Let there be light!
Mi gente, I have been off-line for nearly a week as a result of the blackout on Puerto Rico. I finally got electricity at home today, so I'm back to blog.
Go figure. The blackout was not even caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne!
The blackout and lack of water was actually worse than the storm! I got the water back over the weekend.
Some wise person decided to shutoff the power, and the Puerto Rican government is now fending off critics.
Whatever! I won't get into the politics of that foolish decision that left the island in chaos for days.
I'll leave that to the Puerto Rico radio reporters and commentators, who did a fantastic job of informing and letting people voice their opinions during the last week.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Community News
New Report Finds That D.C. Council Juvenile Justice Proposals From Past Year are Ineffective and Unfair
WASHINGTON, DC- A consortium of Latino organizations will join civil rights, community, and youth organizations tomorrow in releasing a report on Latino youth in the District's justice system and call on the D.C. Council to reject the harsh juvenile justice proposals they have considered in the past year when they take a final vote this month.
The report, District of Columbia Responses to Youth Violence: Impact on the Latino Community, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the proposals introduced by D.C. Council members and District Mayor Anthony Williams since the fall of 2003, finds that some of the policies being considered would be ineffective in protecting public safety and would have a negative impact on Latino families if adopted into law.
The consortium's report includes alternative policies that would more effectively reduce youth crime and assist families who are caught in the criminal justice system. These recommendations are similar to those of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Youth Safety and Juvenile Justice Reform, which provide a sound blueprint for effective reform based on research and experience from around the country but have been largely ignored by District policy-makers.
The report's authors are the National Council of La Raza, the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and the law firms of Foley & Lardner LLP and Piper Rudnick LLP. These organizations will be joined at the briefing for the D.C. Council and the press by representatives from the Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition, the Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support Collaborative, the Latin American Youth Center, the Youth Law Center, the Justice 4 DC Youth Coalition, as well as Latino families who will speak to the personal impact of these policies. The briefing will be hosted by the D.C. Council's Subcommittee on Human Rights, Latino Affairs and Property Management, whose members include Jim Graham (Ward One), Adrian Fenty (Ward Four), and Phil Mendelson (at large).
The release of the new report on juvenile justice proposals that are ineffective and unfair to Latinos will be made at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
Source: National Council of La Raza
New Report Finds That D.C. Council Juvenile Justice Proposals From Past Year are Ineffective and Unfair
WASHINGTON, DC- A consortium of Latino organizations will join civil rights, community, and youth organizations tomorrow in releasing a report on Latino youth in the District's justice system and call on the D.C. Council to reject the harsh juvenile justice proposals they have considered in the past year when they take a final vote this month.
The report, District of Columbia Responses to Youth Violence: Impact on the Latino Community, which offers a comprehensive analysis of the proposals introduced by D.C. Council members and District Mayor Anthony Williams since the fall of 2003, finds that some of the policies being considered would be ineffective in protecting public safety and would have a negative impact on Latino families if adopted into law.
The consortium's report includes alternative policies that would more effectively reduce youth crime and assist families who are caught in the criminal justice system. These recommendations are similar to those of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Youth Safety and Juvenile Justice Reform, which provide a sound blueprint for effective reform based on research and experience from around the country but have been largely ignored by District policy-makers.
The report's authors are the National Council of La Raza, the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and the law firms of Foley & Lardner LLP and Piper Rudnick LLP. These organizations will be joined at the briefing for the D.C. Council and the press by representatives from the Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition, the Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support Collaborative, the Latin American Youth Center, the Youth Law Center, the Justice 4 DC Youth Coalition, as well as Latino families who will speak to the personal impact of these policies. The briefing will be hosted by the D.C. Council's Subcommittee on Human Rights, Latino Affairs and Property Management, whose members include Jim Graham (Ward One), Adrian Fenty (Ward Four), and Phil Mendelson (at large).
The release of the new report on juvenile justice proposals that are ineffective and unfair to Latinos will be made at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
Source: National Council of La Raza
Sunday, September 12, 2004
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.
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/
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/
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Ground Zero
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.
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.
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.
Friday, September 10, 2004
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
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
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
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