Center for Puerto Rican Studies Wins NY Emmy Awards for ‘Puerto Rican Voices’ Docuseries
Emmys at the First Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images
The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at Hunter College has won two NY Emmy Awards for the docuseries Puerto Rican Voices. The investigative TV documentary series, which streamed on CUNYTV, won the categories of Documentary – Spanish and Politics/ Government- Spanish.
“It’s the biggest honor to have won these prestigious awards for Puerto Rican Voices for all of CENTRO. This investigative series into Puerto Rican experiences is a shining example of our mission and efforts as an institution. Puerto Rican perspectives deserve to be seen and heard, especially during these times of climate and governmental crisis on the archipelago. I am so thrilled the New York Emmy Awards see the worth and value of these stories and experiences,” said CENTRO Director, Dr. Yomaira Figueroa-Vásquez.
The two episodes that won the NY Emmys are:
- “After the Boats Left” for the category of Documentary – Spanish — Directed by Sonia Fritz, the episode focuses on Elba Dávila, a community leader in Fajardo, who organizes the community of Maternillo to demand better public services for an aging community facing displacement after the Ferry Service to Vieques and Culebra was moved to the town of Ceiba. The community has collapsed without the economic activity provided by the Ferry transit and local fishermen fight to maintain their livelihoods.
- “The Tax Paradise” for the category of Politics/Government – Spanish — Directed by Ana María García, this episode is about how in the last decade, Puerto Rico has become a major destination for Americans seeking to evade federal taxes. Incentives provided by the Puerto Rican government are spurring gentrification and housing insecurity. In communities like Puerta de Tierra, community leaders are challenging not just the new arrivals, but also the local politicians that have betrayed them.
The New York Emmy Awards are a division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences honoring television and media in the tri-state New York-New Jersey-Connecticut and New York State.
“This series of investigative documentaries has allowed CENTRO to produce from a decolonial and collaborative angle that has permitted us to amplify the voices of communities affected by the multiple crises Puerto Ricans are facing,” said the series’ Executive Director, Ángel Antonio Ruiz-Laboy. “These awards belong to them, to the people who denounce and fight against neo-colonial practices every day, and to the directors and local production teams who, in ways that were sensitive to the communities’ demands, helped communicate the reality of what they are experiencing. We sincerely hope that this celebration will help to activate solidarity networks as well as concrete actions in support of their complaints.”
Founded in 1973 by a coalition of students, faculty, and activists, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) is the largest and oldest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States.
To watch all of The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) videos, click here.
