The Reading Life
By Vivian Lake, Puerto Rico Sun Book Editor

The Turkish Lover by Esmeralda Santiago ($24.95 DaCapo Press, 341 pp.)

This much-awaited follow-up to When I was Puerto Rican and Almost a Woman is a riveting memoir of a young woman’s first serious relationship. Santiago, at age 21, meets an older man and leaves her family to be with him. Although the man is older, charming and experienced, she soon learns that he is also a dominating, lying, psychologically abusive man and has no visible means of support. And he calls her “Chiquita.”
After a financial setback, he takes her back to New York and dumps her at her parents’ home. After he leaves the country Esmeralda flourishes, finds a job she loves and her own place to live. Unfortunately, she continues to correspond with the Turkish Loser (as I call him) who calls and writes constantly with fervent but vague promises of reuniting with her. Instead of running for the hills (as every reader would advise), Esmeralda is enthralled, though not yet immobilized by her attraction for this man.
Esmeralda is working at a prestigious and fulfilling job at the Museum of Modern Art when she hears from the loser again, telling her that he is enrolled at the University of Texas. She is living in Lubbock, Texas, in a matter of weeks. His life becomes hers as she finds a job – and hands over her salary to him, researches and writes his papers for him, and learns to be quiet, submissive and not ask too many questions. When he completes his Master’s – for which she did all the work, something happens. Esmeralda’s self-esteem and self-worth begin to flourish. She has been taking a few courses, has done most of the work for her lover’s degrees, and begins to believe that she can accomplish more, and deserves better.
During a vacation in Massachusetts, the couple drive through Cambridge and the Harvard campus. Esmeralda has an epiphany. She belongs here. She returns to Lubbock unsure of how she will make the desire a reality. With the support of her co-workers, she completes the application and applies for scholarships and is accepted. To his credit, the loser is supportive. They pack up their Lubbock life and head north. He is to start a doctoral program in upstate New York and she moves to Cambridge to start life at Harvard.
This is an extraordinary testament to the strength of the human spirit – and the strength of Ms. Santiago in particular.
Esmeralda Santiago’s website is at www.esmeraldasantiago.net

Vivian Lake, a contributing writer to Puerto Rico Sun, runs her own blog site dedicated to book news. It is at www.bookauthority.blogspot.com.

Community News

NCLR to Release First-Ever Survey of Health Care and Hispanic Community in the South

ATLANTA, GA - The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights organization in the U.S., will release the findings of the first multistate report to document the health care challenges, needs, and aspirations of Latinos in the South. NCLR will hold a news briefing on the report, The Health of Latino Communities in the Southern United States: Challenges and Opportunities, on Friday, September 17 at Saint Joseph's Mercy Care Services Clinic-North, 3367 Buford Highway, Suite 910, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Hispanics, the nation's largest minority and its fastest-growing population, have experienced their greatest growth in the South. The four states included in the survey - Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee - are those with the highest percentage increases during the 1990s in the number of Latino residents. Yet, despite this explosive growth, little documentation exists regarding the status of, and challenges facing, these communities, especially related to health. The report, funded by the Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, surveys health care professionals and members of the community on issues such as availability of health care services, barriers to accessing health care, and treatment of Latinos by health care personnel and facilities.
Speakers at the news briefing include Janet Murguia, NCLR Executive Director; Andrea Bazán Manson, Executive Director of El Pueblo, Inc., Raleigh, NC; Andrea Cruz, Executive Director of the Southeast Georgia Communities Project, Lyons, GA; Dr. José A. Velázquez, Chief Executive Officer of Latino Memphis, Memphis, TN; Cecilia G. Galvis, Family Health Promotion Manager of Saint Joseph's Mercy Care Services; and the author of the report, Liany Elba Arroyo, Senior Program Manager, NCLR Atlanta Office.
All Content © 2004 NCLR. All Rights Reserved


Hispanic Scholarship Fund Awards $29.3 Million Nationwide to Nearly 7,500 Latino Students During 2003-2004 Academic Year

Increased Giving Highlights Organization's Impact as Census Bureau Reports a Decline in Household Income of Hispanics Nationwide

