Sesame Street has debuted TJ, its first Filipino muppet. TJ joins Ji-Young, the show’s first Asian American character, who was introduced in a special Thanksgiving episode in 2021.
In a recent segment of the children’s TV show, TJ spends time with fellow muppets Ji-Young and Grover, and actor Kal Penn, who discusses the word of the day: confidence. “Confidence is when you believe in yourself and your abilities, or in the abilities of others,” Penn explains.
TJ then talks about his growing confidence while learning Tagalog, one of the main languages spoken in the Philippines. “I’m confident because I can always ask my lola for help when I don’t know a word,” he says, using the Tagalog term for grandmother.
Filipino American animator Bobby Pontillas collaborated with puppeteer Louis Mitchell to create the muppet. On Instagram, Pontillas shared concept artwork for the character, who he said was inspired by Max and Mateo, the children of lifelong friends. TJ is played by voice actor and puppeteer Yinan Shentu.
Rosemary Espina Palacios, Sesame Workshop’s director of talent outreach, inclusion and content development, also posted on Instagram about TJ’s debut, saying that his arrival came “just in time for API Heritage Month to show the range in our diaspora.”
In 1977 the U.S. Congress (spearheaded by Representative Frank Horton of New York and Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawai’i) chose the first ten days of May to commemorate the history and contributions of Asian American communities here in the U.S. The week’s observance became a month, the very month in which the first Japanese immigrants came to the U.S. in 1843.
We also commemorate the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869 as the majority of workers who laid those railroad tracks were Chinese immigrants. And that’s why AANHPI Heritage Month is in May.
A People’s History of Asian America
Produced in partnership by the Center for Asian American Media and PBS Digital Studios, A People’s History of Asian America tells the history of Asian Americans through the microaggressions and stereotypes this community faces.
In this episode, Hosts Dolly Li and Adrian De Leon hear from South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander voices to explore the pros and cons of disaggregating Asian American as a statistical category.
RELATED: Watch the PBS Video “Are you AAPI or Asian American – It’s Complicated”
Read more about AANHPI Heritage Month on PBS here.
Mattel announced Monday the release of an Anna May Wong doll for Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month.
The figure has her trademark bangs, eyebrows and well-manicured nails. The doll is dressed in a red gown with a shiny golden dragon design and cape, inspired by her appearance in the 1934 movie “Limehouse Blues.”
“I did not hesitate at all. It was such an honor and so exciting,” Wong told The Associated Press in an email. “I wanted to make sure they got her facial features and clothing correct. And they did!”
As a child, Anna Wong owned a Barbie and Skipper doll (Barbie’s little sister) and a Barbie dream house and car. She loves the idea that Asian children will now have a doll who looks like them.
The doll is part of the Barbie “Inspiring Women” series, which features dolls in the likeness of pioneering women. Past inspirations include aviator Amelia Earhart and artist Frida Kahlo.
“As the first Asian American actor to lead a U.S. television show, whose perseverance broke down barriers for her gender and AAPI community in film and TV, Anna May Wong is the perfect fit for our Barbie Inspiring Women Series,” Lisa McKnight, an executive vice president at Mattel, said in a statement.
As members of the National Native Scholarships Providers (NNSP), we believe school should be a place where young people feel free to learn, grow, and excel—while being true to their identities. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, and many young Indigenous people approach graduation with apprehension. Many graduates across the country decorate their graduation gowns and mortarboards to celebrate the occasion, yet some school boards, policymakers, and elected officials discriminate when Indigenous students choose to wear Native regalia, which is a spiritual and cultural tradition relating to their tribal identities.
Pictured: Graduates at a tribal college graduation ceremony wearing regalia. Regalia has spiritual and traditional significance in Native cultures.
Just this week in Oklahoma Governor Stitt vetoed Senate Bill 429, which passed the Oklahoma legislature April 24 with a vote of 90 to 1. Its passage would have ensured Native students in all Oklahoma public schools would be permitted to wear tribal regalia at high school graduations and other ceremonies throughout the state.
The governor stated in his veto message, “Should this bill become law, the proverbial Pandora’s box will be opened for other groups to go over the heads of local superintendents and demand special favor to wear whatever they please at a formal ceremony.” He added the decision to allow students to wear traditional items such as eagle feathers or regalia rests with local school districts and not the state government.
Oklahoma lawmakers intended the bill would clarify Indigenous students’ rights for public school administrators, helping officials to avoid violating students’ rights and thereby inflicting traumatic discrimination during what should be a joyous occasion in Native students’ lives that is shared by their families and communities.
At public institutions, the right of an individual to wear regalia is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Federal constitutional law requires that any law attempting to limit the guarantees of a fundamental right—in this case a First Amendment right—must be necessary to promote a compelling self-interest and must be as narrowly tailored as possible to meet that interest.
