Dominican Ambassador to the United States to participate in the 12th Annual Conference on Dominican Affairs
Program includes leading figures and the premiere of the documentary "
Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR)
translated from Spanish by NiLP
12th Annual
Conference for Dominican Affairs (CODA)
Sunday, February 19, 2012
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
University of Rutgers School of Law
123 Washington Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Register for the conference by clicking here or visit http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=197421
Newark, NJ --- The Dominican Republic's Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Anibal de Castro, will travel from Washington, DC to New Jersey to attend the 12th Annual Conference for Dominican Affairs (CODA), to take place from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday, February 19th at the University of Rutgers School of Law, located at 123 Washington Street Newark, New Jersey 07102.
The theme for the 2012 CODA is "Dominicans in the United States: Participation, Contributions and Empowerment," explained Amiris Perez, Executive Director of the Conference. "CODA is pleased with the participation of our Dominican Ambassador to the United States and it enriches the cadre of speakers and panelists who will share their thoughts with us on February 19." His Excellency Aníbal de Castro will address the issue of participation and contributions during the plenary lunch, after visiting the concurrent workshops.
Completing the lineup of speakers and panelists who will participate in the 12th conference will be the distinguished journalist Alicia Ortega Hasbún, the well-known plastic surgeon Dr. Franklin of Jesus, and renowned musician Fernando Echavarria, who will travel from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey.
Also participating are: Rhode Island State Senator Juan Pichardo, the first Dominican elected to a state senate in the United States; the Rev. Dr. Luis Barrios; Dr. Felix Roque, Mayor of West New York; Dr. Chen Gonjon, President of the Dominican Medical Society; Massachusetts nutritionist Lynn Dinorah Mendez; Joel Fernandez, President of the Dominican Student Association at Yale University; and among other guests present will be attorney Julissa Reynoso, who serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of State and who has been nominated by President Barack Obama for the post of U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay.
The "Citizens Campaign" project will provide training on "The Role of the Political Parties in the US Presidential Election and How to Influence Them."
The Conference will also feature the premiere of original documentary. "Civilización Dominicana: Diáspora e Identidad," produced and directed by Nestor Montilla, Sr., Chairman of the Dominican American National Council, who is currently enrolled in the PhD program in Political Science in the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. The documentary is about how the Diaspora contributes to the transformation of Dominican identity and establishes that Dominicans are now a society in TRANSITION. The documentary is based on exclusive interviews with historian Frank Moya Pons, Ph.D., Sylvio Saillat Torres, Ph.D., Irma Nicasio, Ph.D., Odalis Perez, Ph.D., Professor Alexander Benjamin, and, among others, Dr. Maria Teresa Montilla, President of the Dominican American National Roundtable.
Among memorable quotes from the documentary:
"Dominicans in the Diaspora discover they are not white, completely white." --- Frank Moya Pons
"I did not know I was black." --- Professor Alexander Benjamin
The documentary highlights testimonies of Dominicans in the Diaspora, including Dr. Nasry Michelen, of Arab descent, and who was the first Dominican who served as president of Hostos Community College of City University of New York.
It also highlights the history of the recognized leader Altagracia Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez, former Secretary of State in New York, who attests that she is of Dominican-Puerto Rican origins. Lorraine was christened "Altagracia" in honor of the Virgin of Altagracia. She is a descendant of General Rafael Fernando Valerio, Santiago, hero of the battles of Santiago (1844) and Sabana Larga (1856) in the Dominican Republic.
Other stories include that of the young Dominican-American leader Amaris Guzman, President of DANR Youth who is currently enrolled in a PhD program in Latin American Studies and Caribbean, and the Honorable Marmolejos Claribel Martinez, the first Dominican woman elected to the Legislature in San Juan, Puerto Rico and who has resided there with her family for over 40 years.
The initiative is a production of the Common Roots Project and the Institute for Latino Studies ( www.thelatinoinstitute.org ).
To see and hear a preview of the production click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwUaG0OBFpA
Register for the CODA Conference by clicking here or visit http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=197421
Press Contact:
973-345-3624
For more information visit www.thelatinoinstitute.org
About DANR
The Dominican-American National Roundtable (DANR) is a non-partisan, non-profit corporation seeking to bring together the voices of all people of Dominican origin in the United States.
DANR is a national forum for analysis, planning, and action to advance the educational, economic, legal, social, cultural, and political interests of Dominican Americans. DANR aims to ensure for U. S. Dominicans the full exercise of their rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States of America.
With these objectives in mind, DANR is committed to enriching the quality of life in the United States by highlighting the contributions of Dominicans to the larger American society.
Dominican American
National Roundtable (DANR)
1050 17th Street, NW Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
202-238-0097
e-mail: info@danr.org