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From Puerto Rican Cultural Center & Programs
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37th Puerto Rican Peoples Parade:
Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Steel Flags, the Baseball Leagues and Cocineros Unidos de Humboldt Park
By Erika Abad, Puerto Rican Cultural Center
 Saturday's heat and mugginess did not keep Puerto Ricans from standing in line to show their support. As early as 11:30 AM, despite the parade starting at 2 PM, residents and other Puerto Ricans were setting out their lawn chairs and coolers to get front row seating for the parade. By the time the parade would start at 2:10, from storefront to gate Puerto Ricans, Latinos and community residents stood watching floats from community organizations like the Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center, AfriCaribe and ASPIRA to political contingents like 1st ward alderman, Joe Moreno, 26th ward Alderman, Roberto Maldonado, and the National Boricua Human Rights Network- Chicago chapter. Toddlers walked hand in hand with their parents or, from their strollers perched on floats, watched the crowd cheer them on. When a Pedro Albizu Campos High School alum stood on a float in the middle of California and Division Street's intersection to sing "Despierta Boricua," the crowd either stood silent or joined in, many with fists raised in the air.
 The Parade this year was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the erection of the amazing Paseo Boricua Flags- the world's largest monuments the Puerto Rican flags- as well as the big and minor Baseball Leagues of Humboldt Park and Cocineros Unidos (United Cooks) of Humboldt Park.
Puerto Ricans in Humboldt Park continue to rally to demonstrate the significance of Humboldt Park to their sense of culture, history and politics. Congested gatherings like the 37th People's Parade on Division show us that no matter where we go, where or how we live, Humboldt Park and Paseo Boricua are still Boricuas' pedacito de patria away from la isla.
1995. First time I participated in Chicago's downtown Puerto Rican Parade, pushing my cousin's youngest daughter in a stroller. Also the year Chicago placed two Puerto Rican flags of steel in the ground of the mile-strip between Western and California known now as Paseo Boricua. Talking about 1995 frames the parade that took place on the Saturday before 2015's Father's Day because of what has changed and what, despite those changes remain the same.
Puerto Rican pride was not the only sentiment waving through the air, though, as the sight of rainbow flags demonstrate. Whether on LGBT-centered initiatives' floats like El Rescate and Vida SIDA or in the crowd, queer, trans and LGBT Puerto Ricans were waving both flags during the parade. Youth spearheaded that visibility, paving the way for the growth of Chicago's Puerto Rican community to serve the ever-increasing diversity of their community.
View the collaborative Flickr set here.
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37th Puerto Rican Peoples Parade
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El Conuco Farmer's Market Off to Healthy Start
By Erika Abad, Puerto Rican Cultural Center
 On Sunday, June 21st, PRCC held its first Farmer's Market of the season. Given that it was the first of the season, not much success was expected. We started out small given that little publicity had been possible. Luckily, Father's Day and the great weather and we made a small profit on that first day. A local musical performance drew neighbors who engaged with management about our goals; they were invited to participate if they had food to sell/donate.
Staff handed out fliers to passersby in cars as well. In that way, the sample sofrito jars made were all sold to one person. Within an hour, those who had preordered arrived and pre-requested sofrito--the day ended with over 20 pre-ordered Sofrito jars, a promising start for next Sunday. New residents who explored the neighborhood were excited about the possibility of a farmer's market down their house. Those on their way to the gym appreciated the proximity of locally grown food so close to home.
Many Puerto Ricans here have a grandparent or another ancestor work land. The jibarito songs from earlier generations stress the significance of harvesting food to feed families.
DSBDA is working with local growers so our market could supply all varieties of fruits and vegetables. This is the year we want to make the Farmer's Market self-sustaining, as we expand the variety of food we provide as well as the critical lessons of growing our culturally specific foods for ourselves.
Join us next week as local artists display their work while we sell in season locally grown, all natural food.
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Alderman Maldonado Announces:
Paseo Boricua to Welcome Permanent Installations of Flags of Latin America
By Michael Emmer, PRCC
During a press conference on Friday, June 19th, 2015, Alderman Roberto Maldonado announced a new initiative on Paseo Boricua which would include the placement, along the strip on Division between Western and Mozart, of the flags of Latin America.
Alderman Maldonado highlighted the fact that since the 37th annual People's Parade was dedicated to the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Installation of the Flags of Steel, which now demarcate the commercially and culturally vibrant Puerto Rican focused Paseo Boricua, it was most appropriate that he would make this announcement to coincide with this occasion.
A banner which read, "Paseo Boricua Welcomes the Flags of Latin America", served as the backdrop for the press conference at Nellies restaurant. Consul generals of several countries of Latin America were present including those of Venezuela, Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Also in attendance were a group of students from Chicago's Urban Life Center. At the press conference as well, José E. Lopez, executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center presented this year's Puerto Rican People's Day Parade Grand Marshals. He pointed out that the selection of these Grand Marshals was different than previous years because the 2015 Grand Marshals were three community organizations, rather than individuals: the United Leagues of Humboldt Park, the Roberto Clemente Little Leagues and the Cocineros Unidos de Humboldt Park. Mike "Mikey" Sanchez represented the United Leagues of Humboldt Park, Eliud Medina Jr. represented the Roberto Clemente Minor Leagues of Humboldt Park, Jesus "Jessie" Sierra and Juan Sanchez represented the Cocineros Unidos. The press conference received widespread coverage in Chicago's media including Univision, Telemundo, NBC, WBEZ, Hoy Newspaper, Extra Newspaper, as well as various social medias.