When the governor vetoed a bill that is specific to regalia because “other groups” might wear clothing that pleases them, the governor was diverting attention from the real issue at hand—Native students’ fundamental right to wear clothing and items specific to their spiritual beliefs and practices. Tribal regalia is no mere decoration or “fashion.” When an Indigenous person wears regalia, the practice is tied to sincerely held spiritual beliefs and traditions of their tribes, and the practice is arguably protected by the First Amendment. Not incidentally, government officials not long ago tried to eradicate the practice and these beliefs and traditions through assimilation and legal prohibition.
In a news report, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Chief Gary Batton issued the following statement regarding Stitt’s veto of SB 429. “This bill, which would have allowed all Native American students in Oklahoma to wear tribal regalia at school ceremonies, is not controversial. It allows the students to honor their native culture and traditions. In fact, only one member of the Legislature voted against it…This is a popular, common-sense measure with no costs for the state or schools. We hope the House and the Senate will quickly override the veto to provide more freedom for Oklahoma students who want to honor their heritage.”
“With this legislation, Governor Stitt had an opportunity to support religious freedom and families honoring their kids’ high school accomplishments,” Chuck Hoskin Jr., Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, told Native News Online. “Instead, he’s chosen more division and insults to his Native American constituents.”
States like Colorado are also considering guaranteeing students the right to wear and display their regalia at graduation. In Denver, Senate Bill 202 is headed to Governor Jared Polis for consideration and signing.
As founding organizational members of the NNSP, every year we see incidents in which school administrators deny Indigenous students the opportunity to wear their regalia at graduation ceremonies and to celebrate their achievement in a culturally meaningful way. These acts retraumatize students (and their families) who have had to deal with marginalization and erasure in education institutions for years—students who have worked hard to get to a place that is worth celebrating.
We believe narrow, discriminatory, and arbitrary regulations concerning protocol and dress codes when it comes to Native regalia at graduations demean Indigenous people and rob them of the opportunity to celebrate their identities. We urge students, their families, and Native allies nationwide to contact their elected officials, including their school boards, state legislatures, and governors, to ensure Native graduates can exercise their right to wear their tribal regalia proudly as they walk across the stage to receive the diploma that they worked so hard to achieve.
Earning a diploma or a degree is a huge accomplishment. We call upon our schools and institutions such as our legislatures to celebrate the beauty, hard work, and worth of every individual that has earned a diploma or degree—by allowing Indigenous graduates to celebrate in a way that is meaningful and respectful to them and their cultures.
Four national Native scholarship providers comprise the NNSP: the American Indian College Fund (the College Fund), the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), the Cobell Scholarship Program administered by Indigenous Education, Inc., and Native Forward Scholars Fund.
To help students achieve favorable outcomes with requests to wear regalia at graduation, the American Indian College Fund created and updates annually a guide for students to request wearing tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies.
Academy Award-winner Ariana DeBose will portray the first Afro-Latina princess.
The trailer for Disney’s latest animation film, Wish, is here, and we’re already in love with the leading princess, voiced by West Side Story Academy Award-winning actress Ariana DeBose.
The musical follows the story of Asha, a 17-year-old “driven, incredibly smart and an optimist, a sharp-witted leader in the making who sees darkness that others do not.” She partners with the magical wishing star, named Star, and soon realizes sometimes dreams do come true.
DeBose will be playing Disney’s first Afro-Latina princess sporting the prettiest set of braids.
She made history as the first Afro-Latina and first openly queer woman of color to win an Academy Award for acting after taking home the win for “Best Supporting Actress” for her performance in the iconic role of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.
The studio elevated its creativity using a new style of animation technique, which blends elements of watercolor with 3D CG animation that the studio had reportedly long sought after and even attempted in earlier films such as Tangled.
The film also stars Chris Pine as King Magnifico, the charismatic leader of the kingdom of Rosas, and Alan Tudyk as Asha’s pet goat Valentino. Frozen’s Chris Buck and Raya and the Last Dragon story artist Fawn Veerasunthorn is set to direct. The film hits theaters on Nov. 22.
Watch the first trailer below!
Click here to read the original article posted on BET.
Photo courtesy of Disney
Acclaimed music artist José Feliciano, visual artist and muralist Judith Baca, and graphic artist and painter Antonio Martorell were honored with the National Medal of Arts, while poet Richard Blanco (pictured left) was awarded the National Humanities Medal.
The four artists were part of a group recognized by President Joe Biden at a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday.
Trailblazing music icon José Feliciano, 77, is known around the globe for his chart-topping hits like “Feliz Navidad” and his rendition of “Light My Fire.”
