Latest news with #Nuyorican
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Hiraku Morilla: ‘Pride means respect for those who walked so we could run'
Hiraku Morilla, 40, has been the director of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection since 2014, curating exhibitions and events about the American artist in the museum's facilities in Yamanashi Prefecture. Morilla advocates for the LGBTQ+ community through his work, combating discrimination and the stigmatization of HIV. 1. Can you tell us about your cultural background? I'm Japanese and Nuyorican (New York Puerto Rican). Expressing both Asian and Latino cultural identities at once has always felt disjointed — they're so far apart that embodying both never feels seamless. 2. How was your experience growing up in the Bronx? I was surrounded by rhythm and style. The way we spoke had cadence. The way we moved had rhythm. Manhattan was right there, but it felt like a different universe. We walked through metal detectors every morning at school. That's what it looks like when a system abandons the community. 3. What was it like being multiracial and queer? In my senior year of high school, I wrote a letter to myself that said, 'Do not come out as gay, no matter what.' I didn't want to be associated with the gay men who were mocked on TV, beat up in school or gossiped about. That changed when I started meeting them in real life. 4. How did your early life experiences shape your career? In Japan, New York becomes a kind of resume. But being Japanese and authentically New York throws people off. My New York isn't aesthetic or curated. It's survival. It's contradiction. It's lived, not borrowed. 5. How was working as a creative director under designer Patricia Field ('Sex and the City,' 'The Devil Wears Prada')? She valued authenticity. (Her brand) was a place where we had to prove ourselves — but we were family. Some of my pieces ended up on the cover of Vogue, on Beyoncé, on K-pop idols. Now it sounds surreal. Back then, it was just another Tuesday. 6. Why did you relocate to Japan? The catalyst was my mom's passing of pancreatic cancer in 2014. When I learned her condition had suddenly worsened, I packed up everything and flew straight to Japan to be with her. Just a few days after I arrived, she passed. 7. How are NYC and Tokyo different? What I like about living in Tokyo is the certainty. If I call a cab, it'll wait for me until I come out. In New York, if you take too long, it's gone. If the train's running late, Tokyo will tell you exactly how late. If you line up for something, you'll get in. If a package says 'open here' and you tear that part, it actually opens. 8. How did you end up as the director of the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection? Patricia suggested I visit the museum while I was in Japan. I did, and by chance I ran into the collector himself, Dr. (Kazuo) Nakamura. After a long conversation, he offered me a position. It was a rare chance to stay connected to New York while being in Japan. 9. What kinds of people visit the collection? All kinds. Older visitors often don't come for Haring; they just enjoy the area and happen to see a museum and drop by. Younger visitors tend to know Haring through K-pop. We also get a lot of Japanese celebrities and influencers. And of course, we have many LGBTQ+ visitors. We're not just the only Keith Haring museum in the world — we're also the only queer museum in Japan. 10. How does the location impact the visitor experience? Being in the mountains of Yamanashi — two hours from Tokyo by train or car — definitely affects our foot traffic. For some people, that distance feels like a burden. But at the same time, that distance creates something special. When you arrive, it's just you and Haring's work. No city noise, no gallery-hopping — just this one space, in nature, dedicated entirely to him. That isolation creates a kind of intimacy. It invites people to slow down, to really spend time with the art. 11. When did you first become aware of Haring? Growing up in New York, Haring was ubiquitous. As a kid, I automatically recognized his figures. Later, I also recognized him as a gay icon. But I really became aware of his depth as an artist and activist when I first visited the museum. "Haring's activism (is) not just relevant, but necessary," says Morilla of how the American artist's themes resonate in a contemporary Japanese context. | Koichi Nakazawa 12. What draws you to his work? The messaging. Take his faceless figures. They're simple, but emotionally loaded. That ability to express so much with so little is really powerful. Also, Haring's work is openly queer and deeply sex-positive. He's clearly attracted to masculinity, but not in a toxic way. That tenderness keeps drawing me in. 13. Why is Haring's legacy still relevant today? Unfortunately, we're still dealing with the same issues we were facing in the 1980s. But at the center of his work was always kindness. Keith would stand with you against racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, all of it. 14. How does your advocacy for LGBTQ+ issues and HIV awareness relate to Haring's legacy? Haring was openly gay and disclosed his HIV-positive status. In 1980s America, that meant putting himself at risk. In Japan, HIV infection rates are still increasing, and the government still hasn't recognized same-sex marriage. That makes Haring's activism not just relevant, but necessary. 