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FOIA Number:
2006-0470-F
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting
Series/Staff Member:
Lowell Weiss
Subseries:
OA/ID Number:
17197
FolderlD:
Folder Title:
Brooklyn (Boricua College) 1/13/00 Boricua / Williamsburg
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
s
92
2
8
2
�Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
001. folder
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
Photocopy of original folder, "Victor Alicea..." [partial] (1 page)
n.d.
RESTRICTION
P6/b(6)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Weiss, Lowell
OA/Box Number:
17197
FOLDER TITLE:
Brooklyn (Boricua College) 1/13/00 Boricua/Williamsburg
2006-0470-F
wr261
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - [44 U.S.C. 2204(a)|
Freedom of Information Act - |5 U.S.C. 552(b)|
PI
P2
P3
P4
b(l) National security classified information 1(b)(1) of the FOIA)
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
an agency 1(b)(2) of the FOIA)
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute |(b)<3) of the FOIA|
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
information |(bX4) of the FOIA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(bX6) of the FOIA)
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes 1(b)(7) of the FOIA]
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
financial institutions |(bX8) of the FOIA)
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
concerning wells 1(b)(9) of the FOIAJ
National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA|
Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA|
Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA|
Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
financial information 1(a)(4) of the PRA|
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA|
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA|
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
of gift.
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
2201(3).
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
�Withdrawal/Redaction Marker
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
AND TYPE
001. folder
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
Photocopy of original folder, "Victor Alicea..." [partial] (1 page)
n.d.
RESTRICTION
P6/b(6)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
Speechwriting
Weiss, Lowell
OA/Box Number:
17197
FOLDER TITLE:
Brooklyn (Boricua College) 1/13/00 Boricua/Williamsburg
2006-0470-F
wr261
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - |44 U.S.C. 2204(a)|
Freedom of Information Act -15 U.S.C. 552(b)|
PI
P2
P3
P4
b(l) National security classified information |(bXI) of the FOIAJ
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
an agency 1(b)(2) of the FOIA]
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute 1(b)(3) of the FOIA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
information 1(b)(4) of the FOIA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(b)(6) of the FOIA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes 1(b)(7) of the FOIA]
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA)
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIA]
National Security Classified Information 1(a)(1) of the PRA]
Relating to the appointment to Federal office 1(a)(2) of the PRA]
Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
financial information [(aX4) of the PRA]
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
and his advisors, or between such advisors |a)(5) of the PRA)
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy 1(a)(6) of the PRA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
of gift.
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
2201(3).
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
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7184017210
BORICUAaN
FAX Transmission Cover Sheet
Boricua College
Brooklyn Campus
Northside Center
186 North 6* Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
voice: (718) 782-2200
FAX: (718)782-2050
E-mail: bcn@Dipeline.com
Please Deliver Im, nedlately
Date:
January 10, 2000
To:
Lowell Weiss
FAX: (202)456-5709
White House Speech-Writer
Francia L. Castro, Director
Development and Communications
From:
6:45 p.m.
i
l
Subject:
Visit of President William Jeffelrson Clinton
-Background information on Boricua College
# of pages: (9) including this cover page
As you may very well appreciate, there have been quite a few interruptions
to my intended 5:45pm fax transmittal of thi information to you, so I'm
glad you said you would be there late.
I have attached the following:
j
• College Institutional Profile - six pages j
• Article from "Caribbean Business" - twc^ pages ( e s a e print cut in two),
n wp p r
I left you a message on your voicemail earlidr, describing an additional 22pp
from the proposal for the Small Business Development Center, that I thought
would be helpful in responding to your question regarding 'sense of
community'. We'll speak further about this tomorrow before I tie up your
fax with this much info.
j
P01
�Mission
The mission .\nd %i)i\h nf llie ( iillegt' are tlcfmed in terms ot llmr
principles of inMiiuiiiHial iikmiiy ['ctkcilng tlie Yueno Kican
experience in New York City:
As a Ptierto Rican institution, Boiiciu C^ollene believes in (hi
inseparability uf culture and cducaliun within the (.vnu-Ai \<t
the social, political, and economic background of Hs sttuleptv
By lytl sillj its Iwrntnp activities on the solution ol'cnmmunily
problems, the College prepares students for cftcctivi- citi/.nislii])
and cojnmumty IcHdership.
As a litjeral arts Inslitution, Boricua C iollege offers students
ihe opportunity to develop mastery of intellectual, affective am!
behavioral skills and a solid foumlalion in ihe LumepLs and
rncthuijb of the hunianities, and the sociiil and physical icienceii.
i
As an itinovative and non-traditional institution, Koi icua nlh r.
sludenls the opportunity to design highly individualized Iwiiiint',
programs and the ability to pursue iliese it their own pace
lowartiL intellectual andcareei goals, Its learning activities an noi
confined to college walls, but conibme llic- world ul hcholatship
and the work-world, in creative and stimulating ways, Mudc-m
progrejs is evaluated throuijb multiple measures reflecting thidiversijyot sliideni goals.