Considered one of the first Latino artist to cross over into the English market, paving the way for others, the Puerto Rican musician’s career has spanned 60 years and has garnered him more than 45 gold and platinum records, multiple Grammy wins and nominations, and Billboard’s first Legend Award.
“Blind since birth, he picked up a guitar at age 9. A pioneering art — artist bridging cultures and styles, winning Grammys, and opening doors for generations of Latino artists and the heart of our nation,” Biden said of Feliciano, who couldn’t accept the award because he was touring.
Feliciano has produced more than 600 songs and released 60 albums.
Medal recipient Judith Baca’s work has left a deep imprint in California’s cultural history. Baca, 76, is most known for “The Great Wall of Los Angeles,” which spans a half-mile and focuses on California’s ethnic history. The project was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Baca, who was born in Los Angeles to Mexican American parents, is the artistic director of the Social and Public Art Resource Center, or SPARC, Los Angeles’ first mural program, which she helped co-found. The program has produced more than 400 murals in the city since 1974.
Her large-scale public artworks focus on the lives and communities of diverse Californians including women and youth and immigrant communities. Baca is also an emeritus professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“Her groundbreaking murals depict the strength and scope of human nature and tell the forgotten stories — and tell a fuller story of who we are as Americans,” Biden said of Baca’s work.
Puerto Rican painter, graphic artist and writer Antonio Martorell was honored for his contributions as “one of Puerto Rico’s greatest cultural ambassadors,” Biden said.
Martorell has created prolific contemporary art pieces that are displayed in exhibits in Puerto Rico, the U.S. and abroad.
Having created early poster drawings of the Puerto Rican experience in his early career, his work was crucial to the development of posters as a form of expression during social commentary in the 1960s and 1970s.
“His work challenges and unites people across languages, classes and generations,” Biden said. “His creations span genres — painting, writing, sculpture, theater design. Always daring to try something new while building on what came before.”
Richard Blanco, who was the nation’s first Latino and openly gay inaugural poet, was recognized with a National Humanities Medal, which is awarded to people who have helped deepen and broaden humanities with contributions in history, literature and philosophy, among other subjects.
Read the complete article posted on NBC News Latinos here
The growing U.S. Latino population needs a larger pool of educators and advocates who represent their unique cultural and linguistic identities while sensitizing others in the school system and beyond. In honor of Women’s History Month, ProgressReport is uplifting the voices of some of the Latina educational leaders who are currently making history by paving the way for the next generation of changemakers. UnidosUS celebrates the accomplishments of three Latinas representing excellence at all levels of the education system – Miriam Calderon, Maria Armstrong, and Melody Gonzales – they share their journeys and insights with Progress Report.
Early Childhood Education
Miriam Calderon, pictured above, chief policy officer for ZERO TO THREE, the nation’s largest early childhood advocacy organization, has spent two decades advocating for young children, especially Latinos and dual language learners, to have a better early start in their education. She served as UnidosUS’s associate director of education policy, early childhood education director of DC Public Schools, senior director of early learning at the Bainum Family Foundation, and as an appointee of the Obama and the Biden Administrations, as well as former Oregon Governor Kate Brown, all leading efforts to reinforce and grow early education programs. Today, her career is fully aligned with trending education policy conversations.
At the onset of the pandemic, she was tasked with helping to provide emergency grants to early childhood centers across the state of Oregon, which boasts the fastest-growing Latino population in the country. That work reinforced what she already knew: this country’s early childhood education system had always lacked an appropriate infrastructure and the pandemic simply revealed and exacerbated that reality.
“Our systems for communicating with providers in real-time were threadbare – to know if providers were open, if they had spaces where we could refer families. It was challenging to get providers and programs PPE; to give grants to providers to offset their higher costs of operating during the pandemic,” she says, noting that this marked the first time many providers had the opportunity to receive public funding. “It took literally seeing the sector come close to collapse for there to be a shift in understanding that ECE is an essential service.”
The pandemic also helped to reveal historic bias and discrimination against those who provide ECE services.
“We’ve understood for decades that babies are born learning, ” she says. “If it was just about educating policymakers and the public about this – we have done that repeatedly as a field. The lack of progress is about who does this work – women of color, immigrant women, low-income women.”
That means acknowledging their fundamental human rights while recognizing their role in raising an increasingly diverse generation headed for a competitive global workforce.
“It’s about valuing our youngest citizens,” she adds. “We spend more public funds on children as they get older and the least during the first 1000 days.”
As the general public gains greater awareness of these concerns, advocates like herself feel more emboldened in their approach to policymakers.
“We are finally asking for what it will truly take to build a sector that eliminates race, income, and zip code as a predictor of the ECE experience for a child and families that is fair to the workforce, that will capitalize on the importance of this developmental period, and that can deliver the ECE experiences that families want and need for their young children, especially families that have historically lacked access.”