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Vida/SIDA and City of Chicago Collaboration Testing Collaboration
By Ricardo Jiménez, VidaSIDA
During the month of June 5 to July 5, 2015, Vida/SIDA will partake in a City of Chicago Collaboration for testing 5,000 person during the mentioned time. During June, tell friends, family and other to Get Tested.... Know your Status. All VidaSIDA satellite locations will be participating in this endeavor.
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Health Education at the
Diabetes Empowerment Center Every Wednesday!
By Leony Calderón
Health Education Every Wednesday, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm.
Manage, Control and Prevent Diabetes. Ask Doctors, Residents, Nutritionist, Pharmacist and Dietitian Your Pressing Health Questions.
Weekly Topics
- * Diabetes 101
- * Medication Education
- * Nutrition Class
- * Intro to Diabetes & How the Body Works
- * Protecting Your Eyes
- * Protecting Your Feet
- * Oral Health
- * Using The Glucose Meter & Meds
- * Heart Health Education
- * Physical Activity and Diabetes
Diabetes Empowerment Center, 2753 W. Division St. 773-342-0855
Free and Bilingual.
Educación de Salud todos los Miércoles de 12:00pm a 1:00pm
Manege, Controle y Prevenga la Diabetes. Haga Preguntas a los Médicos, Residentes, Nutricionistas, Farmacéuticos y Dietista Acerca de Su de Salud.
Temas Semanales
- * Diabetes 101
- * Educación Medicamentos
- * Clase de Nutrición
- * Introducción a la Diabetes y Cómo funciona el cuerpo
- * Proteja sus ojos
- * La protección de sus pies
- * Salud Oral
- * Uso del medidor de glucosa y Medicamentos
- * Educación para la Salud del Corazón
- * Actividad física y la diabetes
Gratuito y Bilingüe.
Centro de Empoderamiento Contra la Diabetes, 2753 W. Division St. 773-342-0855
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 November Chicago Magazine "Why José López Stands Between Gentrification and Humboldt Park"
Be sure to pick up the November issue of Chicago Magazine, which features an interview by Puerto Rican Cultural Center ED José E. López conducted by Elly Fishman.
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Bunkr is a fully web-based presentation site. Make presentations the same as you would on PowerPoint or Keynote, but add all sorts of elements - like videos, articles, social media posts, or you can even code something yourself - and it'll show up in your deck.
This has all kinds of cool applications. For example, if you're presenting something that changes over time, like a GitHub repo or Twitter feed, you won't need to update the deck to keep it current. You can even sync Bunkr with slide decks on other services, like
SlideBean.
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From Our Community Partners
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Residents: New Logan Square development is "Transit-Oriented Displacement"
Hundreds of new luxury apartments are coming to Logan Square, a neighborhood where both longtime residents and newcomers are already struggling with housing stability. Residents say that two proposed developments will drive up rent and create thousands more homeless families.
What: In a press conference to launch a new campaign for "Development Without Displacement," community residents and prominent leaders will gather at the construction site of a proposed 120-unit luxury apartment complex.
Residents will hang banners and posters proclaiming that "Logan Square is a community -- not a Property Market." They will voice their concerns over the lack of affordable housing in the new developments, and the displacement of longtime residents.
When & Where: 6pm Wednesday, June 24th, 2015 at 2211 N Milwaukee Ave.
Why: In the new developments slated for 2211 and 2293 N. Milwaukee, rent will be as high as $3,200 a month. The developers of both sites -- Property Markets Group (PMG) and Robert Buono -- are not creating enough affordable units in these new buildings. Residents are asking them to change course.
How: By signing a community benefits agreement, Buono and PMG could dramatically increase the amount and depth of affordable housing in their projects. As of 2014, PMG had assets valued at $6 billion in New York and Miami alone. Clearly, the company can do more to preserve Logan Square's diversity.
Who: Families who have experienced displacement will share the results they've seen from new developments such as these. Speakers will include longtime residents Joe Kopera, Lynda Lopez, Narciso Padillo, and Jesse Mumm. Members of We Are/ Somos Logan Square, other residents, and representatives from local businesses and churches will also be present.
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Thank You for Your Support!
Dear Friends,
 For the past 43 years Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School has served as a beacon of hope and possibilities for the diverse communities in the Greater Humboldt Park Community of Chicago. This small, alternative school has truly become what Latin American educational philosopher Paulo Freire called " a critical space for the development of cultural workers" where students are encouraged to engage with the issues of the day, particularly the generative themes of their own lives and the experiences of their community.
Though the school has faced many challenges it has become a sound academic institution serving 180 students a year, graduating 95% of its seniors and ranked as a 1+ school, the highest tier on the CPS school rankings. Our school offers an Urban Agriculture program with three different community gardens and a beautiful green house. Young mothers have an opportunity to finish their high school diploma through the Family Learning Center, which offers their children on-site pre-school services. When students enroll, the school provides them with a counselor to help ease their transition and prepares them for their post-secondary lives.
Recently, steep budget cuts have jeopardized the fiscal future of the school. The School has not been able to find sufficient revenue to meet these gaps. We will need to address a $130,000 shortfall by June 1, or we will be forced to cut services.
Please help by sending your contributions by mail: 2739 West Division Street Chicago IL 60622
or Click here and go to our web site Donate Button.
Thank you in advance for making a donation to our remarkable school and supporting its future.
All donations are tax deductible.
Please send your contributions by mail to:
Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos H.S.
2739 West Division Street Chicago IL 60622
or
Click here and go to our web site Donate Button.
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The Campaign to Free Oscar López Rivera has
its own e-newsletter- The Water's Edge/La Orilla del Mar
Published every two weeks- next issue will be published 4-20-2015
View past issues here.
WRITE TO OSCAR LOPEZ, #87651-024
FCI Terre Haute, PO Box 33
Terre Haute, IN, 47808
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STAY CONNECTED  
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