As a developing Institution, Boricua maintains a comprehftHivt'
planning and decision making process that includes the panic iparinn nf all scgrnents of the College, ll prottioies an n])en eN-chanye
ol'ulca* and thf drvclnpmcnt ol trust and respect thioughtnn ;HI1
areas ofthc College and is dedicated to coptmuous renewal in
responte to the changing urban environments.
Acajdemic P r o g r a m s
Uorieula CoUega ufftn ii* utiiiergiaduah' and r>w> uruduuu:
degree programs:
Auoci ice in Art*
• Lib< raJ Arts and Sciences
Bathe or of Science in
• Hut lan Services
- Elcnentary Education
• Pus ness Administration
Bache or of Arts in
• Lib< ral Arts and Sciences
• Intc r-American Studies
Mastet of Science
• Hu^ian Services
Mastei- of Arts
• Latih American and Caribbean Studies
�©
7184017210
P02
BORICUA*N
Faculty
In order to serve its student population most effectively, Boricua recruits f fully bilingual faculty composed of 107 members:
Full-time faculty - Filiy-one Educational Facilitators carry out the primal y instruction within the College's unique educational
model, and are responsible for the major portion of each student's acadei lie program,
Part-time faculty - Kfty-six adjunct faculty teach traditional coursework.'
A c c r e d i t a c i o n and A f f i l i a t i o n s
j
Boricua College is a member of the Middle States Association of Colleges md Schools, the CommUsion on Independent College
and UniversilicA, the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Ul iversities, the College and University Personnel
Association, the National Assoriaiion of Colleges and University Rnsiness Officers and the American Association on Higher
Education,
Boricua Students
Boricua admits students, seventeen years of age and older, who possess a h|gh school diploma or equivalent, and whu pass a
written and oral owimination.
The majority of Boricua students—82% of the total student body—are w >men in their late twenties (average age in 1999:
30 years), Seven often students work and raise children while completmgj their degree.
r
I
During its first decade Boricua's student body grew steadily, reaching a piik of over 1,100 in 1984 and remaining relatively
constant since. At the same time, the educational background of enten'nglstudents improved and the retention and completion
rates grew. The career goals of entering students has shifted significantly. Interest in city government service continues or a
.steady plane, while interest in business and the professions has increased. In response to the public school system's drive to recruit
bilingual teachers, enrollment in Boricua's baccalaureate program in elenlentary education has risen dramatically.
r :
Fall 93-94 j
1,107
'> •.*•!
! ': /
.
*
Fall 94-95
1,039
97% HlSPAKK
Ch«r*ct«rlKl«
Vcir
of the Sti id«nt Body
9 8 % HlSHAlMlC.
:
29
2 % NON-HlSPAKfIC
|
28
3% NON-HUPANIC
i
1,030
97% HISPANIC
3% NON-HISPANIC
28
1.0)8
94% HBPAVIC
6% Kort-HiiPANic
27
1,154
88% HISPANIC
it
Fall 95-96 ;
Fall 96-97 i
i
)2%
NON-HISPANK:
1,088
85% HISPANIC
15% NOK-HISPAN1C
29
1,189
85% HISPANIC
15% NON-HISPAW:
30
Tall 97-98
Fall 98-99
Fall 99-00
:
�7184017210
BORICUA*N
P03
Graduated
In its 25 year history, Boricua has held twenty-three aiinual Commencements through June, 1999
and conferred degrees to
students;
Bachelor blsdbant^HuinanSeriricti
Bachelor of Arts/Liberal Art* and Sci nces
Master of Science/Human Services . j.
1.1,003
128
4
Campus and Facilities
i
The college owns five buildings and operates three learning centers in Hew York City near major population concentrations uf
Puerto Bicans and other Latinos, Tour buildings house faculty and adr^inistraiive offices, classrooms, a library, common meeting
rooms and laboratories for computer sciences, language and mathematjes, A fifth, is a four-story brownstone currently under
renovation to provide faculty housing.
Manhattan Campus
Brooklyn Citnpu*
• Noithsidc Center
• Graham Center
3755 Broadway (155th sfreet)
212 694-1U00 /•flx;212|iS»4-10l5
New York, New York 10032
e-mail: bcm^pipeline.com
186 North 6th Street
718 782-2200 Pax; 718 [82-2050
e-mail; bcne'pipeline.wm
9 Graham Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 112(16
Brooklyn, New York 11211
7l8yfei-4iu Fax:'/1ajiw-34/i e-maif, bcgriffpipeline.com
-
Cultural and Community Programsi
I
The College's philosophy maintains that quality in education is judged by the degree to which students develop an understanding
of their cultural heritage nnd a sense of responsibility toward the Latino tomnmnity, tor this benefits society as a whole. 1 b th is end
the college sponsors several culturfil and community activities each yeaf, that bring together students with community leaders,
artists, and elected officials, These include lectures, films, seminars, pariel discussions and conferences, concerts and recitals, arl
exhibitions, and performances of drama and dance,
The Puerto Rican and Latino Poetry Series
The Poetry Scries was inaugurated ill 1968 and is held four times a yedj-. The College sponsors poetry readings by prominenl
Puerto Rican and Latino poets and writers followed by discussion with invited critics. Students and community members are also
encouraged to participate in ihis effort to promote a literary and cultural heritage.