That boldness is getting advocates closer to the goal. President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan proposed investing a historic $390 billion in federal funds for childcare and pre-K, and only one dissenting vote from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) within the Democratic Caucus kept it from passing. Childcare and education were not included in the Inflation Reduction Act, the compromise bill that followed and ultimately got signed into law.
The near victory only fuels Calderon to keep pushing through her work at ZERO TO THREE, which, in partnership with organizations like UnidosUS, has successfully advocated for increases in Migrant Head Start and getting language access provisions for families in the major federal ECE programs.
“We still have a long way to go,” she says, noting that a lack of support for linguistically and culturally relevant ECE programs is rooted in anti-immigrant, pro-English policies. But today, she explains it’s impossible to ignore that one out of every three children is growing up in homes where languages other than English are spoken.
Then comes the question of better support and compensation for ECE teachers.
“If we aren’t compensating (ECE teachers) well and investing in their access to professional learning, credentials, and degrees, we won’t maintain a workforce that reflects the diversity of our children and families,” she explains.
ZERO TO THREE and UnidosUS are keen to keep this discussion centered on the knowledge and experience ECE workers have always brought to the table. For example, they caution against mandating bachelor’s degrees without first investing in the incumbent workforce.
“It’s not about being for or against the requirement. It’s about the barriers that have historically existed for women of color, immigrant women, low-income women to higher education and professional preparation opportunities,” she says. “It’s about not having degrees without the compensation that must go along with it. It’s about honoring the contributions of the workforce that has been doing this work and having options available for them in terms of how they want to advance in their careers.”
She is also a strong advocate for reminding the public that care and education go hand in hand.
“During COVID, I noticed that a lot of the talk about school-age children was about ‘learning loss’ – what children were missing in terms of academics,” she says. “The discussion around childcare was that adults couldn’t work – not that children missed out on important developmental and learning experiences.”
Her advice to Latina ECE workers?
“Continue to demand what you need— we won’t realize bold changes in ECE without your advocacy, without your voice to shape the policy.”
K-12
Maria Armstrong, executive director of Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS). Photo courtesy of ALAS.
Maria Armstrong, executive director of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), knows K-12 students need all the support they can get in catching up since the pandemic. She’s spent decades trying to help underserved communities. It began at the age of seven when she gathered kids in the neighborhood to teach them reading and math, or at least that was the role she imagined for herself. It paid off. She went on to serve as an assistant superintendent and superintendent in school districts around California; an adjunct professor at that state’s Azusa Pacific University and National University; and a consultant for the Puerto Rico Department of Education.
“Pandemic-era legislation leaders are in the thick of grappling with the aftermath and exposure of having the education curtain pulled open for all to see,” she says, adding that it is “moving us as a country toward acknowledgment of the past and present conditions to address our future.”
Because the United States is such a young country whose overall educational system once stood at the forefront of modernity, it’s easy for the country to get caught up in that narrative, she explains.
“For too long we have considered ourselves as better than anyone else on the planet, a very monolithic view from a country who prides itself as a melting pot of sorts,” she says.
That view of American exceptionalism probably comes from the fact that overall the country has rallied through many times of war and disaster. So how can it tap into its trait of resiliency and rally today with all students falling behind in their schooling and a greater number of those students coming from communities that were historically underserved in the first place?
“Our challenge is that we are not so young anymore, and it shouldn’t take an act of war or disaster to unite us on the conditions and issues of humanity, particularly that of education,” she says.
Not so young and not so naive. The current U.S. administration is aware that the country’s youthful confidence could pose a direct risk to the nation’s economy and security. For example, during his “Raise the Bar. Lead the World” tour, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona remarked that the quality and innovation of the U.S. education system is falling behind many countries and that it must do more in areas such as multilingual support if it wants to remain competitive.
“We need to raise the bar,” Cardona said in a January 24th speech to kick off his tour. “As much as it is about recovery, it’s also about setting higher standards for academic success in reading and mathematics. It’s unacceptable that in the most recent PISA test, an assessment which is done internationally, our students scored 36th place out of 79 countries in math.”
That’s a goal Armstrong is helping ALAS to lead on behalf of the country’s Latino students and educators. It starts with paying close attention to the issues ALAS’s affiliates are bringing to the discussion table.
“Our strength is only as great as the people we serve and that not only considers how we operate but provides direction in services and programs,” she says, noting that the ALAS’s board of directors boasts educational professionals who have either worked in K-12 leadership or are currently in the higher education space and know what students need to get there. Meanwhile, at the affiliate level, many of the leaders are full-time educators showing their commitment to underserved students by serving ALAS long after their workdays are done.
