First and foremost I would like to thank all of the individuals involved in coordinating and organizing this year’s Puerto Rican Festival. I enjoyed the food, reconnecting with old friends and the entertainment was pleasant. As I walked the enclosed layout of the festival, I kept thinking to myself, why are we here? What are we celebrating? What have I, or my community achieved that we are here celebrating so joyously this weekend? With these questions stuck in my mind I began to think about the upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs annually from September 15 through October 15. I began to think about what do we do here in Rochester that recognizes the importance and contributions of this nationally recognized month. The short answer… not enough.
Now more then ever Latinos must begin to be a part of the everyday conversation. In fact, according to the most recent projections from the U.S. Census, Latinos are the nations largest ethnic minority at an estimated 46.9 million individuals. Given that, only Mexico had a larger population of Latinos than the United States. To coincide with this President Obama most recently placed the first ever Latina to the highest court in the land. The confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor, a Puerto Rican from the Bronx on August 6, 2009 was a historic moment for Latinos across the country. In my eyes it was a glimpse of hope that opportunities still exist for an often-overlooked population.
I know our community has a lot of struggles some self-inflected and others systematic, but now more then ever we have individuals in positions to impact change. Yes, that includes me! What we have to do now is focus our agenda back on advocating for our community. We have to create opportunities for our community to help one another and be viewed by the larger community as an asset. Whether those opportunities involve community service, health outreach or educational exposure, more must be done. As a community, we should have a unified presence that has resources for all Latinos to look towards as an advocate or beacon of hope, regardless of political affiliations. In an era where many of our youth feel disengaged and the family structure has dismantled. I feel that we need to go back to the basics of educating our population on all we have accomplished and still have yet to do. We should be exposing our community to the various cultural practices that make us so unique and special. Our language, food and family traditions are important and should not be abandoned. As a community we should have monthly events that continue to recognize all things that make us Latino. We should be educating our youth on what it means to be Latino and in turn sharing all of the rich cultural history we have.
I repeat, what we need is continual ongoing events that are both educational and community service based, events that allow us to truly be viewed as entitled to a celebration. So ask again, what do we celebrate?
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¡Viviendo el Sueño! (Living the Dream!)
Mr. Anibal Soler, Jr.
http://www.anibalsoler.com
http://anibalsoler.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label la voz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label la voz. Show all posts
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Summer Vacation
The weather has finally changed for the better and May’s flowers are now in full bloom. Another school year will come to a close and there will be thousands of youth looking for things to do. There will be another group of youth who would have completed the kindergarten through twelfth grade journey and will now be entering college or the workforce.
Let me be the first to say that just because school is out that doesn’t mean learning has to stop. For the group of students who have not graduated and are still enrolled in school there are plenty of opportunities for you to engage in academic summer programs throughout the city and county. As parents we have to make sure we go out and get access to every opportunity available for our children. Often times it is just a matter of signing up. It is significantly important that we do not allow our students to take a break academically because more often then not our students spend the summer months engaging in little-to-no academic behavior. As a parent or guardian it is your job to continue to hold your child to the expectation that they will continue to learn new things even when school is not in session. Parents must look for summer programs that continue to promote and expose their child to high levels of literacy and math. Particularly important is the exposure to literacy as many of our youth do not read or write enough during the summer months, which often places them behind at the start of the following school year. Even as an adult and college graduate literacy is still my weakest area, which is why I continue to read and write as much as possible. I know I will never be the best at it, but it won’t be due to a lack of effort. If your child is not enrolled in a program, then take him or her to your local community library and have them sign out a book or two of interests that both of you could read together. I can’t think of a better way to improve your child’s reading ability while still spending time together.
Now, for those students who are completing high school let me be the first to congratulate you on your upcoming graduation. Congratulations you made it! For many of you, you are the first in your family to obtain a high school diploma. Enjoy and treasure this moment but don’t get overly excited because your work is far from over. In today’s economic condition it is critically important that you prepare yourself for college or trade school. I encourage you to not necessarily take this summer as a break but to use it as a transition period to prepare yourself for the “real world.” What you do this summer will setup your path down the road of life, therefore make sure you take advantage of every networking and academic opportunity available. If you are going away for college make sure you spend this summer with friends and family while still engaging and learning new things. In retrospect I wish I had prepared myself better for the rigor of college and spent some time reading more about my major or about topics that intrigued me.