Arti«t in-Residence Program and Boricua College Chorus
Uf special significance is boricua's continuing program of Anist-in-Rc5i|len<;e ealablislied in 1982. Mr. Abraham Lind-Oquendu, jn
outstanding Puerto Rican singer and educator was thefirst,and current, director. Mr. T.ind-Oquendo performs frequently as a soloist
in his own right, and as a representative of the college. He is also the organizer, coach and conductor of the Boricua College Chorus
i
The Chorus, composed of amateur and semi-professional singers drawji from the community, the student body and the faculty,
has performed extensively in the New York metropolitan area in a variety of concert halls, churches, and educational Institutions.
Included, among others, are Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Town Hal|, Merkin Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral. Riverside Church,
Fordham University, Baruch College, Lehman College and Columbia University. It has also participated in concert tours of
Puerto Rico and the San Francisco area. The Chorus also pcrfbrms at the annual commencement exercises. Puerto Rican and
Latin American artists of international renown appear as soloists in special performances with the Colleges Chorus.
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B0RICUA*N
P04
Milestones in the History of Boricua
Bui iam College was founded in early 1974 liy a planning (earn headed liy Victor G. Alicea, and included Agustin Rivera, M.ni.i
Montes Morales, Clarice Stiff, Julie Mathis, Hector Monies, Blanca Cedeno, Chaiiferson, and |ose Moscoso, Vice-Chair of the
Board of Trustees, The College was founded in response to the distressingly high rate of Puerto Rican and Hispanic snident
attrition from the public high sihools and college system of New York Cily; rates that reached almost hJ% by the I V/u's, rlespm'
its "open enrollment" policy
,
Jn 1973, a three year study sponsored by the Puerto Rican Research and ficsoiirces Center was completed by Dr. Victor (1. Alicea
and [Ulie Mathis. The studv focused on the educational achievement of 1'iierto Hicans and other t.atlnos in three cities, and
identifid significant factors that motivate or inhibit latino students fron) achieving Iheir educational goals. Issues of culture,
language, self-id en lit)', racism, jobs, economic status, complex family structures, and undeveloped academic skills, were among
the major critical factors identified. The College's planners believed that if these problems were mitigated, the disastrous college
illrition rates Ol' Puerto Riran find oLher Latino students could be reverseli. The planners were also gu.ded by findings of Kres,d,ni
Johnson's National Commission on Higher Education, in the early 1970'*, that, focused public attention on how and why large
numbers of American minorities, primarily African-Americans and l.atirtos lagged behind in educational attainmem. Among
the major conclusions of the Commission was that the existing college syitcm was not working properly. It itlentitied aspects oi
traditional institutions that could be mobilized to solve these problems as; well as non-traditional innovative educational siratcgies:
independent study, individualized instruction, educational technology, experiential study, internships, use of instructional
modules, competency based curricula, '^n^rjbased'^ifisiructional methodology, small class size that encourages active stude.ni
participation, assessment-based masteryatMof life-experience porifnlios„and alternative culture-based instimtions.
One year of focus-group discussions led the College planners to integral^ several non-traditional educational strategies with
traditional methods, 'fhe rcsull was an educational model that builds on the cultural and language .strengths of situiemt. Within ih.it
context, il helps students develop the cognitive, affective and motoric-behjavioral competencies required for mastery of the multi
discipline content of the liberal arts and sciences and the professions. Thuis, the Boricua College experiment began, and
continues to this day.
[ Q Q Boricua < allege opens its doors in rented quarters at Graham Avenue in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.
Twenty-six-students enroll in a two-year Associate in Arts degree ptogratn, pending New York s u u authori/aiio...
I E S I The New York State Board of Regents grants Boricua a Provisional Charter,fc.nrollme.Hrises to 74 and a search begins for
a new learning center to be located in Manhattan.
••rw-JThf Middle States AKSocialion of Colleges and Schools accepts Boricua as a "candidate" for accreditation, A Manhattan
leamine center is opened on 112th Street and Broadway, in close proxiniity to Columbia University and Bank M.ree. College
ol Education. Total enrollment rises to 174.
