rest of your day. [ up-tempo music playing ] >> buenos d^as y bienvenidos. welcome once again to "tiempo." i'm joe torres. the city university of new york hopes a $3.2-million grant just awarded to the cuny graduate center will enable their phd students to learn how to teach at laguardia community college, where half of the students are latinos. more on this in just a few minutes. also this -- november is puerto rican heritage month. we'll tell you about el gran tour, a unique and special opportunity for you to soak up and enjoy the work of noted artists at numerous locations throughout the city. speaking of puerto rico, elected officials once again traveled to the commonwealth to highlight the financial and humanitarian crisis plaguing the island there and its 3.5 million u.s.

citizens. well, there are now plans set for a summit, a day of action designed to keep up the pressure on washington to lend a helping hand. here to tell us more about the upcoming day of action, marcos crespo, our good friend, new york state assemblyman, brenda torres, prima -- not really -- director of the new york regional office of the puerto rican federal affairs administration. thank you both. you were just back on the island. in fact, it was you, it was the council speaker, the governor, the mayor, as well. and i was there with you back in mission. around? what was the goal, and what was accomplished? >> well, joe, we were hosting conference... >> yes. >> ...which we've now re-branded as somos now. we believe we are a community that's existing and in power now. and we had the participation of not only the folks you mentioned, but we registered close to 600 registered guests at our conference. and we participated in these conversations. we participated in a rally that took place with hundreds of thousands of puerto rican people calling for fairness in healthcare.

and we had a number of events really geared towards promoting this diaspora and the needs of puerto rico and making sure that that new york/puerto rico connection is strong. >> but it wasn't all talk, and it wasn't all demonstrations. the governor opened up -- tell me about the new office, the new york state office that is now in puerto rico. >> plenty of substance, not only in our workshops, but that effort you mentioned. the governor was with us, governor andrew cuomo and governor alejandro padilla together. >> yep. >> the number of our delegation opened up the very first office of its kind. it's the office of new york trade and tourism in san juan, puerto rico. >> uh-huh. >> it also houses a taste of new york store to promote new york products. but if you remember, we talked about an investment the governor's looking to make in new york, $5 million for tourism that we'll promote between new york and puerto rico. for that effort. >> mm-hmm. >> and the ribbon cutting of that office took place this past weekend. >> brenda, are you seeing ripple effects in terms of what you're hearing back on the island, that the efforts of new yorkers like marcos and the governor and the

some sort of impact, measurable impact? are we at that point yet where change? >> definitely. i think the diaspora is very well connected to the puerto rican community and the leaders, the advocates in the island. and i think they are starting to see the efforts, the lending hand that we're giving them from the diaspora, as something very positive. and, you know, and also the fact that most of their relatives, you know, are living in the united states. so, definitely, yes. >> we've talked about that quite a bit. at the same time, you know, it's not getting better quickly. and i'm just gonna highlight some numbers because i want to put this into perspective for people. we've talked about this on "tiempo" numerous times, and here's why. they just missed a $400-million emergency loan. or, actually, they had a loan, and they spent it -- the government. they had to. revenue estimates were slashed by $355 million. so, that's money they thought was coming in, but was not. it's getting worse not by the day, but by the minute.

>> with that in mind, the effort must be to get washington to act not now -- yesterday. there's no question -- there's no question that this is -- puerto rico's on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. and these issues and this financial situation, the fact that the healthcare system is on the verge of a collapse -- we're a few months away from that unless something changes -- >> mm-hmm. >> it was important that as we take all these steps as a diaspora -- the gathering in orlando was a gathering of leadership within central florida to highlight the importance of that community election. >> that was in october. >> we knew that somos el futuro was coming as an opportunity, a platform for these discussions to take place. out of the 600 participants that came with us, there must have been close to 70 elected officials not only from new york, but from florida, pennsylvania. we had congressional officials, many of whom learned for the very first time the intricacies of this dynamic and what's happening in puerto rico. >> all right. >> and now we have a game plan. >> now you have a game plan, and you're gonna move that to washington. so, you just had orlando, you just had puerto rico, and now you're gonna take the message to

i'll have you talk about that and the day of action that's planned when we come right back on "tiempo." more on the recent summit in puerto rico and the upcoming day of action in washington. also, we are officially in -- it's not all bad news -- we're in, officially, puerto rican heritage month. and, man, we're gonna tell you about el gran tour, featuring a wide variety of boricua art. still ahead on "tiempo," laguardia community college just received -- cuny received it -- a multimillion-dollar grant to help better educate the large population of immigrant students there. we'll show you how that's gonna

