CENTRO Out Loud

with Imaida Duran Mariñez and Yafrainy Familia While many Puerto Ricans migrated to New York in the mid-20th century for better work opportunities, Ada did so to escape her abusive husband. After separating from him and supporting her family as a single mother, she eventually returned home to be with her community. Upon their arrival, they encountered multiple challenges and gained a new perspective that made them question their return home. This is episode five of CENTRO Out Loud: The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada, a new podcast illuminating often forgotten histories, curating stories from our archives and bringing them to the public. From the stacks to the streets! Founded in 1973 by a coalition of students, faculty, and activists, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. Learn more at centropr.hunter.cuny.edu Follow us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | TikTok | YouTube Support our work by donating today ! The first season of CENTRO Out Loud, “The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada,” was made possible with support from the Diaspora Solidarities Lab Projects, the Mellon Foundation Higher Learning Projects, Michigan State University, Johns Hopkins University, Hunter College at CUNY, and The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, with special thanks to the Espada Family for their support.

with Nicole Hernandez, Jaden Morales, and Melly Gonzalez Have you ever yearned for a distant ancestral homeland? That is the experience of Solomon, whose parents were 2 of the nearly 6,000 laborers who migrated to Hawaii after Huracán San Ciriaco in 1899. Nearly half of the first migrants headed for Hawaii never made it. Those who survived faced exploitative work conditions, familial separation, and several other injustices perpetuated by U.S. Sugarcane Corporations. On these plantations, Puerto Ricans encountered division from other migrant workers from across the world. Despite these experiences, they built community and created a new musical genre that still tells their story today. This is episode four of CENTRO Out Loud: The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada, a new podcast illuminating often forgotten histories, curating stories from our archives and bringing them to the public. From the stacks to the streets! Founded in 1973 by a coalition of students, faculty, and activists, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. Learn more at centropr.hunter.cuny.edu Follow us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | TikTok | YouTube Support our work by donating today ! The first season of CENTRO Out Loud, “The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada,” was made possible with support from the Diaspora Solidarities Lab Projects, the Mellon Foundation Higher Learning Projects, Michigan State University, Johns Hopkins University, Hunter College at CUNY, and The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, with special thanks to the Espada Family for their support.

with Ariana Costales del Toro and Olivia Ramirez Where the healthcare industrial complex failed, El Centro Lazaro in Hartford, CT arose as a sanctuary for therapy, wellness, and healing for the local Puerto Rican community. In this episode, we hear from Marta who opened the center on Park St in the 80s as a place prioritizing espiritismo, bodily autonomy, and community care during ongoing health care crises facing Puerto Rican women. This is episode three of CENTRO Out Loud: The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada, a new podcast illuminating often forgotten histories, curating stories from our archives and bringing them to the public. From the stacks to the streets! Founded in 1973 by a coalition of students, faculty, and activists, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. Learn more at centropr.hunter.cuny.edu Follow us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | TikTok | YouTube Support our work by donating today ! The first season of CENTRO Out Loud, “The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada,” was made possible with support from the Diaspora Solidarities Lab Projects, the Mellon Foundation Higher Learning Projects, Michigan State University, Johns Hopkins University, Hunter College at CUNY, and The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, with special thanks to the Espada Family for their support.

with Yuleysy Ortiz and Alana Cordero-Montesinos Less than 40 miles away from El Centro de Oro in Philadelphia is a town with a deep and fraught history for Puerto Rican migrants & undocumented workers: Kennett Square…aka The Mushroom Capital of the World. In this episode, we hear the gripping testimony of Margarita who reflected on her experience waking at 3am each night to help her husband fill his quota as a mushroom worker facing appalling conditions during the growing season. This is episode two of CENTRO Out Loud: The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada, a new podcast illuminating often forgotten histories, curating stories from our archives and bringing them to the public. From the stacks to the streets! Founded in 1973 by a coalition of students, faculty, and activists, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. Learn more at centropr.hunter.cuny.edu Follow us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | TikTok | YouTube Support our work by donating today ! The first season of CENTRO Out Loud, “The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada,” was made possible with support from the Diaspora Solidarities Lab Projects, the Mellon Foundation Higher Learning Projects, Michigan State University, Johns Hopkins University, Hunter College at CUNY, and The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, with special thanks to the Espada Family for their support.

with Dr. Yomaira Figuera-Vásquez, Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies and Alana Casanova-Burgess of La Brega “Nobody wants to see pictures of Puerto Ricans.” This is what photographer, activist, and teacher Frank Espada was told. However, this dismissal served as a catalyst for his federally funded project titled Documenting the Puerto Rican Diaspora . In addition to over 4,000 photos he took traveling across the country, Frank also conducted interviews with over 130 members of the communities he visited. In this episode Dr. Yomaira Figueroa-Vásquez, Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, and Alana Casanova-Burgess of La Brega discuss Frank’s legacy and the impact of the interviews he preserved and left for us to learn from. This is episode one of CENTRO Out Loud: The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada, a new podcast illuminating often forgotten histories, curating stories from our archives and bringing them to the public. From the stacks to the streets! Founded in 1973 by a coalition of students, faculty, and activists, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. Learn more at centropr.hunter.cuny.edu Follow us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | TikTok | YouTube Support our work by donating today ! The first season of CENTRO Out Loud, “The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada,” was made possible with support from the Diaspora Solidarities Lab Projects, the Mellon Foundation Higher Learning Projects, Michigan State University, Johns Hopkins University, Hunter College at CUNY, and The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, with special thanks to the Espada Family for their support.