I f t B I The college purchases the property housing the Graham Avenut Learning Center and confers its firsi eleven Associate
in Attji degrees,
j
f f m Enrollment rises to 455 at its two centers and at its Second Commencement, nineteen Associate in Arts degrees
are conferred.
j
- . . . - I The New York State education Pepartment grants four-year cJllege status, authorizing the awarding of Bachelor of
Sence degrees m FlemenUry Education, Human Services and Businest Administration, and a bachelor of Arts device i w h
the assistance of Bank Street College of Fducation and Pace University partnerships). Student enrollment nset above f>l)0,
�Milestones in the History of Boricua
l U i i i f l T h c Middle Stntes Association grants the College full accreditation. The Manhattan Learning Center moves to historic
Audubon t errace at Broadway rul 155th Street where Boricua j>urch* a four-story landmark building from the American
Geographic Snciel y. As part ofthc purchase, the College receives a coL^tion of over 9,000 maps wmiing every part of the world,
At this location, the Ci.llcj;e is surrounded by Columbia University and other educational institutions to its south, and Columbia
Treshyterian I tospital and other health care institutions to its north.
<(
w
|The New York Stale Board of Regents grants Boricua an Absolute Charter. It is the first such charter in the State's bisiory, :
granted 10 a private, minority institution ot" higher learning. In the Cortege's Pifth Commencement, 186 degrees are conferred.
\
l E Q i T o accommodate a growing student body in Brooklyn, BoriciU purchases a complex of three buildings of the former
Si. t-'rancis Preparatory High School in the titeenpoint section of Urooidyn, Before it can be occupied, it \$ heavily damaged by
tire. Although hampered by limited funds, a major reconstruction effort begins. Despite this setback, enrollment at the Graham
Avenue- Brooklyn Campus and Manhattan Audubon Terrace Campus jsurpasses 1,000 students.
U E B i O n e year after the fire, the renovated main building at the Grcfcnpoint, Brooklyn Campus reopens. Enrollment cuntinues
io Increase above 1,000 sludenix.
!
U l i U l-'ebruary marks the (Jollcge's tenth anniversary. In September, the North American Congress on Latin America (NAQ.AJ
donates 14,000 volumes of historical material and other works on the oounmes of Latin America and the Caribbean region, Al iti \
tighth Commencement, 270 degrees are conferred,
In its Ninth Coininencerm-nl a new record is set with 293 degrtes conferred.
•
Boricua celebrates its Tenth Commencement awarding 216 degrees. Enrollment remains steady near 1,000 level.
| The New York Stare Legislature grants $150,000, the first of a series of grants, for the renovation of the landmark ;
Manhattan Anduhiin Terrace ramfiiis building.
I he College community begins an intensive, year-long, self-study in preparation for a major review of its academic
programs by the New York Stale Education Department. 1 he tord Motor Company grants $50,000 to seed the College;*
is
N
endowment fund.
U Z I I At year's end, the State Hducation Department's Academic Review Team completes its work and confirms continued
authomation of all the College's programs. Paul Caballero, a Puerto Hican community leader and educator, bequeaths his
personal estate and perwnal library worth $2H7000 to Boricua.
)
"Phe lournal of Kducilional facilitation (ILF), the College's llrit scholarly periodical, is initially published. The final phase
in tht one million dollar renovation ol the Wesi Wing of the Manhattan Campus at Audubon Terrace is completed; in large part |
due to generous grants from the Slate Legislature. The restored West Wing is named in honor of the late Dean Hector I. Monies, f
one of Boricua's first faculty members. The new wing provides the campus an additional 10,000 squarefeetof new floor space |
and houses a state-of-thc-arr library/reading room, faculty offices, andiart gallery.
•
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:
I I X U Preparation begins for rhe comprehensive accreditation self-study required every ten years by the Middle States
,
Association of (iollcges and Schools, Approval is granted by the Stale Eklucaiion Department for a Bilingual Certificate program asj
a supplement to the bachelors degree program in Elementary Education.
| Studcnis travel to Mexico for the first Summer Cycle Abroad program. Decentralization of administrative departments is
achieved to improve linancial aid and tutoring services to students.
�©
7184017210
P05
BORICUAaN
l E Q f l T h c Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools again Approves the College's accreditation through the year ::0().V
The College (Ihorus is invited to perform at the today s Artists senes in San i rancisco. At the 17th Commencement, t04 degrees
are conferred,
| Boricua prepares 10 celebrate its Twentieth Anniversary. New computer laboratories are installed at all three centers,
with state-ot-lhe-ari software available to all students, Computerization of the Finance Department begins, and direct linkages
are established with the Federal Department of Education tofod]itate;thcprocessing of student financial aid. I he Business
Administration Program receives the first grant from the New York Direct Marketing Association. (This grant has continued on
H yearly basis lo tlie present, with gifts ranging from $3,000 to the current 1999-99 gift of $14,000). An institutional Self-Study
begins towards the 1995-9f> New Yurk State Education Department accreditation site visit, and extends throughout the year.