And their dedication fuels Armstrong’s leadership long after she retired from leading schools herself.
“People often ask me how I manage to attend every state event. My response is simple. Whenever invited, the least I can do is show support because it is through them that I gain my juice, my stamina, and the reason why I came out of the superintendency retirement,” she says.
But improving math and reading scores across all socio-economic groups needs to happen in a culturally relevant way, and it’s intimately tied to understanding the most uncomfortable parts of American history. Those are the parts where students identified as Black, Brown, immigrant, LGBTQ, female, and/or having disabilities were born into a system that historically sought to hold them back, and in many places still does.
To address this, ALAS is joining a long list of organizations working to protect and promote the teaching of truthful history and ethnic studies with the addition of an AP Latino American Course. And in 2020, ALAS partnered with the legacy youth-focused publishing company Scholastic Books to create the Rising Voices: Elevating Latino Stories Collection so that all students see themselves represented in children’s stories.
When asked about advice she has for other K-12 educators and advocates, she said: “I would rather provide encouragement than advice.”
She described that encouragement can come in the form of a reminder or an acknowledgment that advocates of educational equity aren’t in this battle alone. That networking can help to provide the brainstorming, support, and sense of connectedness they need to keep going.
“Our youth, our children, are counting on the adults in and out of the boardroom and classroom to do right by them,” she says. “Find your sister circle, and don’t give up.”
Higher Education
Melody Gonzales, executive director of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. Photo Courtesy of Melody Gonzales.
By day, higher education advocate Melody Gonzales serves as the executive director of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics. By night, she helps other professionals work on advancing their own careers by providing services as an executive leadership coach. On both fronts, she is actively encouraging Latinas to study hard and dream big.
“We need your voices and lived experiences in the education sector and in the federal government as a career staffer, presidential appointees, and policymakers,” she tells her fellow Latinas. “Start with a strong, growth mindset. Identify what negative thoughts or imposter syndrome tendencies might come into play that could hold you back and identify those positive thoughts/mantras and facts that ground you in the fact that you are capable and worthy.”
She also encourages Latinas interested in pursuing careers in education and education policy to always engage in social networking, as she rarely got her many career opportunities through online job applications alone.
In her own career, the early networking came organically as a news reporter in her native San Diego and as the manager of the neighboring Chula Vista Convention and Visitors Bureau. After attending Georgetown University for a master’s degree in public policy and a certificate of executive leadership coaching, as well as several other leadership certificates through Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the Center for Creative Leadership, she found herself in a series of high-powered policy and advocacy roles.
Those included Latino engagement efforts for the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and the founding of her own National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 39 national Latino nonprofits focused on encouraging Latinas to run for office and advising on campaigns related to economic empowerment, immigration, health, education, and voting rights.
Read the complete article originally posted on UnidosUs here.
Jenna Ortega
Growing up as a child actor and moving on to the world of slasher horror films, Jenna Ortega is no stranger to the screen. But at just 20-years-old, Ortega has received tremendous praise for her work on the screen and off screen, especially in the last year. In 2022, Ortega debuted one of her biggest projects yet, Wednesday, a Netflix series that tells the story a college-aged Wednesday Addams of Addams Family fame. Calling it one of her most pivotal career choices yet, Ortega, who plays the titular role, garnered widespread acclaim for her performance with critics calling it the best rendition of the character yet.
The show has also been highly praised for its majority casting of Hispanic and Latinx actors, with Ortega’s performance bringing in a record-breaking 341 watched hours on its debut weekend.
When she’s not on screen, Ortega spends much of her time in the world of activism. She has been an advocate for the Pride over Prejudice, an organization dedicated to accepting the LGBTQ+ community, since she was 13 years old and has advocated for immigration and equity rights throughout her career.
Photo: Jenna Ortega poses in the IMDb exclusive portrait studio at the Critics Choice Association 2nd Annual Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television at Fairmont Century Plaza on November 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for IMDb)
Sources: Wikipedia, Deadline
Karen Diaz
Karen Janett Diaz first referee auxiliary looks on during the 12th round match between Atletico San Luis and Tijuana as part of the Torneo Apertura
For the first time in the event’s almost 100-year history, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), hired six of the best women referees in the industry to be a part of the 36 referees and 69 assistant referees overseeing the World Cup. One of these six women was Karen Diaz, who oversaw several World Cup matches as a referee assistant, making her the first Mexican woman to ever officiate the event.
Certified as a FIFA assistant referee since 2018 and garnering 12 years of officiating experience, Diaz is no stranger to breaking records and receiving praise for her expertise.