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so go online or call now. get out of the past. get fios. >> welcome back to "tiempo." elected officials recently traveled once again to puerto rico to highlight the financial troubles facing the island there and its people. there are now plans for a summit day of action in washington. marcos crespo, new york state assemblyman, brenda torres, director of the new york regional office for the puerto rico federal affairs administration walking us through the details. tell me about december 2nd -- day of action, but more specifically what's planned. >> so, basically we had this meeting in october '15, where, you know, national elected officials of puerto rican descent were there. and at that meeting, we decided to do a follow-up in washington, d.c., just to make sure we

leadership on, you know, the current situation that we're facing in puerto rico and the need, the real need for them to support us... >> so, is it demonstrations? is it meetings? is it both? >> it's a call to consciousness. it's an opportunity for the leadership of the diaspora to go out there very strategically, to meet with key officials and in particular committees, and let them know the diaspora stands strong with the people of puerto rico and what's at stake for 3.5 million american citizens unless the next budget resolution that comes out includes some tangible proposals to resolve and alleviate the conditions. >> let me illustrate what's at stake. the island has been holding back payments to suppliers and tax rebates to taxpayers. there's talk of cutting employee work schedules by two days a week and the possibility of a government shutdown in december. if that happens, what happens? >> well, i think at that point, all cards are on the table as far as what the reaction's gonna be and how we need to proceed as a diaspora. we're working a responsible way as elected leaders to have the

debates, to have the conversations to bring awareness to those that are responsible and have the power in their hands to make a change, and that's the federal government. those are our congressional officials, the president of the united states. he made a proposal to the congress. we believe that the congress needs to act seriously on that proposal, and if not, we believe the president is gonna do everything he can administratively to resolve some of this. >> the president -- you have a day of action. the president's plan was called a congressional plan of action, which i think called for more investments, greater reform, bankruptcy protection for the island. >> mm-hmm. >> which we once had. >> which you once had. how close are we to convincing congressional leaders to act on that plan and make it happen? brenda. >> we're gonna find out on december 2nd, when we have this conversation. you know, we have the support from the puerto rican congressional leadership -- nydia vel*zquez, serrano, and luis gutierrez -- who are actually supporting us. and based on what they're saying, you know, we just have to continue to push and continue to inform them on what the impact is, not only to puerto rico, but also to the

stability in the united states. >> i picture you literally knocking on doors throughout the halls of congress. coordinated effort. we know who we're gonna go see. meetings with. we're going with a purpose. this is not just going out there, holding up a placard, and expecting to be seen. we're going in there with a very specific strategy of educating congressional officials. >> in the preparation leading up to that, have any congressional leaders given you some indication that, "okay, we're looking at a vote on such-and-such a date and such-and-such a time"? >> well, we know what the schedule is of activity in congress, and we have officials who have already expressed tremendous support. this is an opportunity for us to go to other folks who need to be involved in this conversation, not just democrats -- republicans alike and administration officials. this is about them not only further understanding what's at stake for those 3.5 million americans, but also knowing that we all stand strong, that politically, the diaspora stands strong. and the diaspora is much more than just new york and florida. there's many other states where puerto rican community is growing strong. >> and many of them growing as people leave the island. >> absolutely. >> marcos, un placer. good to see you. thank you for being with us.

coming up next on "tiempo," we are officially in puerto rican heritage month. we will tell you about el gran tour, featuring a wide variety of boricua art. and still ahead, a multimillion-dollar grant for cuny and how it will benefit the many students at laguardia community college.

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one hour arrival window. they even made sure all of our connections were up and running before they left. why settle for less, when you can get more! call now. for a limited time, get a free trial of showtime for one year, and ask how you could get a $300 reward card. call for more, now. >> el gran tour is a unique, one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience the works of noted puerto rican visual artists. it is all part of this month's celebration of puerto rican heritage. your timing is perfect because this tour is happening all day today, and here to tell us more about this great event, once again, our good friend brenda torres, from the puerto rico federal affairs administration. john macelwee is the director at the center for arts and culture

at hostos community college, one of the places to go. miguel trelles is an artist taking part in the special event. this is your baby, right? >> yep. >> yes, and you see her smiling because this is the first time you've done this, correct? >> yes, it's the first time. we supported the creation of the puerto rican creative diaspora, which is a group of creative leaders in the united states, not only in new york. but new york -- we launch it from new york because we're providing all of the infrastructure that currently exists in new york to support the creative industry. >> but the idea came from something you saw working in puerto rico. so, we held a small conversation with creative leaders and visual artists. and then, you know, we were wondering, "what's the best way to actually revamp the community, the creative community?" and we were talking about the noches de galeria. i don't know if you remember the gallery nights... >> in puerto rico. >> ...in puerto rico, where all of these galleries in the old san juan area used to, like, open their doors. we would just go from one gallery to the other, and it was