The College I'rep program is redesigned, inlroducing curriculum alterhativcs,
MTTUwnrk begins on the development of curriculum for Master's Itvel programs in preparation to petition the State
Education Pepartment for authorization to award the Master's degreei The College awards its second Honorary Doctor of'Laws
degree to Congressman Charles Rangcl for his years of service and dedicated commiiment to the Latino community.
[ E H The Commission on Higher Hducation (CHE) accepts the College's petition for a Master's Degree level and a Charter
amendment is approved, granting the College authority to award Master of Science and Master of Arts degrees. The New York
State education Departmenl reaffirms the College's accreditation.
| In Spring 1997-98 the first nine students begin classes in the ni-w Masters level program in Human Services: the new
Master of Arts program in Latin American and Caribbean Studies registers its first three students. Associate Deans and Paeuky
are invited to speak on the College's educational philosophy and model at three higher education institutions in Puerto Kico.
They visit, conduct kctores, and dialogue with faculty and staff of the University of Puerto Rico, Inter-American University, and
Colegio del Sagrado Corazon. A $2.5 million renovation of the institution's gymnasium and other facilities begins. The College s
Chorus tours Puerto Rico, and also presents its two annual chorale concerts at Easter and Christmas in New York City.
f r n T l The College's Periodic Review Report is accepted by the Commission on Higher Education (CHE) and accreditation is
reaffirmed. A firsi Alumni Reunion is held in )uly. The Department of Commerce awards the College's Business Adminiauaiion
Program $55,000 to conduct a study of the business corridor near its Manhattan Campus.
, ^ The College begins its 25th anniversary celebration. ThefirstJour Master of Science degrees are conferred to Human
SerYiccti program students. Jbe Christian A. Johnson Endeavor foundation awards $100,000 for ihe compuieri/aiiun of the
College's library of instructional modules. Expansion of other curriculum offerings in environmental health, and medical technology
begins with future degree programs in mind. The College is awarded a $2 million grant from the Department of Education tor a
five year project to computerize and tnmsfnrm the general administration, library, and academic programs, and to develop three
specialized electronic classrooms. President Alicea is awarded the NeW York State Assembly's legislative award tor twenty.five
years of meritorious seivice in higher education. TheCr:oUe^confo«.l»s^
Administrator of the-U.S. Small Buaincjss Administration, the first Puifrto Rican to sem on the President's Cabinet.
n
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Boricua C le e
og
A T R A P I T I U N OP I. T A a N I N C
?
Brodklyn Northside Center
Brooklyn Graham Center
Manhatttn C«ntcr
1H& N u J l l l Orh S t r t c l
9 Graham Hvrnne
Brooklyn, New York 11206
718 963-4112 i-'ajf; 718 9fi. t-3473
e-mail: bcgr#p<peliiir.i01i)
3755 Broadway
New York, N e " York. ltiOJ2
212 69410O0 fax: 212 694-11115
e-mail: Ixin^pipelinc.Cuni
Brooklyn, New York 11211
718 782-2200 i-av. ) 18 782-2050
f-muil. hcnC'tfpipeline.iom
:
�22
CAJtiBBI
MISIMFSX THURSDAY, OCTORF.R 28, 1999
Puerto Rican college keeps Hispanic students in school
New York-based Boricua College retains students through
bilingual, cultural, and individualized education
"We design our class schedules so that they
are compatible with students' working hours,"
1 4Tt is our fabulous little secret," says Boricua Alicea says.
6
JLCollege President Victor Alicea of the first
Half of the students are Puerto Rican; 35% are
iprivate, four-year, bilingual institution in ibe Hispanics from 11 different Latin Americas
[States devoted to educating Puerto Ricans and countries; 8% are African American, and (he
lOther Hispanics.
remaining 7% are a split between Italian and
"Very few people on the mainland are aware Polish. About 78% are females.
that Puerto Ricans have a private, accredited
college in New York," he adds, noting that the
college is accredited by the Middle States
Association of Colleges and Schools.
Boricua College was founded 26 years ago by
a group of Puerto Ricans—including Alicea—
who, prompted by statistics showing that more
than 60% of Puerto Ricans entering New York's
public scfrtrol-system were- dropping OTTT.
decided to establish a private institution that
would cater to the needs of Hispanic students ia
New York.