15. What's your view on LGBTQ+ issues in Japan? There's a disconnect I see within the community here. There's a small, vocal group doing incredibly important work, pushing for rights and visibility. But sometimes, the focus is more on being digestible to straight audiences — presenting queerness as family-friendly, polished and easy to sympathize with. 16. What's the present situation of HIV awareness in Japan? Most guys I talk to know what PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis, a medication to prevent HIV infection) is. The message of U=U (an undetectable viral load equals untransmittable HIV) is more visible too. But PrEP is still not covered by national health insurance. Routine HIV testing still isn't normalized. We also need more mental health care. If prevention is neglected, we need support after diagnosis. You can't ignore people on both ends. 17. Do you face any discrimination in your daily life as an openly gay man in Japan? The fact that my human rights as a queer individual aren't recognized means I'm facing discrimination every day, whether it's obvious or not. 18. What do you think about Tokyo Rainbow Pride finally moving to June, in line with the rest of the world? I always thought it was kind of strange that it wasn't. Maybe it was because June is the rainy season here. The upside was that it added to Tokyo's eccentricity. But in terms of global visibility, aligning with the rest of the world makes sense. 19. What are your plans or projects for Pride Month this year? I'm hosting a lip-sync battle featuring Miss Grand Japan contestants at fancyHIM (a bar in Shinjuku Ni-chome). I've been one of the judges since 2018. I'm also doing a diversity, equity and inclusion workshop at (the hotel) W Osaka. I've been doing this with W every June. W Union Square was kind of a haven for us nightlife gays in New York. 20. What does Pride mean to you? When I was younger, Pride meant the NYC Pride parade. By the time the parade ended at Stonewall, I'd be making out with someone. But as I got older, I learned that Stonewall was the place where it all began. That's when Pride started to mean something deeper. Pride is respect for those who walked so we could run — or make out with boys in the street without fear.
Forbes
29-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Hispanic/Latino Women Entrepreneurs A Rising Force In The U.S. Economy
Diana Domenech Diana Domenech, who started Accelerate Consulting Experts, is an example of someone who juggled her life to meet the health needs of a family member. She uses what she learned in the corporate world and her background to create a successful company, all while staying true to what her family believes in. Her story shows how Hispanic and Latino women can make their own mark and achieve success in American business. Hispanic and Latino women entrepreneurs in the U.S. are having a growing influence on the economy, according to the recently released 'The Wells Fargo 2025 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses: A preview of key figures on Hispanic/Latino women entrepreneurs.' The report reveals that their businesses have seen significant revenue growth, increasing by an impressive 61.7% between 2019 and 2024. However, there is still a considerable gap to close: if these businesses achieved revenue parity with those owned by Hispanic/Latino men, they would add a staggering $1.7 trillion to the U.S. economy. At the current rate of growth, it will take seven decades for Hispanic/Latino women entrepreneurs to reach parity with their male counterparts. Domenech understands these challenges firsthand. As a Puerto Rican woman, she overcame hurdles to build a successful business focused on supplier diversity. Supplier diversity programs are initiatives implemented by corporations, government agencies, and other organizations to intentionally include enterprises owned by underestimated groups, such as women, pelople of color, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and veterans, in their procurement processes. Working with suppliers that represent the U.S. population helps companies innovate faster, reach new markets, strengthen their supply chains, and even boost their bottom line. 'It's interesting being Puerto Rican in the Hispanic community because we're the one group of Hispanics who are [born] U.S. citizens,' said Domenech. She is a proud Nuyorican, a term initially used to denigrate Puerto Ricans in New York City, but has been reclaimed as a symbol of pride and identity. The Nuyorican movement of the 1960s and 70s brought people together to celebrate their culture through art and activism. It helped people express themselves through art and get involved in making things better. Even now, Nuyorican culture is still going strong, showing how vibrant and tough Puerto Ricans in New York are. Hispanic and Latino women represent 19% of all women in the U.S. and 14.5% of all women-owned businesses, making them less likely to be entrepreneurs than other women's segments. 