Hardly anyone remembers them anymore -- the women who helped build New York's Puerto Rican communities during the 1920s, 1930s and the 1940s. The ones paid by the piece after slaving over a factory machine sewing collars or blouses for hours and not paid for holidays. When they were fired...

From mid-September to mid-October, I'm flooded with an array of informational tidbits about Latino or Hispanic contributions. I read that one athlete or another claims Hispanic heritage or I'm asked to identify which celebrity belongs to one or another of the Latino ethnic groups. It is as if the mere...

At lectures, I'm often asked by teachers to recommend course materials in Latino Studies. Generally, the teachers want to maintain the students' initial enthusiasm and are looking for ways to interest them in the subject matter beyond the basic requirements.

One strategy that worked for me was to use...

The term, Latino, a word that describes the blending of Hispanic and American cultures, conjures up a myriad of vibrant images. In my mind, the word even has color. Not the subdued beige and pastels of a lazy summer's day, but brilliant reds, and dazzling blues, and sunburst yellows, against...

March is designated as Women's History Month, but nowadays you don't have to wait until the month rolls around to find women in history texts, extraordinary individuals whose life experiences have made a difference and ought to be in history and others whose everyday existence contributes to the historical record....

Kudos to the curators of the splendid installation of Nueva York, 1613-1945 at El Museo del Barrio! The Latin ladies were not forgotten, ignored or discarded as is often the case in historical interpretations. Like a banquet table laden with assorted riches, the exhibit presents our past from a comprehensive...

It wasn't anything, this gaily colored red and blue plaid box that easily nestled a sweater or sweatshirt or other similar sized item, that especially caught your attention. Brightest in its heyday when it first entered my home as one of a batch of multi-sized holiday gift boxes, after ten...

Monday, July 13, 2009 is the day Sonia Sotomayor makes history, again! The Nuyorican Latina lauded for her extensive judicial experience and intellect sits before the Senate Judiciary Committee for confirmation as a justice of the Supreme Court. She will enter the history books as the first Puerto Rican, the...

For more than sixty years Celina Sotomayor's life experience has reflected the evolution of the New York Puerto Rican community. As witness and participant, she puts a face on thousands of migrants like her, who braved dislocation, discrimination and disillusionment for a better life. Shattering ethno-racial and gender stereotypes, hers...