Clarisel Gonzalez's TwitWall

Clarisel Gonzalez's TwitWall

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Our Barrio Love Story

Pensamientos

east harlem

lower east side

south bronx

los sures

each pueblo

has its own

fable

the honorable

judge

is our love

story with

el barrio -- Coconut Brujita

Coconut Brujita contributes her writings to Puerto Rico Sun.

Sotomayor LEMC PSA Lin-Manuel Miranda

This public service announcement by Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist, Lin-Manuel Miranda, famous for writing and starring in the Broadway musical "In the Heights," is part of a series of PSA's, in both English and Spanish, were developed by a team of independent, New York-based Latina producers in support of Judge Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination. The creators hope to raise awareness among an increasingly diverse U.S. Latino constituency about Judge Sotomayor's experience, credentials and qualifications. They also seek to motivate people from all walks of life to learn more about the nomination process and to contact their local Senator in support of Judge Sotomayor. The spots, which will primarily be seen on the internet, offer striking insights into how Latinos in America see themselves.

About LEMC: The Mission of the Latino Educational Media Center is to produce and distribute educational media materials in all technology and promote Latino media arts in order to represent the full spectrum and dynamic reality of Latinos in the United States, and to offer Latinos opportunities in media through a wide array of programs. The PSA's will be archived at LEMC for future historical review. www.lemctr.org
In addition to those mentioned above, the following professionals and companies have donated their services, time and equipment towards the success of this campaign.

source: LEMC at YouTube

Sotomayor Pledges Impartial Justice if Confirmed

Here's a clip of Sonia Sotomayor's pledge Monday to serve as an impartial justice if she is confirmed for the U.S. Supreme Court. If she is named, she would become the first Hispanic to serve in that post. She pledges "fidelity to the law." 

Listen to what she has to say.

source: AP at YouTube

Puerto Ricans in the United States

The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, today released a statistical profile of the Puerto Rican population in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The profile describes the demographic, employment and income characteristics of Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin. The characteristics of Puerto Ricans are contrasted with the characteristics of all Hispanics and the U.S. population overall. The profile is based on the Center's tabulations of the Census Bureau's 2007American Community Survey (ACS).    The statistical profile is available at the Pew Hispanic Center's website, www.pewhispanic.org.

The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, is a nonpartisan,  non-advocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C. and is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.   source: The Pew Hispanic Center

Featured story: From NY to PR

By Harry Marquez

 

In 1958, I recall the very first steps Puerto Ricans took to create the first Puerto Rican Parade. It united people across restricted boundaries set by street gangs. Puerto Ricans  always loved their culture, but now we wanted to express our pride to the rest of the world.  Everyone in El Barrio was involved in doing something to make this first parade a success.

The Barrio found common ground in its efforts to show cultural pride. 

For more, go to 

http://www.us-puertoricans.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=593&Itemid=103

PRSUN Radio to spotlight boricua/Latino bloggers

I have been blogging since 2004. Actually, this month Puerto Rico Sun (www.prsun.blogspot.com) celebrates its blogosversary. So, I'm an old school blogger. Since then, I have started up several other blogs and have become very much involved in social networking as a way to fulfill my mission of informing, empowering and building community.

Along the way I have met some pretty cool bloggers who cover issues of interest to Puerto Ricans and Latinos. I decided to put a spotlight on some of these bloggers who with their words and images are documenting our communities by dedicating a show to them at PRSUN Radio. Many of these bloggers cover issues and themes that the mainstream takes for granted or ignores.

The show is at 9 p.m. tomorrow night at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio (which is an audio blog -- a podcast).

The show is aired live. If you miss, the show will be archived and available online.

And, happy blogosversary to PRSUN and to all my readers, visitors, fans, supporters, advertisers. You all are helping to build community. Thank you for that.

UPDATE: Listen to the PRSUN Radio archived show here:

Happy Fourth of July

This is my Sol, the mascot of Puerto Rico Sun. (photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

La Reina Rhina Valentin chats with PRSUN Radio

Click to listen to my interview tonight with La Reina Rhina Valentin. She is the host of Bronxnet's "Open" and runs her own production company La Reina Productions, LLC.

