Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Add your voice to the Library of Congress

Opportunity


Take home a free CD of your oral history

StoryCorps Historias, an initiative to gather and preserve in sound the life stories of Latinos across the country, will be in New York City to record your story of endurance, resilience, achievement and hope. Working in partnership with the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, StoryCorps Historias will document the history of your loved ones for generations to come.

A StoryCorps interview is a 45-minute conversation between two people who know each other. A trained facilitator will be present with you and your partner throughout the interview process to help you have a comfortable and meaningful experience, and to handle all technical aspects of the recording.
You'll take home a broadcast-quality audio CD, and with your permission, copies will go to the 
American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Segments of interviews may also air on National Public Radio.

Visit 
www.storycorpshistorias.org to see sample questions, listen to clips and learn more about the Historias Initiative.

Where: Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College, CUNY
Lexington Ave at E 68th St., East Bldg. Room 1437, NYC


For more information, Felix Rivera at 212.772.5704 or xrivera (at) hunter.cuny.edu or Paola Mata at 212.650.3803 or pmata (at) hunter.cuny.edu to reserve your appointment.

There are a limited number of appointment slots available, so act today!

StoryCorps is best shared, so please pass this message on!


source: Centro

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Q&A: Lillian Jimenez, Producer/Director, Antonia Pantoja: Presente!

“Antonia Pantoja: Presente!” is in the lineup of this season’s VOCES series, which also features films about music legends Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. The signature series airs this month on WNET (Channel 13 in NYC) and is a showcase of documentaries celebrating the rich diversity of Latino life. It will be presented on national public television in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month.
New York Latino Community Examiner interviewed the director/producer Lillian Jimenez on her project about the late Puerto Rican visionary. Go to my site at Examiner for more



Here's a short video courtesy of VOCESMedia at YouTube:


The spirit of the Young Lords lives on

Commentary
It was 1969, the year remembered by many as when the New York Mets won the World Series. It was also the year that a group of Puerto Rican activists formed the New York chapter of the Young Lords.

The revolutionary Young Lords Party, which led protests against conditions faced by Puerto Ricans and led to the takeover of the First Spanish Methodist “The People’s” Church in East Harlem in December 1969, definitely has its place in history for their activism to bring change in the Puerto Rican community in New York and elsewhere. Last month, the former Young Lords came together to celebrate the 40th anniversary at the old East Harlem church. While the group doesn’t exist today, the legacy of the Young Lords continues. 

On that hot August Sunday, more than 20 former members of the Lords gathered at the church to share their experiences, inspiring a current and future generation of young activists to take action against injustices affecting their community. 

The church in El Barrio was standing room only. Several former Young Lords -- who at one time were street gang members and drug users -- shared stories of how they turned their lives around because of their activism. A beautiful part of the event was that Young Lords from other cities attended in solidarity. They included representatives from Philadelphia, Connecticut, and Chicago. 

Among the attendees was the man who, inspired by the Black Panther Party, first created the Young Lords in Chicago: Jose “Cha Cha” Jimenez. “Seeing the community here and seeing some these comrades shows we did a lot of good,” he said. “It shows our love for the people.”

The young people in attendance were encouraged to take advantage of things they have access to such as the Internet to stay informed, active and involved in community development.

After the event, the group celebrated at the nearby Julia De Burgos Latino Cultural Center in East Harlem. Rosa Clemente, a college student who wrote a thesis on the Young Lords, stated: “Today’s activity was a educational experience not just for me for all youth and people; they are my inspiration, my sisters and brothers. The Lords are still alive. PALANTE!” – Ismael Nunez

Ismael Nunez is a contributing writer to Puerto Rico Sun.


 

 

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Comite Noviembre seeks boricuas making a difference in their communities

Lo mejor de nuestra comunidad awards

Through Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad award, Comité Noviembre in New York City recognizes outstanding individuals who are the unsung heroes of our community and who are making a difference in the Puerto Rican communities of this country. Puerto Ricans whose pride in their heritage and strength of character have empowered themselves and inspired others to make significant impact on the community are recognized. The recipients of this award are chosen by Comité Noviembre from nominations submitted by the community. These individuals are honored at the kick-off celebration of Puerto Rican Heritage Month.

The nomination criteria and form for Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad award is now available at Comite Noviembre's website. The deadline for nominations to be received by CN is Wednesday, September 23rd. Recipients of the award will be informed by Monday, September 28th. The Institute for the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly spearheads the awards process.

Puerto Rican Heritage Month is celebrated in November.

Puerto Rico Sun readers, go ahead and nominate your candidates.

For the nomination form and more information, visit www.comitenoviembre.org.

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Tuesday, September 01, 2009

A celebration of Puerto Rican culture in Central Park


Visit my site at flickr for photos taken at the Fiesta Folklorica last Sunday. Go to www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on my Puerto Ricans in NYC events '09 photo set.
The Puerto Rican Folkloric Festival is definitely a celebration of Puerto Rican culture, tradition and heritage in New York City.
Check out my PRSUN TV site at YouTube for scenes of the Bronx-based Danza Fiesta performing at the festival. Click on "@ Fiesta Folklorica PR" at www.youtube.com/prsun
(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)


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