"Back in the 1960s, the New York public
school system was like a revolving door for
Boricua CoOfge emphasizes pmorudhztd education
Puerto Ricans—they dropped out as soon as
they went in, and 63% of them didn't even get tbrovgit an mUvidualized mitruction model cansisshtg ef smoB cLutts with an Mverap eflO studena,
their high school diplomas," Alicea says.,
25 mt the most, and one-en-on* testtons. "Beonaeef
attributing the high drop-out rate to economic,
MKT indurithuilntd mstnutwn, we have m 82%
social, and cultural reasons.
reUMSOH rau, 'isyi Victor Alicea, pmidettt
"We know that our people have a strong motivation for education, so die issue had to do with
systemic problems—lack of bilingual education
"More than 50% of the population in the
and Ptwrto Ric&i teachers, economic pressures, Broftx [ow of New York's five bofCHt^is} and a
prejudice, etc.," he adds. All of Boricua quarter of" New York City's is Hispanic—thatls
College's "educajigpal fy&tittors,,'' or tercher^ more than 2 miHion Hispflucs in the city; 3nd
are bilingual (English and Spanish).
more than 1 million of them are Puerto Ric
icans/
More than 6,000 students have graduated Alicea notes.
from Boricua College since its beginnings io
Students don't have to speak Spanish to
BY GISELLE T R E
ORS
y
\r\r\
c n
their last year. The students are placed to work
in areas related to their majors.
SEEKING BALANCE
The college emphasizes personalized education through an individualized instruction model
consisting of small classes with an average of
10 students, 25 at the most, and one-on-one sessions. The student-faculty ratio is 15 lo 1 and
"eliminates having to have counselors and all
those support positions," Alicea says.
"Because of our individualized instruction, we
have an 82% retention rate. If you're Hispanic
and you have teachers who are bilingual and of
your same culture, and a college that relates,
you feel that you're in a supportive environment
and you stay."
The individualized instrucTTdh model enables
the school to focus on the intellectual abilities
of each student. "We teach critical thinking
skills, not memorization." AUcea explains. "We
teach them how to think, analyze, create knowledge from information, and decide i f that
knowledge is'relevant or not Memorization is
the old way of teaching, one that is very much
alive but that doesn't work.
3
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Z
CHALLENGES
Boricua College has secured a $2.5 million
grant to keep up with technology and establish
what Alicea describes as "electronic classrooms." The school is in negotiations with several institutions m Puerto Rico to obtain access
to their computerized resources.
-0
o
. _ .TM.Cfiiteg£..qr8ftTiiMS funri-raifiing flvemutu
help students pay for tuition, which costs about
$6,000 a year. "Working students are at a disadvantage because they can't get as much finan-
OS
�students, with about 31KJ graduating eacn year are retjuireu IU laxc jpauisu miu rucnu ixi^o
with associate, bachelor's, or master's degrees history classes. "We tell them that this is a
in elementary education, business administnu- PtiCTto Riran roltegf.—the board, the administion. human services, Latin American and tration, the faculty are Puerto Rican—so if they
Caribbean studies, and environmental health, decide to join us they do it with that in mind,"
be says.
among others.
The college seeks to serve cultural and social
The typical Boricua College student is of Puerto
Rican or Latin American descent, in his or her functions as well as an educational purpose. All
late 20* (29 is the average age), works al a low Boricua College students ate required to perform 180 hours of community service during
paying job, and struggles to support a family.
dents receive less and less as graduation
approaches. Jt is unfortunate, but that's the way
it is. So we do what we can to help them pay for
tuition, which we try to keep as low as possible."
Boricua College has two campuses in New
York, one in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan,
and plans to open another in the Bronx. "We
expect to identify the location next year." •
It's in the name
B
oricua College took its name from the
Taino (Tah-ee-noh) Indians who for
hundreds of years inhabited Puerto Rico
before Christopher Columbus discovered
the island in 1492. The Tainos called Puerto
Rico "Boriken." or "land of the brave lord.*'
Over time, inhabitants of Boriken have
come to call themselves Puerto Ricans,
Boriquenos, Borincanos, and Boricuas.
3
05
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ro
>
�Page 1 of 5
Brooklyn - Williamsburg History
Williamsburg History
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Social history is written on the landscape. You can see the history of the post-World War II America,
suburbs and city, from an airplane when you fly over Detroit. The class warfare of the 1880s is
visible on the jetting struts of the missing bridges on the Chicago River, bridges the Chicago elite had
removed to keep the workers out of downtown after the Haymarket Riot. The physical differences
between the Williamsburg and Brooklyn Bridges - one noble, one barely functional - embody the
socio-economic differences between the respective neighborhoods they connect, at least at the time
when the bridges were built. Social history is written in capital letters on neighborhoods like
Williamsburg.
The architecture sprinkled throughout Williamsburg testifies to the depth and richness of New York's
history. This neighborhood, an area often on the periphery of the city's economic and political life,
has historic buildings that would qualify as landmarks in many other cities. In some other city these
vestiges of past vitality would be rare and valued, but here they sit underutilized or abandoned. Only
fifteen minutes from the world's most expensive property, Williamsburg's waterfront spends another
decade decaying, waiting for the plan.
