On MLJ and UCV
A brief note to thank you for all the support I received during my stay as Visiting Scholar these past few weeks, as part of the exchange agreement that the Multilingual Journalism Program at Lehman College has with the School of Communication of the Universidad Central de Caracas,
Venezuela.
The enthusiasm of both students and colleagues at Lehman made my stay at your institution most fruitful and
rewarding.
This visit is for me an unforgettable experience, both at the personal and professional levels. I hope the relationship between Lehman College and UCV will continue to expand for the benefit of both
universities.
Profesora Moraima Guanipa
Escuela de Comunicación Social,
Universidad Central de Venezuela
Bravo for the Children's Section
I couldn't resist to write to you to express my admiration for your Children's Section. It is one of the best written
and produced children editorial pages I have seen in some
time. As a concerned parent, I pay close attention to all special sections for youngsters in different newspapers and specialized magazines.
Yours is by far the best of its kind. Please convey my congratulations to the staff in charge of
this wonderful section.
Marjorie L. Gilly
Down Memory Lane
The commentary written by Mr. James Carney, the Executive Director of Bronxnet,
"Don't Forget the Pocket Knife" brought me back to the sixties. I am also "a child of the sixties" and reading Mr. Carney's article made me think about those wonderful years.
Thank you Mr. Carney for putting a smile in my face.
Ralph Sikowsky
Cities of the World
I enjoy your paper and never miss your Cities of the World Section. I particularly liked this past edition [September] featuring Quebec. A friend told me about TBJ Online. I was pleasantly surprised that you have so many interesting links, especially the one related to
Canada.
Through this Web site we are able to read previous issues of your newspaper, and learn a bit more about the Multilingual Journalism
Program.
I think it would be a good idea for you to let your readers know about this addition. I am certain that it will be well
received.
John T. Taylor
On Sports
I am a sports fanatic. I would like to see more pages of your newspaper dedicated to sports, especially basketball and
boxing.
Daniel Guerrero
More Minority Roles on TV
A surprise reaction hit the producers of The West Wing, a new series set up in the White House, after they released the pilot episode a few weeks ago. When viewers realized that there was not a single minority character to be found in the cast, criticism came loud and clear from all over the
nation.
The error is understandable. Actor James McDaniel pointed out that, "people running television live in the mean streets of Malibu, and minorities just don't exist in their world."
As Aaron Sorkin, one of the show's executives admitted, with some embarrassment, no one had realized that in today's White House you actually see employees working together with black faces, Asian faces, Latin faces, men and women of diverse races and
colors."
Now, in recent weeks, with the new television season starting, network executives and producers are responding to the strong criticisms from black and Latino groups about the absence of nonwhites in most of the network series by adding minority characters, as The West Wing
has.
Although minority actors and writers found industry's responses positive, they still made it clear that the last-minute hiring of a handful of actors and writers
"of color" hardly changes the mind-set of network executives, producers and advertisers.
While we, too, eagerly await the day the entertainment industry finally gets the point, we also agree with producer Steven Bochco who says it doesn't matter to him if minorities are being hired at the last minute, or even for the wrong reasons. What matters is that they're being hired.
Hispanic Heritage Month: A Time of Learning
Miguel Pérez
The Bergen Record
Hispanic Heritage Month began September 15, giving Latinos more time to stretch the festivities to the end of
October.
It's party time in the Hispanic community.
But unfortunately, there will be parties, parades, concerts, and even lectures that will do little to promote the real meaning of Hispanic
heritage.
Corporate America will play host to cocktail parties, to let Latinos know that at least once a year, they remember that Latinos
exist.
Parade promoters will allow the over-politicization and commercialization of events that should be purely
cultural.
Many concert promoters will use our heritage just to make money by presenting flashy superstars, instead of promoting lecture-concerts to teach us about our music.
And non-Latino-American politicians will deliver most of the speeches, to remind us that some of their best amigos are gullible about most of the hoopla surrounding Hispanic Heritage
Month.
This should be a time for Latinos to review our history, to recognize our heroes, to cite our contributions to North America, to revive our folklore, and to rejoice in our arts and our theater. It should be a time for Latinos to come together, by celebrating the things we have in common and learning more about the issues that unite
us.
It's the right time to expose our three centuries of hidden American heritage, to remind everyone that many of our ancestors played major roles in U.S. history and many died fighting for this country. It's a time to note that some of our ancestors were all over this country long before the British settled in
Jamestown.
It's a good month to dispel the negative stereotypes and the misconceptions about Latinos. But it's also a good time for Latino immigrants to express gratitude to the country that gave us shelter, and to promote racial and ethnic
harmony.
It's an excellent opportunity for others to learn about Latinos.
But it's also a time for Latinos to learn about each other, a time for reading each other's authors and poets, for listening to each other's music, for living in each other's ethnic
spirit.
It's the time to pass on the things that make us proud to our children. One of the images I always remember is that of parents and their children, all dressed in colorful ethnic costumes and dancing together on New York's Fifth Avenue in the city's annual Hispanic Heritage
Parade.
Now, that's a well-balanced showcase of Hispanic culture. Sure, there's a scattering of politicians and trademarks. But it's mostly a pageantry of ethnic costumes and Latin American music and dance. Country by country, you get a chance to learn a lot about Latinos, while having a
blast.
Every October, the parade's organizers show that our heritage can be celebrated as a learning experience, and with a touch of
class.
If you're not Hispanic, you stand there watching a show that would cost you a fortune on Broadway. If you're a Latino, you just stand there feeling
proud.
More often, those who plan Hispanic heritage celebrations should have such clear vision of how to showcase the things that make us proud.
|
