IBA: You’re the star of “Hecho en Puelto Rico.” Tell us a little bit more about the premise of this play. Angel Vàzquez: This is a monologue about a student in Puerto Rico who wants to leave the island as soon as possible. He receives a phone call from his dad and he thinks he’s going to get money to go to the states, but when he opens the suitcase his father sent him, it’s just full of s...
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We were thrilled at the turnout of this month’s Marca X Gallery opening featuring LGBTQIA Latinx artists from the Boston area. The Boston LGBTQIA Artists Alliance’s (BLAA) 14th exhibition was a collaboration with the Harvard Ed Portal Crossings Gallery (HEP), and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS). An array of different mediums were on display—including photography, p...
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The most important part of any neighborhood is building a community; and, our hard working resident services program, along with our residents, are the key to building this everyday. Using a culturally rooted approach, our bilingual staff helps residents lead more fulfilling lives through their programming. While our residents contribute through volunteering and starting initiatives of their ow...
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Our annual Tree Lighting Ceremony is one of our community’s favorite traditions. It might have been a bit cold and rainy this year, but that didn’t stop residents and program participants alike from venturing to Plaza Betances to celebrate. Volunteers passed out hot chocolate and cookies while the musicians got the crowd in the holiday spirit. There was even a visit from Santa, whose dance moves d...
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As Thanksgiving and the season of charity approaches, we’ve decided to look at this past year and reflect on everything we’ve accomplished. Here are ten things we’ve been fortunate enough to facilitate here at IBA: We rallied together after Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico to created the ...
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In 1968, the city’s urban renewal plans for the South End threatened to displace the neighborhood’s hard-working Puerto Rican community and, with it, drastically diminish economic and cultural diversity. Advocating on behalf of their neighbors and families, a group of Puerto Rican activists founded IBA to preserve affordability and the right to thrive in the community they built from the ground up...
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It’s been over a month since Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico, leaving crippling devastation in its path. Yet, despite the time that has passed, one in four Puerto Ricans still don’t have access to clean water, while three-quarters of the islan...
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Access to affordable housing remains one of the foremost challenges for Greater Boston residents. According to a recent poll conducted by WBUR, 76 percent of participants indicated that they were “very dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied” with the high cost of housing stemming from Boston’s low vacancy rates, high-d...
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We see the success of our Youth Development Program in action every day. Created to foster emotional, intellectual, and artistic growth in young people, the program also builds lifelong relationships between peers and adults and encourages young people to pursue leadership roles in their community. Our commitment was recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2016...
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In the aftermath of Hurricane María, many of our community members have been struggling to contact loved ones as the entire island of Puerto Rico remains without power. Much of Boston has responded with an outpour of concern, reaching out with offers and ideas to organize relief efforts. We decided to host an open forum, giving individuals, both in physical and ...
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Within a period of two weeks, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma swept through the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Texas and the Southeast, causing mass displacement, billions of dollars in damages, environmental contamination, the unfortunate loss of many lives and concern throughout our community, as many residents worried about the safety of their loved ones. Acco...
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Josean Ortiz loves to talk. As a producer, director, and an actor, he is certainly never at a loss of things to talk about. His hands fly around in excitement as he describes his upcoming work, two shows which feature only him on stage. While most would shy away from hour long monologues, Josean welcomes the pressure. We sat down with him to learn more about the inspiration behind ...
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This year, we’ve explored the critical need to preserve the financial accessibility and socioeconomic diversity of Greater Boston, from policy to local activism. However, the cost of living is rising in many other U.S. communities, with resident...
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On a warm afternoon this past Friday, the Blackstone Community Center came to life as the One Hood All-Stars trickled onto their home court. Hip-Hop music underscored the excitement as players greeted each other with high fives and began to warm up. It’s hard to believe there was a time when these kids didn’t get along. Members of the Boston Police Department (BPD) showed up shortly after, out of ...
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Integrating diversity in our classrooms means more than enrolling students from a variety of multicultural backgrounds; it means, including lessons about their heritages, languages, and customs. When teachers create an environment that not only acknowledges diversity but celebrates what makes all of these cultures unique, then students can grow socially and academically with a bet...
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