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the nation's leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education, announced it has awarded more than $29.3 million in college scholarships during the 2003-2004 academic year, enabling nearly 7,500 Latino students in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to further their college education. HSF's award numbers are encouraging news in the face of an August 26 report from the U.S. Census Bureau showing a 2.6% decline in the median household income of Hispanics nationwide during 2003 -- the only major racial or ethnic group to show such a decline(1).
"During the past academic year, HSF has worked hard to increase the number of scholarships awarded, the number of students supported, and the number of programs developed and delivered -- all during a period when Hispanic families find themselves struggling with shrinking financial resources," said Sara Martinez Tucker, HSF president and CEO. "Because these numbers reflect an urgent need -- one that we are working to satisfy with the generous support of corporate partners, private foundations, and individual giving-we must continue to provide Latinos with the resources necessary to earn a college degree so that we can break the cycle of under-education in the Hispanic community."
The $29.3 million represents scholarships awarded through HSF's College Scholarship, High School Scholarship, Community College Transfer Scholarship and Partnership and Internship programs, as well as awards through the Gates Millennium Scholars Program and the Washington D.C.-based HSF Institute. Although the 2003-2004 numbers represent a cumulative dollar increase over the previous year, the disappointing news from the Census Bureau's August report points to the increased need for education support for Latinos as the median household incomes of Hispanic families have fallen in real terms. Hispanics already struggle with significantly lower college graduation rates than their white or African American counterparts -- only about 10% of Latinos complete their four-year degrees -- and this new data shows a diminishing capacity for families to meet rising tuition costs.
In addition to the unprecedented financial support secured for Latino students in the past academic year, HSF worked to close the education gap through innovative programming that seeks to build a pipeline of Latino students entering and graduating from college, while engaging Latino families to become advocates for their children's education.
HSF toured the country and hosted more than 66 HSF "Steps for Success" workshops, Town Hall Meetings, and other outreach events, providing more than 10,700 students and their families with the critical tools needed to help them graduate from high school and successfully navigate the college application and financial aid processes. In addition, the HSF Scholar Chapter Network has grown to 20 chapters on university campuses nationwide, providing students with access to mentors, leadership opportunities and skill-building workshops to help them stay in college and complete their degrees.
HSF's scholarship and support programs continue to rank among the most effective in the country. An independent study found that 97 percent of all students selected as HSF Scholars attain their college degrees. Almost 90 percent of HSF Scholars earn salaries above the national median income, and nearly 60 percent earn at least double the average annual income of most working Hispanic Americans.
Since its founding in 1975, HSF has continued to raise the bar on giving, and provides the Latino community with more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country. During the past year, HSF has partnered with more than 100 Fortune 1000 companies, gained support from more than a dozen national and regional foundations, and conducted numerous workplace giving campaigns and community fundraising events.
During its 29-year history, HSF has awarded more than 68,000 scholarships in excess of $144 million to Latinos from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands who have attended more than 1,700 colleges and universities.
Several of HSF's scholarship programs have begun accepting applications for the 2004-2005 academic year, with additional programs opening in September and October. Each scholarship program has a different application deadline, ranging from October 15, 2004, to January 15, 2005. Please call for more information.
(1) Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2003; issued August 2004 by the U.S. Census Bureau. See pages 3-6.
Source: Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Web site: http://www.hsf.net/

Ground Zero

Ground Zero
Originally uploaded by nonny.

Remembering September 11

Photo by Jonny "Nonny" Newman is part of a collection of Nonny's photos at flickr, showcasing New York City.

Worth visiting.

Puerto Rico Sun is republishing this poem by Fernando A. Zapater


In honor of 9/11 Victims
SCORCHED EARTH
By Fernando A. Zapater

It keeps creeping upon me
As an invisible tower of hatred
You perceive it through your senses
Where you feel the fire burn unto your soul
I despise you suicide victims
For you are the perpetrators
Of your own invincible weaknesses
How can I avenge your threat of killing me?
Life is a destiny, it is also a tyranny
With being alive, and all its serendipity
When things happened and the culprit vanished
Where do I unleash my anger?
Darkness of night was afraid of my tongue of fire
The sun was scared of the burning hatred of my desires
Tell me earth where do I unleash my anger
The one that burns my life with hateful anxieties
For every time I fall, I push you down as I get up
I’m only a human that stumbled once upon,
One more time
Mother earth where do I unleash my anger
Brother sun, sister moon, tell me siblings where I do
Tell me mother I wish not to scorch your face
Please tell me soon, my next breath might be combustion.