These plans can hit like bombs. In 1954, Robert Moses ran the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
(B.Q.E.) right through the center of the community. Now the City Planning Commission is
considering re-zoning to open up warehouse space to national retailers like Bradley's, K-Mart and
Wal-Mart (New York Times February 19, 1995). Nothing has been decided, and this Brooklyn
waterfront may be too run-down to be rolled through, but dramatic plans have fallen on Williamsburg
before.
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�Brooklyn - Williamsburg History
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The top-down, sweeping way the B.Q.E. project was executed contrasts with the economic activities
that have traditionally sustained this neighborhood. In every period of Williamsburg's centuries of
history - from independent village, to industrial incubator, to Holy City, to artistic enclave - positive,
creative energy has mostly come as a collection of competing, small sparks. This neighborhood is too
diverse and fragmented for any one kind of residence or commercial venture.
In 1961 Williamsburg had 93,000 manufacturing jobs. Now there are less than 12,000. Property
values have dropped steadily since the B.Q.E. came through and, on average, they continue to drop.
The housing shortage still exacerbates Hasidic-Hispanic tension. Yet Williamsburg, like all of New
York, is far from rock-bottom. As you used to see from the renovated warehouses to El Puente to the
new synagogue, the vigor in parts of Williamsburg is positively palatable.
Early Political History
An independent village was established in 1664. Williamsburg remained a small farming community
until the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. Kings County, including Williamsburg, had the highest
number of slaves per capita in New York until the abolition of slavery in 1827.
The Williamsburg of the early Nineteenth Century was dominated by the two competing ferry
operators that carried farm products to markets in Lower Manhattan. Each ferry operated established
an independent series of gated roads leading to their ferries.
In 1802 one of the operators, Richard Woodhull, hired his friend Coronel Jonathan Williams, a
United States army engineer, to map out the Cripplebush waterfront. The piece north of what is now
the Wallabout Channel was named for this surveyor. Coronel Williams never lived here. Coronel
Williams main distinction is that he is a distant relative of Benjamin Franklin and served as
Franklin's secretary in France during the American Revolution.
Williamsburg became an independent City in 1827, joining Brooklyn in 1855. A financial scandal,
involving allegations of corruption by the mayor and a revolt by the board of alderman, forced
Williamsburg to merge with Brooklyn in 1855. During the Civil War, The Monitor, the world's first
ironclad warship, was built in Williamsburg.
Later Political History
State Senator Patrick McCarren began introducing bills for the construction of a bridge to Manhattan
in 1884. When local civic leaders organized in 1895, the bridge proposal finally went through and the
Williamsburg Bridge opened in 1903.
The opening of the bridge caused explosive population growth and accelerated elite flight from
Williamsburg. The population of the neighborhood, mostly housed in six-story tenements, reached its
peak in the 1910s and included blocks with the highest population densities and infant mortality rates
in all of the newly unified Greater New York.
In the 1920s, manufacturing increased as rapidly as the population had in the pervious decades.
Increasing manufacturing, followed by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, have lead to a steady
decline in Williamsburg population over the last 75 vears.
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�Brooklyn - Williamsburg History
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In the 1930s, the New Deal brought the Williamsburg Houses, the city's first housing project, built on
a human scale with the aesthetic integrity of that energetic era.
As Williamsburg had some of the worst housing stock in the city, urban renewal came early to the
neighborhood. In the 1950s and 1960s, wholesale slum clearance began in earnest. Partially, because
demolition came first, the housing projects did not increase the overall number of housing units in the
neighborhood.
In 1954, the B.Q.E. was finished. The highway and off-ramp displaced 5,000 people immediately,
with many more effected through a ripple effect, and utterly destroyed the integrity of the retail center
of downtown Williamsburg.
Manufacturing also began to decline in the 1950s. In the 1950s and 1960s, Williamsburg became
predominantly Puerto Rican, with a majority Hasidic population in the southwest comer, Italians to
the West, Poles in the North near Greenpoint.
The 1970s were bad times for the neighborhood and the city as a whole. Williamsburg saw rampant
increases in arson, crime, and flight out. But the first effective grassroots community activism in the
recent period also began in the 1970s.
In the 1980s Williamsburg was colonized by the first Manhattan-refugee artists. In 1985, the Board of
Estimate authorized residential use of commercial loft space. Dominicans, Ecuadorians, new Poles,
Mexicans, and Chinese also joined the mix.
In recent years the fate of public pools, the ethnic make up of public housing, reports of
environmental threats, ball-fields and synagogue construction have mobilized various constituencies.
Economics and Demographics
Williamsburg (spelled "Williamsburgh" at the time) became an independent city at just the moment
when the New York area was set to become the most important port and financial center in the
Western Hemisphere, just after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. Because of the Erie Canal and
the prominence of nearby New York, Williamsburg experienced explosive growth during its period
as an independent city, from 1827 to 1855. The independent village of Williamsburg had 1000
resident in 1827 and almost 40,000 by 1850.
