For the second year in a row, Puerto Rican Voices, the TV series produced by the CENTRO – Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, has won two New York Emmy Awards.
The investigative TV documentary series streamed on CUNYTV won in the Documentary – Spanish and Politics–Government – Spanish categories. Puerto Rican Voices was also nominated in the Environment–Science–Technology — Spanish category.
“It’s the biggest honor to have won these prestigious awards for Puerto Rican Voices for all of CENTRO,” said CENTRO Directora Dr. Yomaira Figueroa-Vásquez. “This investigative series into Puerto Rican experiences is a shining example of our mission and efforts as an institution. Puerto Rican perspectives deserve to be seen and heard, especially during these times of climate and governmental crisis on the archipelago. I am so thrilled the New York Emmy Awards see the worth and value of these stories and experiences.”
The winner for the category of Documentary – Spanish was “After the Boats Left,” directed by Sonia Fritz. The episode focuses on Elba Dávila, a community leader in Fajardo, who organized the aging community of Maternillo to demand better public services after the ferry service to Vieques and Culebra was moved to the town of Ceiba. The community collapsed without the economic activity provided by the ferry transit and local fishermen fought to maintain their livelihoods.
The winner for the category of Politics–Government – Spanish, “The Tax Paradise,” was directed by Ana María García. It details how, in the last decade, Puerto Rico has become a major destination for Americans seeking to evade federal taxes. Incentives provided by the Puerto Rican government are spurring gentrification and housing insecurity. In communities like Puerta de Tierra, community leaders are challenging not just the new arrivals, but also the local politicians that have betrayed them.
“This series of investigative documentaries has allowed CENTRO to produce from a decolonial and collaborative angle that has permitted us to amplify the voices of communities affected by the multiple crises Puerto Ricans are facing,” said series Executive Director Ángel Antonio Ruiz-Laboy. “These awards belong to them, to the people who denounce and fight against neo-colonial practices every day, and to the directors and local production teams who, in ways that were sensitive to the communities’ demands, helped communicate the reality of what they are experiencing. We sincerely hope that this celebration will help to activate solidarity networks as well as concrete actions in support of their complaints.”
This is the fifth season of Puerto Rican Voices. Last year, it won two New York Emmy Awards, one for the episode “Tito Matos ¡Ahora Sí!,” by Noelia Quintero-Herencia which follows the life, death, and legacy of legendary artist, musician, cultural worker, and mutual-aid organizer Tito Matos; the other for “Privatized Resilience,” directed by Juan Carlos Dávila, about the controversial contract between the government of Puerto Rico, the private contractor with all the electrical distribution power, and the worsening energy crisis.