Lastly, summer time has been meant as a time to break away from the normal challenges of the school environment but given the poor educational achievement of many that break can no longer be afforded. I challenge you and your parents to make the most of your summer and my hope is that by the end you would have become more knowledgeable then when it began.
--
¡Viviendo el Sueño! (Living the Dream!)
Mr. Anibal Soler, Jr.
http://www.anibalsoler.com
http://anibalsoler.blogspot.com
Let me be the first to say that just because school is out that doesn’t mean learning has to stop. For the group of students who have not graduated and are still enrolled in school there are plenty of opportunities for you to engage in academic summer programs throughout the city and county. As parents we have to make sure we go out and get access to every opportunity available for our children. Often times it is just a matter of signing up. It is significantly important that we do not allow our students to take a break academically because more often then not our students spend the summer months engaging in little-to-no academic behavior. As a parent or guardian it is your job to continue to hold your child to the expectation that they will continue to learn new things even when school is not in session. Parents must look for summer programs that continue to promote and expose their child to high levels of literacy and math. Particularly important is the exposure to literacy as many of our youth do not read or write enough during the summer months, which often places them behind at the start of the following school year. Even as an adult and college graduate literacy is still my weakest area, which is why I continue to read and write as much as possible. I know I will never be the best at it, but it won’t be due to a lack of effort. If your child is not enrolled in a program, then take him or her to your local community library and have them sign out a book or two of interests that both of you could read together. I can’t think of a better way to improve your child’s reading ability while still spending time together.
Now, for those students who are completing high school let me be the first to congratulate you on your upcoming graduation. Congratulations you made it! For many of you, you are the first in your family to obtain a high school diploma. Enjoy and treasure this moment but don’t get overly excited because your work is far from over. In today’s economic condition it is critically important that you prepare yourself for college or trade school. I encourage you to not necessarily take this summer as a break but to use it as a transition period to prepare yourself for the “real world.” What you do this summer will setup your path down the road of life, therefore make sure you take advantage of every networking and academic opportunity available. If you are going away for college make sure you spend this summer with friends and family while still engaging and learning new things. In retrospect I wish I had prepared myself better for the rigor of college and spent some time reading more about my major or about topics that intrigued me.
Lastly, summer time has been meant as a time to break away from the normal challenges of the school environment but given the poor educational achievement of many that break can no longer be afforded. I challenge you and your parents to make the most of your summer and my hope is that by the end you would have become more knowledgeable then when it began.
--
¡Viviendo el Sueño! (Living the Dream!)
Mr. Anibal Soler, Jr.
http://www.anibalsoler.com
http://anibalsoler.blogspot.com
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Fatherhood: It's Never to Late
It was 1990 and I was 13 years old, it was the last time I can remember my father being around for one of my birthday celebrations or better yet any celebration. Now, there are some things you should know about my father and me. First, we share the same name and secondly, we also share the same birthday. Like most, Latinos naming your first-born boy after the father is a tradition. Furthermore my parents were not married, something that has become a negative standard associated with our culture, and as you can imagine contributed significantly to his absence. In fact, my father didn’t live in Rochester he lived in Newark, New Jersey and currently resides in Florida.
Outside of these small intimate rendezvous around birthdays or holidays that was the extent of our relationship. I grew up without his presence. Although my Grandfather did an outstanding job filling the void, it is something that I still am impacted by today. Questions of why and images of doubt still go through my mind as to why my father was never really involved. At the time of his absence I didn’t know what to think of his lack of involvement, or what to say. I thought it was normal, because all of my other Latino and African American friends were also being raised by their single mothers and grandparents, again I knew nothing else.
