Office of Institutional Safety & Equity (OISE) |
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In the August issue of our Diversity Awareness Calendar and Newsletter, we shared OISE's vision for this academic year and our intention to lean into opportunities to empower our community, increase intercultural awareness, and develop a culture of shared accountability. We have made great strides in the 2020-2021 Academic Year to reset our campus climate. Our PAFA-We Hear You! campaign has communicated this progress to our community. But we aspire to do more -- more for our students, more for our staff and faculty, more for our community. We can actualize our shared vision by foregrounding social justice in our institutional work.
Over the past year we have been thinking through what social justice means and who it services. Social justice is wider than the racial element. However, we cannot address broader social disparities without first confronting the racialized dynamics that frame our social interactions. Many of us experienced the flooding, internet disruptions, and mobility limitations caused by Hurricane Ida today. Even within this particular experience, Hurricane Ida raises interanimating concerns around digital disparities, economic inequalities, and accessibility, just to name a few. The direct cause might be environmental but the impact of structural inequities affect all aspects of our social fabric. For those of us who remember the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina know extremely well that social justice issues cut across racial, economic, geographic, ability, gender, health, accessibility, religion, and sustainability, and deal with our deepest insecurities around food, housing, employment, finances, health, climate change, and identity. This is why our focus on social justice includes all social arenas and dynamics.
Knowing this, we embrace moments to celebrate communities, learn from and about one another, and reflect on the lessons learned from our shared experiences. It is no mere coincidence that the new academic year occurs in the same month that we celebrate two important holidays on the Jewish calendar: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We encourage you to support PAFA's Jewish community by learning more about religious obligations, dietary restrictions, and the significance of these two High Holy Days.
We will continue to work together to find new ways to turn the bustling energy of this new academic year into civic and social engagement and offer co-curricular programming that moves our impact beyond PAFA's walls. This is a month of new beginnings -- strong start, strong finish. Here's to a glorious academic year!
-- Dr. Ronke Oke
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
Deputy Title IX Coordinator
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Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the contributions and importance of Hispanics and Latinos/as/x to the United States and those American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
The Hispanic Heritage observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.
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2021 Hispanic Heritage Month Theme:
Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope
“The 2021 Hispanic Heritage Month theme invites us to celebrate Hispanic Heritage and to reflect on how great our tomorrow can be if we hold onto our resilience and hope. It also encourages us to reflect on all the contributions Hispanics have made in the past and will continue to make in the future. By being resilient and holding on to hope, our Hispanic ancestors were successful in achieving their goals and bringing major contributions to our nation. In the poster, the year 2021 is the boundary that leaves behind the challenges that Hispanics had to face – PAST – and also builds on their successes for new generations to continue being resilient and look with optimism towards the – FUTURE.
The larger size of those who came before us (figures in the bottom section of the poster) symbolizes their legacy and our admiration for them. From our very own ancestors, to artists, doctors, authors, teachers, and engineers, among many others, these Hispanic heroes are all looking out towards the future within the poster, in hopes of a better tomorrow. They are a constant reminder that no matter what obstacles we face, we must always keep our eyes on the horizon to keep moving forward, just as they did. The top section of the poster (FUTURE), represents an ascending path to signify the effort needed to fuel our resilience. Though our path may be very different than those that came before us, and though it will not be one straight line, we can overcome anything by holding on to hope (Esperanza). The year 2021 in particular, faces the unique challenge of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic together, even while at a distance. Through times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, we are all stronger together.”
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Ms. Eliana De León
Hispanic Employment Program Manager at the Environmental Protection Agency
Hispanic Heritage Month Poster Winner
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"AL DÍA is a multi-platform News Media organization focused on documenting through excellence in American Journalism the best of the Latino experience in the United States.
AL DÍA offers readers a unique perspective in the midst of the cluttered media landscape and stereotypical representation of Americans of Latino descent. It publishes a unique news website available in English and Spanish, a trend-setting dual language magazine, and ground-breaking English-language events on Business, Politics and Culture, among other ambitious content initiatives." -- AL DÍA
The latest issue of AL DÍA celebrates 40 "diverse young professionals in the city of Philadelphia who are doing impactful work in their respective industries."
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Who is Hispanic?
Debates over who is Hispanic and who is not have fueled conversations about identity among Americans who trace their heritage to Latin America or Spain. The question surfaced during U.S. presidential debates and the confirmation of Sonia...
Read more
www.pewresearch.org
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'Mestizo' and 'mulatto': Mixed-race identities among...
For many Americans, the term "mixed race" brings to mind a biracial experience of having one parent black and another white, or perhaps one white and the other Asian. But for many U.S. Latinos, mixed-race identity takes on a different meaning -...
Read more
www.pewresearch.org
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Afro-Latino: A deeply rooted identity among U.S. Hispanics
Identity for U.S. Hispanics is multidimensional and multifaceted. For example, many Hispanics tie their identity to their ancestral countries of origin - Mexico, Cuba, Peru or the Dominican Republic. They may also look to their indigenous roots....
Read more
www.pewresearch.org
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Arepa is a flat, round, unleavened patty of soaked, ground kernels of maize, or—more frequently nowadays—maize meal or maize flour that can be grilled, baked, fried, boiled or steamed, and served with accompaniments or split and made into a sandwich. Arepa originates from the northern region of South America in pre-Columbian times, and is notable primarily in the cuisines of Colombia and Venezuela, but also present in the cuisines of Bolivia and other countries. | Best place for arepas in Philly? Go to Puyero Venezuelan Flavor | 524 S. 4th Street
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Source: Philadelphia Magazine |
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Oloroso is a Tapas and Sherry Bar where the Spanish tradition of vamos el tapeo comes to life in the heart of Philadelphia. Oloroso is currently open for indoor & outdoor dining and takeout | Oloroso | 1121 Walnut Street
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Since the ’90s, Mexicans from Puebla have been making their way to Philly and bringing delicious Pueblan cuisine with them. Mole poblano is the traditional dish of Puebla. When you go we highly recommended purchasing pears from the stand outside of the restaurant. | Mole Polano | 1144 S. 9th Street
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To say that Mi Pueblito is a very popular taco truck is an understatement. Patrons have reported waiting in line for 3 hours to try these legendary tacos. Hands down, their tacos are well worth the wait! | Mi Pueblito located at Front & Dickinson Street | Open Saturdays & Sundays only
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The Oracles' Silence
by Mariá Berrío
"Maria Berrio’s large collaged works—comprised of diversely sourced papers, depict surrealist narratives that blur biographical memory with South American mythology. Her work explores themes such as intercultural connectivity, migration and humankind’s relationship to nature. Populated predominantly by women, Berrio's art often appear to propose spaces of refuge or safety, kaleidoscopic utopias inspired in part by South American folklore, where humans and nature coexist in harmony. To these apparently idealised scenes, Berrio brings to light the hard realities of the current political climate in America...." | Read More
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We challenge you to check PAFA’s Diversity Awareness Calendar monthly and attend monthly OISE sponsored events. The purpose of this calendar is to celebrate and raise awareness of religious obligations, ethnic and cultural festivities, and significant events that may affect students, colleagues, and friends in the PAFA community.
Being an ally for a S.A.F.E. Community at PAFA
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