just a great way to engage with those artists and support them economically. >> so, before i get to john -- because he's one of the sites that's hosting -- how many different locations are there for people to go see work? >> we have six sites that are managed and also showcasing work by puerto rican artists, and the other one is the metropolitan museum of art, where we are actually hosting this breakfast. >> fabulous. >> yeah. >> john, your place is one of the locations, is it not? >> yes, we're excited to be there and be part of the tour. >> and what can people see when they show up later today, before it ends at 4:30? >> we've got a terrific exhibit. jorge soto s*nchez, a nuyorican artist, died almost 30 years ago at the age of 40. this is the largest collection of his work shown since his passing. >> my, my. >> and these works got collected from individual collectors and from the museum. el museo del barrio and other places loaned us works to have this very complete exhibit. >> okay. >> and one of the most talented puerto rican artists ever. >> ever around, yes.

>> and he's known for his "velorio de oller," sort of a redoing of a traditional puerto rican painting. >> okay. miguel, your work will be on display where? >> absolutely. at the clemente soto v\lez cultural center in the lower east side of manhattan. >> okay, and by trade, your work -- painter? >> i'm a painter. i do this thing called chino latino. i'm also a printmaker. i like to do serigrafia, sort of silk-screening in the old puerto rican style to advertise >> yep. and the artifacts that you will have on display showcase what? >> i have my studio, and there will be landscapes, you know, with very classic dynastic paintings and tropical colors, you know, infusing those paintings. we also have a great show called bori-cuba, which i curated, including the work of 12 puerto rican artists and 12 cuban painters. >> i'm looking at some of your work now. >> yes. >> tell me about these here. >> you will see that today, later today, in the studio. those are in the studio.

cultures, particularly the chinese culture of fine painting with a little bit of that acid tropical color that is so redolent of the caribbean. >> chino latino. >> chino latino. >> it's not just restaurants. it's also art, too. >> that's right. that's right. [ laughter ] >> do you hope that viewers or people who attend these events today will learn more about the art or the artist or both? >> we are hoping for both. we're not only bringing puerto ricans as participants, but also collectors and also government officials. and we kind of want to spread the word of the great talent that is out there and the great work. there's so much going on currently in new york city and lots of new artists also coming from puerto rico, actually, establishing themselves in williamsburg and other areas of new york city. and we kind of want to open the doors for them to be able to engage with the community and thrive, as well. >> its sounds like your display will educate people of both, not only the artwork that they're viewing or soaking up, but a little bit about the artist, as well?

>> that's correct, and gladys pea-acosta, the curator of the show, will take people on a tour of the paintings themselves, and all different styles and mediums. so, very educational. >> yeah, i just wanted to say that this is something that is not done just, you know, with one entity. we want to thank gail brewer, manhattan borough president, the metropolitan museum of art. we also want to thank the bric house gallery for opening their doors for the closing reception, which is soon, at 4:30, and also thank the bronx council on the arts, hostos community college, who's providing the launch. i mean, this is a very collective effort. >> we've only got about 20 seconds left, and i want to be sure people know the places. run the list again of where you can go to soak up the exhibits. hostos and... >> yeah, there are two routes, one that goes taller boricua, hostos, and wallworks. that's the uptown one. and the one going down is loisaida, clemente soto v\lez, and the bric house gallery in brooklyn. >> you'll see miguel's work there. >> yep.

>> good luck. que bueno. el gran tour -- it's happening now. make sure you get there before 4:30. straight ahead on "tiempo," money for the cuny graduate center, benefits for students. sit tight. we'll explain what that means

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>> great news for students, so many of them latinos, at laguardia community college -- a $3.2-million grant will help the students by first benefiting the graduate students who often teach them. here to tell us about the grant and the specific plans for the newfound money -- howard wach, assistant dean and director of the center for teaching and learning at laguardia community college, and luke waltzer, director of the teaching and learning center at the cuny graduate center. welcome to you both. i'm trying to figure out who was more excited when the news came in -- you for the students there or you for cuny because you get to dole the money around. either way, it was grand, i'm sure. >> it was wonderful, and it's great news for both the graduate center and for laguardia and for