The point that I am trying to make is that the role of the Latino Male as a father within our community has drastically declined. In fact, according to the 2000 Census Hispanic women had a 36% rate of childbirths out of wedlock. This statistic clearly states that there is a divide within our family structure. A separation that allows Latino males to not step up and take responsibility for not only creating a child but also in raising them. We have lost the value of fatherhood within the Latino family structure. I am not saying that parents have to get married or even that they have to live together, but instead what I am saying is that the today more then ever the father must be involved in raising his child. Involvement doesn’t mean just paying child support or showing up on those special days. It means picking up the phone daily and calling to check on his or her progress. It means spending time reading a book, or coloring with him or her. It means showing that child, that although you are not living with them, you are committed to always being a part of their life. It also means that during good and bad times you will always be there.
Presently, the communication between my father and I is still sporadic, and although we have never had any meaningful conversations about why things worked out the way they did, I do know he is proud of what I have become. I know that he acknowledges the strength of my mother and the commitment of my grandfather to fill his void. I also know that it hurts him knowing that he wasn’t around enough, although he has never told me directly, he has demonstrated it by his renewed attempts to stay in contact. Again, I know that it hurts because he could never go back and change the way things worked out.
Having recently become a father myself I have not taken the role of being a father lightly. I know realize first hand the power and influence I will have on my son as a man. Lastly, if you could take anything from this small vignette of my life, take with you the impact and importance of being a Latino and a father. There is no time like the present to go out and change your approach and ensure you are a part of your child’s future. Ultimately, If you know a Latino father who hasn’t done their part please remind them of how important this moment is and that it’s never to late to start.
--
¡Viviendo el Sueño! (Living the Dream!)
Mr. Anibal Soler, Jr.
http://www.anibalsoler.com
http://anibalsoler.blogspot.com
Outside of these small intimate rendezvous around birthdays or holidays that was the extent of our relationship. I grew up without his presence. Although my Grandfather did an outstanding job filling the void, it is something that I still am impacted by today. Questions of why and images of doubt still go through my mind as to why my father was never really involved. At the time of his absence I didn’t know what to think of his lack of involvement, or what to say. I thought it was normal, because all of my other Latino and African American friends were also being raised by their single mothers and grandparents, again I knew nothing else.
The point that I am trying to make is that the role of the Latino Male as a father within our community has drastically declined. In fact, according to the 2000 Census Hispanic women had a 36% rate of childbirths out of wedlock. This statistic clearly states that there is a divide within our family structure. A separation that allows Latino males to not step up and take responsibility for not only creating a child but also in raising them. We have lost the value of fatherhood within the Latino family structure. I am not saying that parents have to get married or even that they have to live together, but instead what I am saying is that the today more then ever the father must be involved in raising his child. Involvement doesn’t mean just paying child support or showing up on those special days. It means picking up the phone daily and calling to check on his or her progress. It means spending time reading a book, or coloring with him or her. It means showing that child, that although you are not living with them, you are committed to always being a part of their life. It also means that during good and bad times you will always be there.
Presently, the communication between my father and I is still sporadic, and although we have never had any meaningful conversations about why things worked out the way they did, I do know he is proud of what I have become. I know that he acknowledges the strength of my mother and the commitment of my grandfather to fill his void. I also know that it hurts him knowing that he wasn’t around enough, although he has never told me directly, he has demonstrated it by his renewed attempts to stay in contact. Again, I know that it hurts because he could never go back and change the way things worked out.
Having recently become a father myself I have not taken the role of being a father lightly. I know realize first hand the power and influence I will have on my son as a man. Lastly, if you could take anything from this small vignette of my life, take with you the impact and importance of being a Latino and a father. There is no time like the present to go out and change your approach and ensure you are a part of your child’s future. Ultimately, If you know a Latino father who hasn’t done their part please remind them of how important this moment is and that it’s never to late to start.
--
¡Viviendo el Sueño! (Living the Dream!)
Mr. Anibal Soler, Jr.
http://www.anibalsoler.com
http://anibalsoler.blogspot.com
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Latino to Watch
Recently I was selected by a new publication here in Rochester, New York as a "Latino to Watch." The publication focuses on the Latino community and the issues or topics within that community. Check out this month's latest issue here: La Voz download the PDF on the main page.
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¡Viviendo el Sueño! (Living the Dream!)
Mr. Anibal Soler, Jr.
http://www.anibalsoler.com
http://anibalsoler.blogspot.com
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