Copyrighted 2002 Fernando A. Zapater
Fernando A. Zapater contributes his poetry to puertoricosun.com.

Dance!

Dance!
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

Featured site:

Latin music lovers, a site worth visiting is www.latinbeatmagazine.com.

ON TV

On PBS

ARTS & LITERATURE

VISIONES: LATINO ART AND CULTURE
"Episode 2"

Sunday, September 12, 2004
10:30 - 11 pm
This episode features Miriam Colon and the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater Company (PRTT) of New York, Tejana musical artist Selena and the Santero art tradition of New Mexico.

Latino artists across the United States take center stage in VISIONES: LATINO ART AND CULTURE, a groundbreaking six-part television series airing on PBS Sundays this month to October 10. Viewers experience the world of Latino artistic expression as the series journeys throughout the country, capturing rich stories about theater, music, dance, spoken word and the visual arts. From New York City's hip hop culture to mural painters in Los Angeles and Chicago to theater in Texas, the series offers a unique cross section of Latino artists.


VISIONES: LATINO ART AND CULTURE is the first PBS series to focus exclusively on Latino artistic expression in the United States.


source: www.pbs.org

Update -- Community News

Governor Calderón Announces Success of Nation’s Largest Nonpartisan Hispanic Voter Registration Campaign

Washington, DC--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--September 7, 2004--On the steps of the Cannon House Office Building today, Sila M. Calderón, Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, claimed victory for Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities nationwide as she announced that her government’s grassroots empowerment initiative met its goal of registering over 300,000 voters before this year’s general elections.

The nonpartisan education, registration and mobilization campaign, dubbed “¡Que Nada Nos Detenga!” or “Let Nothing Stop Us!”, was launched in July 2002 as an effort to empower the 642,000 Puerto Ricans across the nation who were eligible to vote in their local communities yet had not registered. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are approximately 3.5 million Puerto Ricans living in the states, 1.7 million of whom are of voting age.

“I am proud to announce that our nonpartisan voter registration effort has surpassed the goal of 300,000 voters nationwide,” said Governor Calderón. “This accomplishment is about more than just numbers, it’s about the empowerment of our people and the transformation of our communities.”

As Republicans and Democrats alike target the ever-growing Hispanic vote, Puerto Ricans have the opportunity to play a dramatic role in this year’s presidential, state and local elections. Many Puerto Rican communities are located in politically strategic areas and, because of the Puerto Rican electorate’s largely politically undecided stance, are expected to cast deciding votes in many upcoming elections. In the 1992 Presidential election, 100 electoral votes were decided by a difference of less than two percent of the votes; Puerto Ricans make up more than two percent of the population in as many as seven states nationwide.

“Many Puerto Rican communities represent swing votes that could potentially decide elections across the nation. The eyes of the nation are focused on the Presidential campaign and Puerto Ricans will be crucial in states such as Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio,” said Mari Carmen Aponte, executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) which launched and managed the campaign.

“We expect even greater impact as we mobilize Puerto Ricans to vote in local and state elections. We have educated our communities to understand that voting is the key to directing many issues which impact the quality of our everyday lives – such as school funding, police budgets, public works projects and zoning,” Aponte continued.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the mainland Puerto Rican population has grown to 3.5 million, a nearly 30 percent jump in the last ten years alone. In addition, Puerto Ricans now reside in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.

“This is all about enfranchising people to effect change throughout the nation,” said Calderón, “this campaign is about solidarity, pride and empowerment. We are mobilizing Puerto Ricans and raising awareness of their potential impact on issues that affect their local communities as well as the Island. All citizens play an important role in the political process and should have the information and the opportunities to help control how decisions are made that affect their daily lives.”

Voter registration and participation rates on the Island are 95 percent and 86 percent respectively, higher than any state in the nation. But when Puerto Ricans move to the mainland, both registration and participation rates drop to about 40 percent.

“Research conducted by PRFAA and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF) showed there are a number of factors accounting for this stunning drop,” said Aponte. “In some cases there are physical barriers such as language fluency, comparative complexity of the process or even outright discrimination. Often there are psychological barriers such as embarrassment, fear or lack of confidence about participating, as well as cynicism and a sense that voting does not make an impact on people’s daily lives.”