'We [Hispanic/Latino population] With a grandparent and an aunt who were entrepreneurs, Domenech had good role models. However, her parents believed that the road to the American Dream was to secure a good job with a pension and to work until it was time to retire, although they also encouraged her to chart her own course. Domenech built a successful career in the field of supplier diversity. This experience honed her expertise in value-driven procurement, positioning her as a leading authority in the field. In 2019, Domenech's father was diagnosed with lung disease and needed a lung transplant. Family means everything to her. She took a professional pause to care for her father. After he recovered from the transplant, Domenech returned to the workforce, this time as an entrepreneur. Leveraging her extensive network and reputation, Domenech secured her first contract in 2021, marking the launch of ACE. Despite hurdles, Domenech's company has secured contracts with high-profile clients, demonstrating the growing recognition of the value that Hispanic/Latino women-owned businesses bring to the table. Even in today's environment, Hispanic/Latino women entrepreneurs like Domenech are leveraging their experience in responsible sourcing to access new opportunities and drive economic growth for their clients. Her firm specializes in developing and enhancing supplier diversity programs for a diverse range of clients, including well-known banks, museums, nonprofits, and other types of organizations. Domenech's success highlights the importance of relationships and referrals. The relationships she built during her career continue to open doors for her to potential clients. Even with her early success, Domenech faced challenges in growing her business. Establishing a predictable sales pipeline proved to be a hurdle. To overcome this, Domenech sought out mentors and experts. She highlights the value of surrounding herself with a "dream team" of advisors—accountants, financial advisors, bankers, and attorneys—to navigate the complexities of growing a business. Financing also posed a challenge. Many Hispanic/Latino entrepreneurs are traditionally risk-averse and hesitant to seek outside funding. 'Many of us growing up in Latin America or raised by parents that did, either have access to good debt options, were but educated on how to leverage debt, or were victims of the 'loan shark' environment common in many Latin American countries,' said Ramona Cendano, CPA, CGMA, CFP. She is also the founder and CEO at Fibrick, which provides accounting, bookkeeping, tax preparation, fractional CFO, and payroll services. 'As a result, Latinos are often afraid to use debt as a source of funding for personal or business purposes, missing out on the many advantages that healthy debt habits can offer.' Domenech ultimately did embrace the concept of leveraging financial resources to fuel growth. "It's about shifting the mindset from 'I don't want to owe somebody' to 'How can I bring this infusion into my company to grow?' " she explains. This shift in perspective allowed her to secure a line of credit this year, a move that has undoubtedly contributed to ACE's ongoing success. Domenech's willingness to take calculated risks, seek expert guidance, and adapt her mindset to leverage financial tools for growth showcases a resourceful approach that aligns with the findings of the "2025 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses" report.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz, 2 other bouts set for Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda undercard
Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz, 2 other bouts set for Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda undercard Edgar Berlanga is back in action this July against Hamzah Sheeraz. () (Rich Schultz via Getty Images) Another action-packed night of boxing is making its way onto the summer schedule. The Turki Alalshikh-owned Ring Magazine announced on Thursday night that Shakur Stevenson is set to defend his WBC lightweight title against his mandatory challenger William Zepeda on a Ring Magazine boxing card on July 12 at a venue to be decided in New York. Advertisement Now, Ring Magazine has revealed three more fights for its July 12 card. In the night's co-feature, Britain's Hamzah Sheeraz will move up to super middleweight to take on Nuyorican Edgar Berlanga. Sheeraz (21-0-1, 17 KOs) was fortunate to be awarded a draw in his first world title challenge against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames in February. Standing 6-foot-3, Sheeraz was a giant in the 160-pound weight class and now makes the move up to 168 pounds. Berlanga (23-1, 18 KOs) was also unsuccessful in his lone title challenge. "The Chosen One" rose off the floor to extend Saul "Canelo" Alvarez the 12-round distance for the unified super middleweight title this past September. Berlanga rebounded with a first-round TKO win over Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz in the final fight of his promotional deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing. Advertisement Also on the July 12 show, Alberto Puello is set to defend his WBC super lightweight title against former IBF champion Subriel Matias. Puello (24-0, 10 KOs) won the WBC interim title with a split decision nod over Gary Antuanne Russell this past June. The Dominican was upgraded to full WBC champion soon after and made the first defense of his belt in March, winning a contentious decision over Sandor Martin. Matias (22-2, 22 KOs) became the IBF champion with a fifth-round win over Jeremias Ponce in February 2023. The Puerto Rican managed only one defense of his belt before losing a split decision to Liam Paro in Matias' homecoming fight. Matias has picked up two stoppage wins since his defeat to Paro and now heads into another world title fight. Advertisement Rounding out the card, David Morrell meets Imam Khataev in a light heavyweight clash. Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs), a former two-division WBA (regular) champion, suffered the first loss of his career in a thriller against David Benavidez earlier this year. Khataev (10-0, 9 KOs), a 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, emerged with his hands raised after a 10-round slugfest with Durval Elias Palacio down under on the George Kambosos vs. Jake Wylie undercard. It will be a big step up for Khataev against Morrell, but a win could place him firmly in the mix to challenge for a light heavyweight championship. The event's headliner, Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs), a three-division world champion, won the WBC lightweight title with a decision win in a forgettable fight with Edwin De Los Santos in November 2023. The American southpaw has since made two defenses of his title — a dominant decision win over Artem Harutyunyan this past July, as well as a ninth-round stoppage of Josh Padley in February. Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs) looked like an indestructible force until he came up against Tevin Farmer on the Gilberto Ramirez vs. Chris Billam-Smith undercard this past November. Zepeda recovered from a knockdown to win a controversial split decision over Farmer on that night. Zepeda and Farmer rematched in March, with Zepeda once again edging a close fight — this time by majority decision.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Public Investigator reporter Gina Castro chases readers' tips, wherever they lead
Gina Castro is one of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's newest reporters, but her work has already made its mark on the city. As a Public Investigator reporter on the watchdog team, her job is to investigate readers' tips and find answers to their questions. She's relentlessly covered the fallout of the closure of the Social Development Commission, found answers for tenants clashing with landlords over evictions and air conditioning, and helped save a south side youth homeless shelter from near-certain closure. She's also brought fresh angles and perspectives to the Journal Sentinel's coverage of the Latino community, from the ongoing discussions about how people choose to identify to the lack of historical landmarks commemorating Latino settlement in the Wisconsin. Get to know more about Gina Castro here: Reporting was my ticket out of the service industry. I was quite fed up with working late hours and weekends waiting tables, but I didn't know where else I could work while working on my English literature degree. Sometime during my junior year, a professor forwarded a job posting to the entire class. It was for a part-time general assignment reporter position at a small newspaper in Alabama. I hadn't dabbled in journalism much, but the gig paid a little more than my two restaurant jobs. So, I applied. I figured this experience would inch me closer to my dream of being a science fiction author. Instead, I fell in love with journalism. I added it as my second major. I still haven't given up on fiction writing though. I've never taken a Latino history class. My high school and undergraduate school didn't offer it. Whatever I knew about Puerto Rican history came from stories my mom told me. Sometime in college, I started to feel hungry for my own history. A friend from poetry club told me about Miguel Piñero, a Nuyorican poet. I remember that night diving into his poetry, like "Seekin' the Cause." In between Piñero's words, I saw glimpses of my family's story of leaving Puerto Rico for Brooklyn and the challenges they met there. Then it just became a passion of mine. I wanted to know what growing up in Puerto Rico was like, so I read Esmeralda Santiago's memoir "When I Was Puerto Rican." I wanted to better understand the U.S. policies that affected Santiago's family, so I read the "War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony" by Nelson Denis. I think it's important to know the past to understand the present. History is a crucial foundation that I rely on to report on issues impacting the Latino community. I start with going where they are. And then I just listen. The first investigation I reported stemmed from conversations I had at Voces de La Frontera's annual assembly last winter. I chatted with William Horlick High School students who were organizing to reinstate cash payment for after-school events. Some students said they were missing out on football games and school dances because they didn't have access to bank accounts. At the time, it was my first month in Wisconsin. I didn't even know where Racine was. I don't think I would have ever heard their story if I hadn't gone to the assembly. I used the same approach for reporting on the homeless encampments at Guest House and the closure of the park-and-ride lots this past summer. For those stories, it's important to call Guest House, the Milwaukee County Housing Division and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for their perspective. But it's equally important, if not more, for me to see the encampments myself and hear from the people living there. As a Public Investigator, I'm always hopping from topic to topic. One day, I'm following a tip about contractor theft. The next day, I'm tracking down the owner of a truck that dumped debris in the Borchert Field neighborhood. Then there are the days I'm answering readers' questions, like whether Milwaukee is a sanctuary city or not. It's exciting to dive into something new each day. In the future, I'd like to report on more housing stories. I was flabbergasted when I registered my car at the DMV and learned Wisconsin charges a $75 annual fee for hybrid electric vehicles. I had no idea there were states that would penalize me for wanting to use less gas. On the bright side, I'm mind blown by the cream puffs. I had never heard of such a thing until I randomly picked one up at Mid-Way Bakery. Now, I look for cream puffs at every bakery I see. I think Wisconsin should brag about them more. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Q&A: Get to know Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Gina Castro