for higher education because there's a new model that we're going to be trying of taking doctoral candidates and bringing them to a community college like laguardia and helping them learn how to work in that environment. >> have you seen this model work in other places, or is this a wing and a prayer -- "we're gonna give it a shot"? >> we haven't seen this model. >> okay. it's a brand-new model. nobody's seen this model. yeah. when you -- go ahead. >> at the graduate center, our students teach almost 200,000 cuny students a year across 8,000 courses, and they do so often with various levels of support. and this gives us an opportunity to really think about what it means to support them as they're learning to teach in ommunity-college contexts. >> luke, are they teaching as part of their own graduate curriculum? or are they teaching because, professionally, that's the direction they want to go? >> both. this supports their coursework. they have fellowships that are five years in length, and they teach for three of those years. >> mm-hmm. >> but we're also at the graduate center really trying to broaden the professional development that they get so

that our students are prepared for careers in a variety of contexts. and increasingly, community colleges are great options for our students when they finish their phds and their vibrant intellectual careers. >> before i get back to howard, tell me -- is the grant something that you were awarded? or is the grant something that you applied for and you won? >> this is a grant from the andrew w. mellon foundation, and they worked with us to shape a grant that they would be happy and pleased to fund, given their funding priorities. >> yep. >> so, it was over a matter of months of back-and-forth with them to shape what the grant would be. >> and one of the reasons this caught our attention, howard, is because so many of the students at laguardia community college are latinos. is it half? is it more than half? >> it's close to half. >> okay. >> it's in the high 40s, 40%-something, 45%. laguardia's population is overwhelmingly low-income, immigrant, first-generation college, underserved students. and we believe that it will be a huge advantage to the doctoral candidates coming from the

graduate center to learn from our faculty who have developed, over the years, ways to teach these students that are effective. >> that fascinates me. get to a specific. how would teaching an immigrant student in one way be different than they might find at a college in the midwest? >> well, our students come from over 100 countries. they speak over 100 languages. and they come with an enormous range of experience. and one thing that our faculty learn how to do and that we help to develop this ability with them is to draw from that experience and to take it seriously as part of what they're learning in an art history class or in a composition class or in a philosophy class. >> i would suspect, just from a realm of cultural awareness, that goes a long way, in terms of speaking. >> it absolutely does. >> go ahead. >> this is terrific for graduate center students. and, you know, we're very well aware of the fantastic support for teaching and learning that happens at laguardia. and for our graduate students to

who are unique and fascinating and are bringing so much to the classroom that our students can learn from and to take that on in their careers in terrific. >> the length of the grant is $3.2 million over four years. do you get annual installments? to you? >> the money's doled out in two installments, separated by two years, and most of the funding goes go cuny graduate center students to support their fellowships. and the first installment has not yet arrived, right? >> it hasn't arrived yet. it will arrive an anticipation of the launch of the grant next fall. >> which gives you some ample time to develop -- to coordinate and develop a plan. >> luke and i will be working closely on the exchange between the doctoral candidates at the graduate center and our faculty. the program will set up a kind of mentoring system where our faculty who participate in the program will be working directly with the graduate students. there's also a portion of the grant funding that will go directly to laguardia students... >> oh, fabulous. >> ...in the form of enrichment activities.

>> such as? >> museum tickets, theater tickets, the range of things that it's possible to do in new york in support of humanities programming. >> safe to say a range of things that perhaps might not have been available or affordable to many of those students. >> absolutely. >> yeah. that's just great. i'm gonna ask you to fast-forward a little bit. how do you think you're gonna measure the impact that this money has made on the lives of students at laguardia? >> well, we measure the impact of our initiatives in a couple of different ways. we look at the success rate of the students, how many of them complete the courses, how many of them graduate... >> mm-hmm. >> ...which is really the thing we strive for. we also do a lot of surveying. we look at attitudes. we look at ways in which students have learned things at the end of the experience versus what they came in with at the beginning of the experience. and we'll be doing all of these things. >> much better than just looking at some grades and saying, "oh, this was here and this is here

and this is how we measure." so, continued success, guys. congratulations on the grant. i think it's fabulous for both the graduate students and, obviously, the students at laguardia. great, great news. before we go, how about this -- a look at the community calendar for this week? next saturday in the boogie down bronx -- that's right -- a celebration of puerto rican heritage month. do not miss the 10th annual artisan fair and book expo. that's happening at the hostos center for arts and culture, located at 450 grand concourse. it goes from noon till 7:00 -- great event. also, next sunday morning in queens, our good friends at the new york immigration coalition are holding another key to the city event. they'll be partnering with the consulates and the legal-service providers to help out immigrant new yorkers. so many questions answered there. that's happening at 9:00 a.m. at public school 61, 98-50 50th avenue in corona, queens. again, that's next sunday morning. much^simas gracias. we covered a lot of ground today. we thank you for spending part of your sunday with us. if you missed any part of our show, don't worry.

you can watch it at abc7ny on the web on your tablet or even on your smartphone while you're on the train. i'm joe torres. thanks for watching. we'll see you again next time on