In 2020, she became the first woman to officiate in Liga MX matches and has overseen several high-profile games for Concacaf (the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) games. Though she has expressed a tremendous love for her job and the game itself, Diaz’s expertise expands to more than just sports, having earned a university degree in agro-industrial engineering.
Comedian Aida Rodriguez performs at the comedy benefit “Remember Pearl Harbor” at The Laugh Factory
They say that laughter is the best medicine and for comedian, activist and podcaster, Aida Rodriguez, this couldn’t be truer. First gaining media attention during the eighth season of Last Comic Standing, Rodriguez is best known taking some of the world’s most painful, uncomfortable and important topics and creating a platform where she can speak about them in a comedic way.
In her stand-up comedy debut special, Fighting Words, which premiered on HBO Max, Rodriguez showcases this style by using comedy to discuss everything from her own experiences with anorexia, divorce, death and traumatic experiences to the need to address misogyny and racism, especially towards the Hispanic and Latinx communities. “You should be able to laugh at things that are uncomfortable and inappropriate as long as it’s not being harmful,” Rodriguez told Vulture of her comedic style. “Because for me, that’s the only way that we’re having an honest conversation.”
While Rodriguez is best known for her work on the stage and in front of the camera, she also utilizes her passion for advocacy in other ways. She is currently a co-host for the news commentary channel, The Young Turks, where she candidly speaks on issues of importance and has worked with other equity-focused artists such as Tiffany Haddish.
Sources: Vulture, Wikipedia Photo credit: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Mayan Lopez
Mayan Lopez attends City Year Los Angeles’ Spring Break: Destination Education
During the 2020 pandemic, Mayan Lopez took to TikTok in an attempt to discuss an often-taboo topic in the Hispanic and Latinx community, the effect the absence of a father can have on children.
Mainly using comedy, Lopez began to use the social media platform to talk about her own experiences with her father, comedian and actor, George Lopez, and documented the reconciliation that took place between the two during the pandemic.
With Lopez’s content gaining millions upon millions of views across her videos, the experience landed the father-daughter duo a new television comedy show, Lopez vs. Lopez, which stars both George and Mayan.
The show, heavily based on the reconciliation between George and Mayan, will attempt to create dialogue about taboo conversations in the Hispanic and Latinx communities and bring the older and younger generations together.
Source: Refinery29 Photo Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for City Year Los Angeles
Xochitl Gonzalez
Xochitl Gonzalez outdoors at photo shoot
If 2022 was the year of any author, it was the year of Xochitl Gonzalez. Though she has worked on numerous writing projects for news outlets and as a screenwriter, Gonzalez didn’t release her first novel until January of last year entitled Olga Dies Dreaming. The fictional story follows Olga, a Puerto Rican wedding planner and her experiences navigating love, life, loss and her Puerto Rican roots in the midst of Hurricane Maria.
The novel was praised for its representation of Puerto Rican people and life, quickly climbing the ranks as a New York Times bestseller by the end of its debut month. The novel additionally received rave reviews from renowned book reviewers at The Washington Post, Jezebel and Kirkus Reviews and won several honorable titles such as the Barnes & Noble Discover Pick, Amazon’s Featured Debut of the Month and an Indie Next Pick.
As the novel continues to gain popularity over a year later, Gonzalez is already hard at work at the story’s Hulu adaptation of the same name. It will star Aubrey Plaza and Ramon Rodriguez, and Gonzalez is a co-executive producer and writer for the television series with a currently unknown release date.
Sources: IMDb, Wikipedia, Book Browse Photo Credit: Mayra Castillo
Juliana Plexxo
Juliana Plexxo attends the opening of “Inftspaces Presents An Immersive Gallery Experience in both the Physical and Metaphysical World” art exhibit
Pulling from her own life experiences and causes that are near to her heart, contemporary artist Juliana Plexxo is using her artistry to spread her messages on an international scale. Growing up in Colombia, Plexxo takes inspiration from the violence that plagued her hometown and ultimately led to the death of her journalist father, Óscar García Calderón when she was a child.
Specializing in a red, white and black color palate, Plexxo’s abstract, geometric painting style has attracted attention from art connoisseurs around the world not only for its unique style, but for its messages in culture, activism and equality. She has had her work displayed in some of the most prestigious galleries in the world such as the Wynwood Art District in Miami, the Taller 46 in Barcelona and the Van Gogh Art Gallery in Spain.
She also specializes in murals and currently has three murals on display in the United States, Ecuador and Spain. In 2022, Plexxo was nominated for the University of Berkley’s “Young Talent of the Year” at the Berkley World Business Analytics Awards, becoming the first Latina under 30 to be nominated.
Sources: BeLatina, Van Gogh Art Gallery Photo Credit: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Just about every career in the STEM field requires some form of university-level education. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to spend every penny you own and then some to pursue your dream job.
