Welcome to another episode of Connecticut Latino News Opinion+, where we talk about major issues local Latinx and underrepresented communities face. This week we spoke with Dawn La Valle, Director of the Division of Library Development for the Connecticut State Library.  https://youtu.be/6I5pN30JjQ8 “We basically help and support our libraries to enhance their services that they provide to the community,” La Valle explained. The Division of Library Development offers all academic, public school, and special libraries a wide variety of funding, education, and leadership services.  In this month’s episode, La Valle discussed the importance of digital equity across Connecticut’s diverse communities and shared about other inclusive efforts by the CT State Library, including the Connecticut State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH).  “Digital Equity is about everyone having access, everyone being able to use a device to do their homework, to do their work,” she said. “The work [...]

On a bustling Friday morning, the aroma of rice and beans wafts through a cloud of hairspray in Romy’s Beauty Salon in Meriden. Merengue music soothes the senses. Customers exchange pleasantries in Spanish as Romy Norwood offers each a small bowl of “arroz y habichuela,” the Dominican staple of rice and beans. Later in the day, Norwood repeats the courtesy with small mugs of strong coffee, “cafecito,” prepared by her mother, Yolanda Sosa, in the kitchenette in the rear of the shop. Unlike Norwood and her mother, most clients aren’t wearing a mask. Neither Norwood nor anyone in her immediate family has been infected with COVID-19. Norwood, 46, and her husband, Jeffrey Norwood, 65, live in Cheshire with their children Jennifer, 14, and Ramon, 12, and their dog, Zeus. Since the start of the pandemic, Norwood says, they have been vigilant about wearing masks, social distancing and getting tested [...]

Connecticut Public Libraries seek to address the growing digital divide between the state’s diverse communities through its CT Libraries & Partners for Digital Equity initiative, which participated in a series of Juneteenth events last month.  The CT Libraries & Partners for Digital Equity Coalition oversees the new initiative that aims to provide computers, affordable high-speed broadband, and community digital navigators to local communities. Public Library staff and other community members formed the Coalition in January 2020 as a team dedicated to closing the drastic gap in digital access across Connecticut.   “There are still families at home who don’t have internet access, who do not have a device, and who do not know how to use it,” said Dawn LaValle, Director of the Division of Library Development for the CT State Library. “So, the pandemic really shined a light on this problem and we’re just realizing the expanse of it.”  [...]

In less than a year since it launched, Illinois Latino News has gained recognition in the Hispanic-Latino market, being named one of the “90 Best Latina Blogs and Websites” by Feedspot. According to Feedspot, this list was specifically ranked by “traffic, social media followers, domain authority and freshness.” As Latino News Network’s (LNN) youngest market, ILLN has strived to bring greater visibility to Latinos in Illinois by producing stories that highlight their voices, such as a young Latina entrepreneur’s role in constructing mega-development Lincoln Yards and the suggested implementation of Hispanic-Latino culture in treating mental health concerns, to name a few.  ILLN debuted in October 2021, becoming LNN’s first outlet outside of New England and spearheading the organization’s venture into the Midwest. “Our newsroom is thrilled to be included in Feedspot’s “90 Best” list,” said Hugo Balta, Owner and Publisher of the Latino News Network. “For Illinois Latino News [...]

The National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) reports that Latinos make up less than 2 percent of all elected officials in the country. This number is dramatically low considering that 18.1 percent of the U.S. population identify as Latino. With 17.5 percent of the total population in Illinois identifying as Hispanic or Latino, the national statistics are not proportionate to the people living in the state. WATCH: Latinx Talks: Our Future in Focus - Your Vote is Your Power In preparation for the upcoming Illinois Primary Election, this month’s Latinx Talks intended to promote diversity in politics by focusing on some of the Latinas on the ballot advocating for change to the system. Hugo Balta, Publisher of Illinois Latino News (ILLN), moderated the panel which consisted of Iris Y. Martinez, candidate for Democratic State Central Committeewoman for the Third District, and candidates for Cook County Commissioner Natalie Toro [...]

Meriden students from Maloney and Platt High School organized separate student walkouts earlier this month to protest against gun violence and honor the victims of the Uvalde, Texas mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. Several Maloney seniors organized a walkout on June 1 and three Platt students, including Junior Jocelynn López, hosted their walkout the following day. Students reflected on how the May 24 shooting has impacted Latino communities across the country. “Being Latina myself, it was hard to hear that my community was hurt and is suffering during this difficult time,” López said. “Us Latinos stick together, and if one is hurt, then we all hurt and this felt like it hit so close to home.”  López also pointed out that Platt has a diverse student body. About 60 percent of Platt students identify as Latino while Latinos make up around 90 percent of Robb Elementary School’s student [...]