The voter registration campaign has overcome these barriers through an extensive grassroots network of field educators who have spent the last two years talking one-on-one with Puerto Rican community members about the process of voting, how government is structured and why an individual’s vote does have an impact. This approach differs from many other national registration efforts because it places greater emphasis on education and encourages civic involvement.

The campaign’s strategy proved extremely effective in the 2002 mid-term election year as demonstrated by exit poll data. Results showed a 70 percent increase in turnout over the 2000 Presidential election among first-time Puerto Rican voters and 34 percent increase over 2000 in overall turnout among Puerto Rican voters. In addition, 87 percent of Puerto Ricans surveyed in 2002 said they were aware of the voter registration campaign in their community and 54 percent said they were motivated to vote because the campaign drew a clear link between voting and benefits for their community. Since the campaign’s launch in July 2002, major voter registration rally events have been held in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania — all states with large Puerto Rican populations.

The campaign theme, “¡Que Nada Nos Detenga!,” speaks directly to the Puerto Rican spirit of determination and hope for a better future and encourages increased participation in the democratic process, thereby positively impacting communities both on the mainland United States and on the Island. Governor Calderón’s campaign combines grassroots community outreach efforts with an aggressive, multi-faceted communications campaign reaching Puerto Rican neighborhoods across the nation.

The Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, which serves as the mainland offices of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, advocates for the social, economic and educational empowerment of Puerto Rican communities nationwide and operates 12 regional community outreach offices in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Springfield, Mass. PRFAA is headquartered at 1100 17th Street, NW in Washington, D.C.

For more information, please visit http://www.prfaa.com.

Community News

Puerto Rico Governor To Announce Nation’s Largest Nonpartisan Hispanic Voter Registration Campaign Succeeded in Registering Over 300,000 Hispanic Voters

Over 100,000 Registered in Key Swing States Including FL, OH and PA

WASHINGTON -- From the steps of the Cannon House Office Building, Governor Sila M. Calderón will announce Tuesday that the Hispanic voter registration campaign has reached its goal of registering 300,000 voters and provide details about the impact these voters will have in upcoming local, state and national elections.
Calderón, Mari Carmen Aponte, executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, and Puerto Rican elected officials from across the country will also announce that PRFAA’s extensive grassroots empowerment operation has succeeded in meeting its goal of registering 300,000 voters before the 2004 presidential elections. Battleground states including Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio have large or rapidly growing Hispanic populations that will prove to be decisive in the upcoming elections.
The goal of Calderón’s ambitious empowerment initiative, “¡Que Nada Nos Detenga!” (“Let Nothing Stop Us!”) was to register 300,000 Puerto Rican and Hispanic voters — or nearly half the eligible yet unregistered Puerto Rican voters living in the states — thus enabling them to become actively engaged in the civic process in their local communities across the nation.
The campaign increased first-time voter turnout by more than 70% in the 2002 mid-term elections and effectively mobilized this pivotal voting block, ensuring that national, state and local leaders focus on issues that affect the Hispanic community in November.
Puerto Ricans on the Island vote at a higher rate than any state in the Union — over 85% — but when Puerto Ricans move to the mainland United States, voting rates in local elections drop to approximately 30-40%. The initiative has used education and grassroots outreach to reduce the physical and psychological barriers associated with voting to leverage the Hispanic vote in targeted geographic areas where their vote will have a significant impact.
¡Que Nada Nos Detenga! was a $12 million voter education and empowerment effort launched in July 2002 to encourage citizens to engage in their communities while demonstrating the combined power of the Puerto Rican vote. Local elected officials will be available for comment about the campaign’s impact in local communities.
PRFAA, which represents the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in the United States, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The agency is responsible for the advancement of Puerto Ricans on the island and the United States and serves as the advisor to the Governor, Resident Commissioner and constituents on all activities in the U.S. of interest to the island. PRFAA facilitates and promotes economic and public policy initiatives important to the growth and empowerment of all Puerto Rican communities.
PRFAA is located at 1100 17th Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20036, and can be reached at 202-778-0710 or via the web at http://www.prfaa.com.

La Isla

La Isla
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

Hello, you are invited to view the new
"Sunrise, Sunset -- Anything Sun!" photo page at flickr. It features sun images from a mix of photographers.

Sun images from la isla and different parts of the world are showcased.