2015-09-11



PUERTO RICO, PR and NEW YORK, NY – September 11, 2015 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) – Although the history of Puerto Ricans in the United States spans over 100 years, the recent influx to the U.S. has made the voices of U.S. Puerto Ricans, old and new, increasingly visible. Today, Puerto Ricans in the US outnumber Puerto Ricans living on the island, and this trend is unlikely to slow down any time soon. The urge to share the stories of those that have settled in various states of the US is stronger than ever. Puerto Rican Voices, a new joint venture between the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, CUNY, and WIPR-TV in Puerto Rico, will do just that, highlighting the contributions of Puerto Ricans across the United States, including some of our most vibrant neighborhoods in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Hartford, Orlando, and Miami among many others.

The TV show will span over two seasons and will comprise twenty episodes featuring cultural, historical, and current topics. The show will be totally bilingual (English and Spanish) to reach a wide audience. The first episode will premiere on September 13th, 2015 at 5:30 and 10:30 PM. It will feature Brooklyn’s iconic community human rights and youth development institution, El Puente; Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Famer and Con Salsa Host, José Massó; and the once New York but now National Coquito Masters. Viewers will get a taste of the breadth and long-standing impact of Puerto Rican voices in the United States.

Centro’s director, Dr. Edwin Meléndez, shared the impetus for the show, “Puerto Rican Voices does not only showcase the many voices that make up the long history of Puerto Ricans in the United States, its production is an example of that long history—one of culture, community engagement, and deep collaboration. With Puerto Rican Voices, we take a step towards strengthening the ties amongst Puerto Ricans, the ones that are here and the ones that are there. At Centro we commit to providing a wide and inclusive perspective on the diversity and richness of the historical and contemporary reality of the Puerto Rican community in the United States. Puerto Rican Voices stands true to that commitment.”

This partnership advances Centro’s mission to preserve, understand and share the Puerto Rican experience in the U.S.

Viewers in Puerto Rico can catch the first episode on WIPR 6.1 and WIPM 3.1. Viewers in the United States and elsewhere will be able to stream the program starting Sunday at 5:30 PM at the Centro Voices Site. You can check out the trailer for Season 1 here and the trailer for the first episode here.

For additional information: you can check out this page and follow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/centropr.

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