She works in many different areas in the arts and entertainment industry. She's a producer, director, performance artist, emcee, comedic actress, dancer, writer, and an arts educator. She's also about to give birth to her baby girl.

Here's a photo of Rhina Valentin performing one of her characters at a show in the Bronx. 

For her full bio, go to my blog at www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

Check out Rhina Valentin in action at www.youtube.com/rhinavalentin.

(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

Free Giveaway: New Harry Potter movie tix

Giveaway for Puerto Rico Sun readers on a first-come first-served basis for the new "HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE" movie. Puerto Rico Sun got a few giveaway tickets, courtesy of Harry Potter (OK, not really Harry Potter, but the folks promoting the film).

Winners will receive free tickets for a 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 13 screening at a Manhattan theater and/or a T-Shirt for a boy, girl and a man (sorry I was not offered a woman's T-Shirt).

Here's the official film site www.harrypotter.com for more information about this upcoming summer movie.

To enter this giveaway, please e-mail clarisel (at) puertoricosun.com your name and mailing address and the Harry Potter folks will send you your prize. I'll give you a heads up if you are a winner, so you can pay extra attention to your mail.

The screening is only for the Manhattan theater. Please apply only if you can make this NYC screening. Thanks and good luck.

Here's the movie's synopsis:
Emboldened by the return of Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that new dangers may lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. He needs Harry to help him uncover a vital key to unlocking Voldemort’s defenses—critical information known only to Hogwarts’ former Potions Professor, Horace Slughorn. With that in mind, Dumbledore manipulates his old colleague into returning to his previous post with promises of more money, a bigger office…and the chance to teach the famous Harry Potter.
Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry’s long friendship with Ginny Weasley is growing into something deeper, but standing in the way is Ginny’s boyfriend, Dean Thomas, not to mention her big brother Ron. But Ron’s got romantic entanglements of his own to worry about, with Lavender Brown lavishing her affections on him, leaving Hermione simmering with jealousy yet determined not to show her feelings. And then a box of love potion-laced chocolates ends up in the wrong hands and changes everything.
As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof with far more important matters at hand. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
David Yates, who directed the 2007 summer blockbuster “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” returned to direct “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” David Heyman, the producer of all of the Harry Potter films, produced the film, together with David Barron. Screenwriter Steve Kloves, who scripted the first four installments of the film franchise, adapted the screenplay based on the book by J.K. Rowling. Lionel Wigram served as executive producer, with John Trehy co-producing.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films production, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the sixth installment of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Harry Potter film franchise based on the beloved novels by J.K. Rowling. Once again heading the cast, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles as young wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who are facing new challenges and dangers following Lord Voldemort’s return.
Other returning Harry Potter cast members include: Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange; Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid; Warwick Davis as Professor Filius Flitwick; Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore; Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape; Maggie Smith as Professor Minerva McGonagall; and Julie Walters as Molly Weasley.
A number of young stars also reprise their roles as Hogwarts students, including Tom Felton as Harry’s longtime nemesis, Draco Malfoy; Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood; and Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley, the youngest of the Weasley clan.
Two award-winning actors join the cast in their first Harry Potter film. Academy Award® winner Jim Broadbent (“Iris,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”) plays Potions Professor Horace Slughorn. BAFTA Award winner Helen McCrory (“Streetlife,” “The Queen”) appears as Narcissa Malfoy, mother to Draco Malfoy and sister to the evil Bellatrix Lestrange. Additionally, several young newcomers are making their feature film debuts in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”: Jessie Cave plays the role of Lavender Brown, who only has eyes for Ron Weasley; Hero Fiennes Tiffin is seen in the role of Tom Riddle at age 11; and Frank Dillane plays the 16-year-old Riddle, who is already on the path to becoming the evil Lord Voldemort.
Collaborating with David Yates behind the camera, two-time Oscar®-nominated director of photography Bruno Delbonnel (“A Very Long Engagement,” “Amelie”) on his first Harry Potter film. The behind-the-scenes team also reunites such Harry Potter veterans as production designer Stuart Craig, editor Mark Day, composer Nicholas Hooper, visual effects supervisor Tim Burke, and costume designer Jany Temime.
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

If you are not a lucky winner, see HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE anyway in theatres everywhere on Wednesday, July 15.

