emphasis on photography, culture and empowerment.

This multicultural photo group has grown to more than 400 members from around the world. What I love about the group is that it is truly multicultural.

Our pool features more than 6,000 photos. Selected photos from this group's pool are regularly featured right here in the Puerto Rico Sun blog.

I thank all the members of the Puerto Rico Sun photo group for their contributions. Keep those images coming.

Here's the link to our Puerto Rico Sun photo group:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/prsun