PEP, January 2006: Puerto Rican Heritage Week

The folkloric troupe Plena Luna provided the sounds of Puerto Rico’s traditional music asDC 37 launched its annual celebration of Puerto Rican Heritage Week from Nov. 14-19 at council headquarters.

The week’s activities included a lively forum where the threat to public access television under proposed federal legislation was discussed.

“This is an important issue because it affects the ability of our communities to get their concerns on the air and our ability to express more than just the mainstream point of view,” said Santos Crespo, chair of the DC 37 Latino Heritage Committee and vice president of Local 372.

Members acknowledged
Crespo decried the general curtailment of civil liberties across the nation under the Bush administration. “The decrease in civil liberties is especially threatening to immigrants, minorities and dissenting points of view,” he said, “and we know from history that the labor movement is often among those dissenting from the mainstream.”

He also spoke about what he called the “FBI assassination” of fugitive independentista leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios. Ojeda Ríos, wanted in a 1983 armored car robbery, was shot Sept. 23, 2005, when FBI agents surrounded his house in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico.

The committee acknowledged the years of hard work by committee members José Sierra, Blue Color Division director, Mickey Toledo, of the DC 37 Health and Security Plan, Council Rep David Catala and Wiandy Santiago from the Executive Office. “These members have given of their time throughout the years to make this week a special event at DC 37,” said Crespo.

The week of celebration came to a close with a big bang provided by the salsa sounds of the Frankie Morales Orchestra and a keynote speech given by Edgar DeJesus from AFSCME, DC 37’s parent union.
He said that when AFSCME began organizing public employees on Puerto Rico in 1994, DC 37 was “the first to step up and take responsibility and pitch in.” He cited the contributions of Shirley Aldeból, Mariana Miranda, Frank Maldonado, José Cruz, Crespo and many other DC 37 activists. He spoke about the successful island-wide organizing drive at the Puerto Rico Dept. of Corrections. He said that in the ongoing organizing effort, “your union will need your help again.”