UPDATE: There are no more movie ticket giveaways available.

Fiesta de San Juan Bautista at Battery Park

Community calendar

Celebrate the 57th year of the Fiesta de San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist Festival)

1-6:30 p.m. Sunday

Free

Battery Park in Manhattan

This year's "La Medalla" will go to Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete, an author, theologian and contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine. He is former president of La Universidad Pontifica de Puerto Rico. He is the author of "God at the Ritz: Attraction to Infinity."

The event kicks off with a Spanish Mass celebrated by Father Eric P. Cruz, pastor of the Christ the King Church, the Bronx.

The program also includes entertainment. Jose Alberto (El Canario) y su Orquesta, Wayne Gorbea's Salsa Picante and El Trio Los Platinos.

There will also be artisan kiosks and typical foods on sale.

This marks the 57th anniversary of the Comite de la Fiesta de San Juan Bautista, an nonprofit organization. This committee is the longest serving Hispanic ministry in the Archdiocese of New York.

The Committee also has other programs, including la Gran Fiesta Anual y la Fiesta de las Octavitas.

To help support the work of the Committee, you are welcome to make a $10 donation and mail to Comite Fiesta de San Juan Bautista, Hispanic Affairs, Archdiocese of New York, 1011 First Avenue, Suite 1753, NY, NY  10022. Your name would be included in the committee's future programs with your donation.

(photo by Clarisel Gonzalez of St. John the Baptist at the Cathedral in Old San Juan, P.R.)

Happy St. John the Baptist!

Spirit of East Harlem Mural Defaced

East Harlem Preservation Calls for Community Action and Cultural Educational Campaign

During the early hours of June 13, one of El Barrio's s most famous outdoor artworks, the Spirit of East Harlem mural, was mysteriously defaced. The landmark painting has significant historical roots in the history of Spanish Harlem and has served as a cultural attraction for thousands of students and tourists from around the country and the world.  Commissioned by Hope Community, Inc. in 1978, the four-story Spirit of East Harlem mural was created by Hank Prussing and featured local residents engaging in everyday activities. Artist Manny Vega, who'd served as Prussing's apprentice, restored the badly weathered mural in the mid-1990s. On June 24 , the main wall of the Graffiti Wall of Fame was also painted over; although the alteration may have been in preparation for a new project. Located on the northwest corner of 106th Street and Park Avenue, the Graffiti Wall of Fame was the first legal and organized wall for graffiti writers to showcase their skills. Created during the early 1980s, the "Wall" has become a formidable means of artistic expression for a group of artists led by the Tats Cru. Manny Vega's internationally acclaimed Julia de Burgos mosaic on East 106th Street does not appear to have been defaced, nor have any works by artist James de la Vega. East Harlem Preservation has reached out to elected officials and other neighborhood agencies to address the matter and hopes to engage in public forums to highlight the importance of preserving local artwork. Stay tuned for further updates. For more information, www.eastharlempreservation.org.

Photos and text courtesy of Marina Ortiz of East Harlem Preservation

Danza Fiesta chats with PRSUN Radio Tonight

The Danza y Fiesta Puerto Rican Dance Company's mission is to educate and present aspects of Puerto Rican culture in the US.

My guest at 9 p.m. tonight on PRSUN Radio is Danza Fiesta.
Visit www.blogtalkradio.com/prsunradio.

Source: "Raices: Latin Music Museum: Danza Fiesta #3," mediamanny53 at YouTube

UPDATE: To listen to my interview with Danza Fiesta,