Whether it’s through federal funding, non-profit organizations or individual donations, there are tons of scholarship and grant opportunities for students wanting to pursue the world of STEM.
Here are just a few of the scholarships that you can apply for:
The Society of Women Engineers Scholarship
Since World War II, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has been doing all they can to support the needs of women engineers across the country. One of the ways they do this is through the SWE Scholarship Program, which provides varying fund amounts to those identifying as women and studying in undergraduate or graduate programs in the STEM field. While the specific amount you can receive varies, the program gave away over $1,220,000 in scholarships in 2021 alone. All students, from incoming freshman to graduate students, may apply but freshman must fill out a separate application form.
Amount: Varies
Number of Scholarships Given: Varies
Application Dates: Applications usually often in December for upperclassman and the following March for freshman
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronauts Scholarships
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronauts (AAIA) is an organization dedicated to supporting the future generation of people interested in the aerospace field. One of the ways they do this is through their scholarship program, where undergraduates and graduates alike can fill out a single application and be eligible for consideration for up to three scholarships from their program. To apply, you must be at least a sophomore in college and a member of AAIA.
The USDA/1890 National Scholars Program is a partnership between USDA and the 1890 historically Black land-grant colleges and universities. The program provides full tuition, employment, employee benefits, fees, books and room and board each year for up to four years for selected students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, food science, natural resource science or a related academic discipline at one of 19 designated 1890s land-grant colleges and universities. The scholarship may be renewed each year, contingent upon satisfactory academic performance and normal progress toward the bachelor’s degree. Scholars accepted into the program will be eligible for noncompetitive conversion to a permanent appointment with USDA upon successful completion of their degree requirements by the end of the agreement period.
Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART)
In a collaboration with American Society for Engineering Education and the Department of Defense, the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) program is for students wanting to go into engineering, biosciences, chemical engineering, civil engineering, chemistry and cognitive, neural and behavioral sciences. In addition to full tuition coverage, SMART students will receive health insurance, mentoring, internship opportunities and a guaranteed job offer from the Department of Defense. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, be available for summer internships and are expected to accept the job position offered to them upon completing their education.
NOAA Office of Education’s student scholarship programs provide opportunities for undergraduate students to gain hands-on experience while pursuing research and educational training in NOAA-mission sciences. The Hollings and EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship share a common application and students who are eligible for both programs are encouraged to apply to both. To be eligible, you must be a sophomore at a four-year university program, a junior at a five-year university program or a community college student transferring to a university.
Amount: $9,500 per academic year plus paid summer internship opportunities
Number of Scholarships Given: Varies
Application Dates: Opens October 2022/Closes January 2023
Recognizing that financial aid alone cannot increase retention and graduation in STEM, the National Science Foundation (NSF) founded the S-STEM Program, a fund that provides awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs) to fund scholarships and to adapt, implement and study evidence-based curricular and co-curricular activities that have been shown to be effective in supporting recruitment, retention, transfer (if appropriate), student success, academic/career pathways and graduation in STEM. While most of the students who receive this award are studying an area of the STEM field, proposals can be made for funds to be given to students who meet the same qualifications, but are studying a high-demand industry. The amounts distributed depend on the institution.
Not every actor can play a lawyer, cop and galactic senator, but Puerto Rican actor Jimmy Smits has slipped seamlessly into each role. “If you want a long career, it seems to me the more versatility you show as an actor, the better chance you have,” Smits said in a recent phone interview with Hispanic Network Magazine.
And a long and illustrious career he has.
Smits has made a name for himself in television, film and even on stage. He is a pioneer of the police procedural television series, among the first Hispanic actors to have a large role within the Star Wars franchise and enjoyed stints with New York’s Shakespeare Festival. In terms of versatility, Smits is practically a Swiss Army knife.
The award-winning performer credits part of his success to the casts and crews he has worked with.
“I would venture to say all of the shows that have been successful and satisfying in a professional way, whether it be “The West Wing” or “Sons of Anarchy,” have been because of the sense of ensemble,” Smits said. “A group of people getting together, there is a fellowship and camaraderie that is palpable on the screen.”
Smits has likened a cast of actors to the spokes of a wheel when it comes to storytelling, all working together to push a story forward. The importance of community was learned early and it is a theme that has continued throughout his life, both on and off screen.
The ‘Law’ Changed His Life
Born in Brooklyn in 1955 to Cornelis and Emilina Smits, Smits grew up in a working-class neighborhood after briefly living in Puerto Rico. He attended Brooklyn College where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1980 and earned his MFA at Cornell University in 1982.
