Director's Corner
My appointment as Centro Director in September of 2008 set in motion a process of great change in the organization. In consultation with a wide group of stakeholders, we redefined the organization's vision, evaluated ongoing programs and practices, and forged new strategies to carry out our time-honored mission.
We began with a dialogue among Centro stakeholders on an essay the staff had produced entitled "In Pursuit of Puerto Rican Studies." (The text and Power Point presentation and a feedback sheet are posted in this section of our web site, and I’d be pleased if you’d let me know your reactions to the ideas presented.) We also conducted a series of interviews with individuals, targeted group meetings, and public activities during which we were able to gauge how all interested parties appraised the extent to which Centro fulfills its mission.

During that first year, with the input of so many, we developed a strategic plan outlining our new direction. The draft of the plan was presented to the community advisory board for discussion and then approved by Hunter College President Jennifer Raab and Provost Vita Rabinowitz.

Many agreed that the key functions of Centro were supporting research, particularly among Hunter and CUNY faculty, and collecting and curating materials documenting the history and culture of mainland Puerto Ricans. Based on all the input, Centro has devised these general recommendations:

• Expanding research activities and linking them more to policy processes and the community.
• Linking Centro to the university, most critically to core education functions.
• Providing more data and information on critical issues affecting the community.
• Increasing transparency and accountability to the college and community.
• Expanding vehicles for dissemination of information, particularly the use of the web.

The recommendations were discussed by full-time staff, which collectively agreed on implementing these goals to:

1. Strengthen and establish partnerships with Puerto Rican scholars and community leaders to provide a formal mechanism for active participation in a common agenda, especially through establishing working groups and promoting joint projects. One of our first responses was to organize an advisory board of community leaders, academics, and other stakeholders. Their responsibilities include reviewing and advising on the implementation of goals, promoting financial contributions and archival donations, volunteering in Centro and community activities.

2. Establish a working group to the Centro Library & Archives to provide a consultative agent that will support the unit’s goals. We have already constituted an initial group of historians to assist us in numerous tasks: mapping our strengths and gaps in the archival collection; promoting the collection for research; assisting with the digitization of invaluable informational resources; providing global access to our collection on the web; marketing the by-products of the depository studies and analysis to Hunter College, CUNY, New York City, and the nation.

3. Establish effective partnerships with Puerto Rican studies programs throughout CUNY to support the development of a common intellectual agenda. This involves the inclusion of CUNY-affiliated faculty from Puerto Rican studies programs in Centro activities and expanding the role of the Editorial Board of CENTRO journal.

4. Develop a strategic plan for 2009-2014, including the celebration of Centro’s 40th anniversary. The 40th Anniversary will include a series of activities encompassing all aspects of our programs and events.

These general goals reflect a partnership approach to the restructuring of Centro. After one year of implementation, we are confident that the broad consultative process was greatly successful. Some of the most important ongoing projects illustrating the new outreach strategy include:

• Conducting a “search” conference in the spring of 2009 to establish a research agenda relevant to a broad range of stakeholders. Our research agenda focused on public policy to promote the understanding of the social conditions of stateside Puerto Ricans and thus influence the processes and institutions that affect the welfare of our population.

• Sponsoring Puerto Rican History Month (high school, college) to expand the visibility of our library and archives, promote its use for scholarship, and to familiarize the community with the collections.

• Expanding the collection of documents, photos, and other archival resources, promoting its use for creating academic and educational products and as a resource for the general community, and implementing two complementary programs or series.

• The Legacy Series: Those Who Made a Difference focuses on notable Puerto Rican pioneros, or pioneers. In this series, individuals and/or members of organizations and institutions whose involvement in public services, health and welfare, government and politics, education, culture and the arts led to the formation of today’s Puerto Rican communities are brought together to engage in videotaped conversations with the general public.

• The Barrios Series focuses on the neighborhoods that are home to most mainland Puerto Ricans, as seen through the eyes of historians, artists, social scientists and other researchers. The series investigates the history of the barrios, from their 19th century beginnings. The series concerns itself with architecture, commerce, community-based organizations, and the incorporation of Puerto Ricans in each community. Opening the series in 2009 was a celebration of Loisaida (Lower East Side).

• Revamping the web site, a fundamental step towards positioning Centro as a hub of interaction with the broad Puerto Rican studies community and other scholars who we have designated as our audience, and actively seek to reach with our programs.

• Voices; a new electronic magazine, is at the core of revamping our web site and encouraging the use of new media. Centro Voices will serve as a hub for the intellectual interaction of Puerto Rican scholars and as a gateway to the broader community. The electronic magazine will be devoted to Puerto Rican studies and the multiplicity of voices, opinions and ideas.

The goals and new initiatives articulated in this page represent only a few of our significant changes. A more detailed plan with strategic goals and implementation strategies is posted elsewhere on our website. We look forward to your continued interest and input for Centro in the years to come.
Personally, joining Centro allows me the opportunity to continue my research on the Puerto Rican experience, and to place such experience in a broader context of economic and relate the research to the social forces affecting Latinos and other racial and ethnic groups.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the community leaders and Centro supporters, and all the faculty, students, staff, and university and college leadership that have supported our organization’s activities and initiatives. Unquestionably, I have and will continue to benefit from the daily interactions with such a well-seasoned staff and the support of a committed college leadership and the community as a whole. You have made me feel welcome and have eased the transition to a new organizational agenda and leadership.

As renowned writer and political commentator Garrison Keillor would say on his radio show, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch!

Edwin Meléndez
Director, Center for Puerto Rican Studies
Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning
695 Park Avenue, Room E-1409
New York, NY 10065
Voice: 212-772-5695
Main: 212-772-5688
Fax: 212-650-3673
edwin.melendez@hunter.cuny.edu