La Mesa Boricua:
Talking Points Memo

Recognition of the incredible impact that having role models from our communities has on our children continues, as the recently renamed Roberto Clemente Middle School was decorated this month with a beautiful mural of that icon. Local elected officials seem keen on renaming the street where the school lies to also honor the civil rights giant.

That impact was made visible earlier this month, when the descendants of Roberto Clemente, including a grandson he never knew, visited the school to appreciate the new mural of the Puerto Rican hero. That moment of civic pride has been made possible thanks to the effort of community organizations, led by Alianza for Progress, who fought to take a school formerly named for a Confederate battle general and rename it to one honoring a role model we can all be proud of.

After a protracted battle that lasted years, the School Board renamed the building after Clemente in January. A request to the City of Orlando to rename the street on which the school lies appears to be moving much faster, and could be resolved as early as this summer.

Talking Points:

• “Roberto Clemente was not just a sports legend. He was a civil rights icon, veteran and American hero. As an Afro-Latino breaking barriers in American society, he led the way for so many within and outside our community. His name is unimpeachable.”
• “At a time where our diverse communities are finally erasing the stain of having monuments and institutions that honor the Confederacy, there is a supreme justice in renaming those institutions for civil rights icons. That is the justice fought for in Orange County.”
• “The names of our institutions are important to our community. They are a matter of pride. When our children walk into a school named by someone notable who shares their heritage, it makes a difference.”

Several initiatives of great importance to our community continue moving through the state Legislature.

It has been a frustrating and destructive year in Tallahassee already, as has become the norm over the past decade. A law to curtail and criminalize protest in the state, which was among the Governor’s top priorities, sailed through the Republican conference and was signed by Governor DeSantis. Meanwhile, state rules have made it difficult to provide the Covid-19 vaccine to immigrants and frontline farm workers. All the while, the ban by Governor DeSantis on even private business implementing some rules meant to stop the spread of coronavirus is largely behind the scenes of tourists disobeying basic precautions. And that’s nothing to say of the anti-trans and voter suppression model legislation that’s making its way through the legislature.

The Biden White House has named Gretchen Sierra-Zorito as deputy director for Puerto Rico and the Territories in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. The newly created position is meant to elevate, within the White House legislative priority structure, the issues faced by citizens within American territories.

Sierra-Zorita’s career as a federal government official, activist, and writer make her uniquely qualified for the job, someone with the key tools and contacts to advocate for solutions in Washington DC. Over the past decade, she has focused her work on Hispanic and Puerto Rican issues, and has become a respected thought leader, sought by the media for her non-partisan insight and knowledge on the fiscal and social crisis affecting Puerto Rico.

National political observers noted the appointment of Sierra-Zorita is likely a good sign for those expecting the Biden administration to come through on the significant promises of aid to Puerto Rico made during the campaign. Rosanna Torres, director of the Washington office of the Puerto Rico-focused Center for a New Economy, described the appointment as “a good signal for us Puerto Ricans that have long asked the federal government to step up its game.

Talking points:

• “We continue to see hopeful signs from the White House that indicate Puerto Rico is near the top of the agenda. We are waiting for the initial plans to turn into actionable items.”
• “President Biden made many promises to the Puerto Rican community during his campaign. Many voted for him based on those promises. It is imperative to see them come through.”
• “Diversity of thought and experience is important in representation. We see appointments like those of Gretchen Sierra-Zorita as moving the needle forward in this regard.”

The growing Puerto Rican population is increasingly manifesting itself in Central Florida by the growth and maturity of Puerto Rican-owned brands and businesses. Many are brand names famous in Puerto Rico that have opened major operations here. Others are being grown here by Puerto Rican entrepreneurs ready to set their flag in Florida.

The City of Orlando recently noted that, in spite of the economic crisis during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of Puerto Rican businesses looking to certify themselves as government minority contractors grew in 2020.

Recognized brands and products that have followed entrepreneurs to Orlando include Medalla beer, El Mesón Sandwich, Mi Cosecha, Ana G. Méndez University, Polytechnic University, Inter-American University, Novus, Casa Febus, and Leonardo’s Fifth Avenue. Most of those brands have been in Florida less than a decade and experienced astronomical sales growth. 

One example, home decor and crafts store chain Casa Febus, recently reported that it was opening its third store in Central Florida, having experienced a 25% yearly growth in sales over the past five years.

Talking points:

• “Puerto Ricans have moved from being recent arrivals to many parts of Florida a generation ago to ingrained part of the community, entrepreneurs and job creators. We need to be recognized as such.” 
• “The economic recession spurred by Covid-19 has hit our communities the hardest, forcing many to reinvent their careers in order to put food on the table. Our entrepreneurial spirit is showing and we need to support it.”

As Congress considers dueling proposals on how to resolve Puerto Rico’s status quo, a bill that would create a self-determination process for Puerto Rico is gaining powerful allies. The bill, originally presented by New York Representatives Nydia Velazquez and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez last year, creates a mechanism whereby Puerto Ricans would vote for delegates to a constituent assembly, who would draft a new version of Puerto Rico’s status. It stands in contrast to a plan being pushed by Florida Congressman Darren Soto that only seeks admission to the Union as an option.

While the bill was originally tied to the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party, it is gaining wide support across the conference, with powerful New Jersey Senator Bob Menéndez pushing it forward. Local elected officials in cities with large Puerto Rican communities have also spoken in favor of the self-determination bill. A hearing on both bills on April 14. 

Beyond creating momentum on the issue, it also brought some remarkable consensus to Congress. Illinois Congressman Jesús “Chuy” Garcia, now in his second term in office, delivered a speech decrying U.S. colonialism against Puerto Rico as not only being about the status, but about the failures of the PROMESA law and disaster relief. Such frank discussions on the floor of the House would have been unthinkable even a few years ago.

Talking points:

• “We are at a crucial moment in deciding the future for our homeland. But only a process that allows for the participation of Puerto Ricans from diverse ideologies can bring us together towards a workable solution.”
• “It’s impressive and encouraging to see members of Congress talk about colonialism in the raw way Puerto Ricans experience it. Now is the time to turn speech into action.”
• “Resolving the status is not an easy left-right issue and should not be framed that way by those who think they can give it a partisan bend”.

A Puerto Rican professor and veteran scored an overwhelming win in a local Miami-area election. Dr. Victor Vazquez, formerly the President of the Puerto Rican Leadership Council of South Florida, won a crushing victory in a race to become councilman in his Miami suburb of Miami Springs.

Dr. Vazquez, a professor of history at Miami-Dade College who served in the U.S. Air Force, bested his opponent by a 41 percentage-point margin, capturing over 70 percent of the vote. He ran on a platform that placed Miami Springs families first, focusing on green spaces, good government and economic development that empowers small business. 

Vazquez’s opponent was Vincent Medel, the president of the city’s Republican club. Medel ran an all-negative campaign that highlighted Dr. Vazquez’s affiliation with the Democratic Party, and the false claims that all Democrats are socialists. This false narrative may be finally dying out. While municipal elections in Miami-Dade County are non-partisan, such a strategy has been used effectively by others before throughout the County. 

Vazquez was supported by United For Progress PAC. 

Talking points:

• “Victor Vazquez’s election might not make national headlines. But as a champion for our community in South Florida, where we are deeply engaged in building political power, it moves us forward in our mission of placing key people in positions to serve and advance the interests of our people.”
• “It’s particularly satisfying to see that the scare tactics so long used in South Florida of smearing candidates with progressive values by wildly accusing them of socialism did not work. It’s a nod to going back to basics and running on the issues that matter to Florida families.”