Latinos in New England

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments I am grateful to many collaborators for helping to make this book possible . The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy was my home during the years this anthology came to fruition. Without the dedication and support of the institute’s core staff this project would not have been realized. Mary Jo Marion was a talented, busy, and gracious Associate Director throughout my tenure. Gissell Abreu, Paloma Britt, and Hedy Castaño, assured that our numerous initiatives and activities were kept on track. On several occasions, each of them pitched in when the process of manuscript preparation was threatened with gridlock. Professor Jorge Capetillo, as faculty researcher, contributed valuable studies and good cheer. Dr. Miren Uriarte has been a key supporter over the years, and a leading figure in the community of scholars that works closely with the Gastón Institute. The organization has continually benefited from the volunteer efforts and political wisdom of its Advisory Board, chaired by Nelson Merced. Grateful appreciation is also due to the University of Massachusetts Boston, home to the institute since 1989. New England is hardly a prime region for studies about the Latino experience. California, the South West, and New York are in the limelight . Nevertheless, there was an enthusiastic response to the call for submissions to this publication. This is testimony to the growing cadre of Latino-focused researchers in the region, and to the burgeoning interest in Latino issues as the Hispanic population increases in numbers and influence. I am deeply thankful to each of the contributing authors. They labored diligently and creatively to produce a quality collection, making their research available for and accessible to a wide audience. Their cooperation in meeting deadlines and their collegial interactions are greatly appreciated. Other individuals helped push this project along. Daniel Vásquez created special tables that focused on Latino populations in New England. With customary expertise and reliability, Angel Amy Moreno helped coordinate the photography section. Leslie Bowen, Carlos Bock Maldonado , and Carmen Vivian Rivera helped with the manuscript at critical junctures. Thanks also to others who provided materials, advice, and other forms of support: Ramón Borges-Méndez, Melissa Colón, Linda Delgado, James Green, Ramona Hernández, Marta Monteiro-Sieburth, and Jaime Rodrı́guez. Jim O’Brien, who I have relied on in the past, produced the index. During my stint as director of the institute I was able to count on many colleagues for moral and material support, especially at the College of Public and Community Services, the Asian American Studies Institute, and the William Monroe Trotter Institute. I also extend special thanks to Robert J. Hildreth who, during my time, has been a steadfast and generous donor to the Institute’s work. I am happy that Temple University Press is publishing this work. Dating back to my previous association with Doris Braendel, I have enjoyed collaborating with the Press. For their assistance with the present anthology, I thank Janet Francendese, Will Hammell, Gary Kramer, Peter Wissoker, Dave Wilson, and the production and marketing staffs. I am also appreciative of Kim Hoag for her diligent oversight of the production process. The final phase of the manuscript preparation process found me in a state of hectic transition. Leaving the Boston area and not yet settled in my new home in New York, I constantly fretted that some catastrophe might derail the manuscript’s progress. Fortunately, this editor’s nightmares were limited to the imagination. For this I am grateful to my brothers-in-law and their wives, Philip and Terri, Ruben and Nicki. Over the course of several weeks in limbo, they provided me with a writer’s sanctuary, reliable technology, and warm company. As always, my wife Carmen Vivian, and my children, Rachel and Orlando, have been my principle cheerleaders. As well as John, Jaclyn, David and Jonathan.¡Gracias, familia! ¡Gracias, todos! x Acknowledgments ...