Actors Angela Bassett and Jimmy Smits speak onstage during Broadcast Television Journalists Association’s third annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images for CCTA)But the stage was where Smits felt most at home. “I was doing theater in New York and I was doing soap opera work to support myself while I was doing plays,” said Smits. “”L.A. Law” brought me to Los Angeles and changed my life in a lot of ways.”
In 1986, Smits landed his first regular role on Steven Bochco‘s NBC legal drama, “L.A. Law,” as Victor Sifuentes. While he earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1990 for the role, Smits again credits the cast and crew as a whole.
“The good thing that I remember about that show is the fellowship, the ensemble was really tight,” Smits said. “We knew that the show was ground breaking in a lot of ways, and Steven Bochco had a lot to do with that.”
Smits said his heritage played a part in his role as Sifuentes, but it was important to Bochco that the character develop in a way that was authentic, rather than making him a caricature.
“On that particular show, with Steven, it was important to him to establish that character first and foremost as a good attorney,” Smits said. “The fact that he was Hispanic, Latinx, Chicano —those other things would come into play, but first and foremost was to establish him as a good attorney. That stands out to me.” Smits’ role on “L.A. Law” lead to another television role on ABC’s “NYPD Blue” as Detective Bobby Simone, and he was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama in 1995, as well as a Satellite Award in the same category in 1998.
L-R: Guest star Jimmy Smits and Andy Samberg in the Mr. Santiago episode of BROOKLYN NINE-NINE on FOX.(Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty Images) He went on to play Congressman Matt Santos in NBC television drama, “The West Wing.” Smits said he recently stumbled across a West Wing marathon on TV and was struck by the storytelling.
“I don’t do this very often, but I started watching it and it happened to be the last couple episodes of the show,” Smits said. “I was so appreciative of the fact that I had that opportunity and that John Wells wanted to explore something in terms of a person of color in the political arena.”
Diversity in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Stories centered around people of color — and who gets to tell them — is something Hollywood has been grappling with in recent years, and Smits says he’s noticed a shift in the entertainment industry.
“The flourishing of the #MeToo movement and the BLM movement that happened and the pandemic, it left us assessing a lot of social norms and inequities in a different way, I think,” said Smits. “We felt vulnerable.”
He believes those movements created a change in the way the industry thinks about inclusion.
“It opened another door for more opportunities,” he said. “In regards to the Latinx community, we’ve had big jumps because of that, but I still feel that there is a disparity in regards to what our population numbers are in this country.”
Smits has always worked to create more equity within the industry and is proud to bring representation to the big and small screen.
In 2002, he played Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan in “Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones,” one of the first Latinx actors to enter the galaxy far, far away. It is a role he reprised for “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” in 2005, “Rogue One” in 2016, and most recently in 2022 for “Obi-Wan Kenobi.“ Smits said the possibility of bringing diversity to the Star Wars franchise influenced his decision to take the role.
Jimmy Smits and US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis speak at the 13th Annual National Hispanic Foundation For The Arts (NHFA) in Washington, DC. (Photo by Abby Brack/Getty Images)“It definitely was in the mix in terms of making the decision to do it, not only on my part but on George’s [Lucas’] part when we had our initial conversations,” Smits recalls.
Today’s Star Wars franchise is notably more diverse than when Smits first became involved.
“That has changed with this franchise a lot,” he said. “In a good way.”
Moving the Needle Forward
Smits himself has also worked to create more equity in the industry. In 1997, he was involved in the founding of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts — an organization dedicated to the advancement of Latinos in the media, telecommunications and entertainment industries.
“We are making a lot of progress, but of course I want our community to be able to reach its full potential,” Smits said. “Those kinds of steps and the progress that we have made has always been to me, incremental.”
Smits said in each decade, you can name five or six Latinos who’ve made an impact, but the ones he credits with doing the most to move the needle is Latin women.
“When I look to my sisters in the Latinx community, there is no greater example in our community,” Smits said. “J.Lo, Eva Longoria, Sofia Vergara…I can give you 10 names of woman that are really making a wonderful path.”
Smits said he also applauds their leadership behind the scenes.
“They are not content with just being in front of the camera, but they have taken on this other aspect of creating content,” Smits said. “That is a really an important notch in terms of taking our community to the next level.”
Smits says he hopes to continue his work pushing for representation.
In his most recent role, Smits has gone home again, so to speak. He’s returned to a police drama role, starring as Chief John Suarez in his new CBS series “East New York,” which is set in his hometown of Brooklyn. William Finkelstein, who served as an executive producer on “NYPD Blue” in the later seasons, is co-creator of” East New York.”
“I am excited about continuing with them,” Smits said.
He is even more excited about seeing what kind of impact his next character will have, and continuing his long career.
“I had the good fortune and the blessing to be lucky in terms of the roles I have gotten to do and hopefully, I have been able to expand that platform.”