In the late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries, the neighborhood's position near both an active
port and major market made it an ideal incubator for new businesses. The waterfront was cluttered
with docks, shipyards, warehouses, distilleries, taverns, mills, metal works, breweries, and small
sugar refineries. Among the companies registered in the independent city of Williamsburg were D.
Appleton & Company, U.S. publisher of Alice in Wonderland and Charles Darwin's Origin of
Species, and Pratt's Astral Oil Works, which later merged and became Standard Oil. Brooklyn Flint
Glass became Coming Glassware. The Hecla Iron Works decorated Manhattan monuments like the
St. Regis Hotel and the Dakota. Williamsburg was also a notable vacation spot for the super-rich,
with resorts catering to the likes of Commodore Vanderbilt and James Fisk.
Havemeyers & Elder Sugar Refining, founded by the son of a mayor of New York City, is now called
Amstar and still maintains a sugar refinery on the Northside producing sugar by the brand name
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�Brooklyn - Williamsburg History
Page 4 of 5
Domino.
Before the completion of the Williamsburg Bridge, the capitalists and owners of Williamsburg
generally lived in Williamsburg. In The Wealthy Men and Women of Brooklyn and Williamsburg
(1847), one out of every five individuals with assets over 10,000 dollars lived in Williamsburg,
although the population of independent Williamsburg was about one-tenth that of Brooklyn as a
whole. Although in decline from 1880, Williamsburg maintained a genuine elite until World War I,
when the neighborhood became solidly working-class and poor. A few remnants of the patrician past
remain.
New York became a major financial center because it was a major port. Both the stock market and
the U.S. Government (and its main source of tariff revenue) depended on shipping in New York.
Similarly, Williamsburg's port spilled over into finance. This financial activity has left the
neighborhood with some of its finest architecture.
Ethnic Diversity and Ethnic Politics
No one ethnicity has ever dominated Williamsburg as a whole. Norwegians, French Huguenots,
Italians, Swedes and one free African family were among the original 23 families of Het Strand on
the East River. Today the census says Williamsburg is 49% Hispanic (predominantly Puerto Rican
with rapidly increasing numbers of Dominicans and Ecuadorians), 40% non-Hispanic White
(including Italians, Poles, Hasidim, and the majority of those called Bohemians or Yuppies), 9% nonHispanic Black (many foreign-bom), and 2% Asian (from all over).
By the 1880s, Poles, Russians (mostly Jewish) and Italians began joining the previous Irish, German,
and Austrian pluralities. Today 30% of the neighborhood is foreign-bom and 80% of the school
children speak a language other than English in the home.
The Seneca Club, established at the end of the Nineteenth Century as a Brooklyn branch of the
Kelly's Democratic Political Machine, set up an extensive network of precinct captains and patronage
jobs - in every neighborhood, church and synagogue - and had an unblemished record for winning
elections from 1900 to the mid-1960s.
In the 1950s and 1960s Williamsburg lost Irish, Italians and non-Hasidic Jews while Puerto Ricans
and Hasidim moved in. Washington started sending in urban renewal money. These new dynamics
presented the Seneca Club with a number of new challenges and possibilities. The recent history of
public housing construction, from 1958 to 1975, is intimately tied to the ethnic politics of the Seneca
Club.
In general, the older leaders of the weakened Seneca Club choose to favor the Hasidim over Puerto
Ricans. The Spanish-speaking immigrants remained effectively disenfranchised and politically
disorganized until the early 1970s.
Unlike Puerto Ricans (or even the Lubavitcher Hasidim of Crown Heights), the Satmar and other
Hasidic sects of Williamsburg banned members from running for office. The Hasidim had a
hierarchical structure, spoke with a single voice and voted as a block. Unlike the Satmar and other
sects, the Hispanic community of the 1950s and 1960s had no internal power brokers who could
enforce a deal. In the Hasidim, the hierarchical Seneca Club had found an ideal new constituency,
one that offered no threat to their own positions, one with which they could make a deal.
The Housing and Urban Development and members of the Seneca Club built Independence Towers
and Jonathan Williams Plaza in 1965, setting aside 75% for White inhabitants. After failing to
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�Brooklyn - Williamsburg History
Page 5 of 5
encourage non-Hasidic orthodox Jews to move in, the builders installed Shabbes Elevators - stopping
on every floor on the Sabbath so no one would have to push a button - and pitched the buildings to
the Satmar Rebbe.
In the 1970s the enfeebled Seneca Club retreated into obscurity. From this point on, Hasidim and
Hispanics would cooperate and fight without intermediaries.
Due to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, by 1970 Literacy and English-proficiency tests had been
completely eliminated from Williamsburg and Puerto Ricans, United States citizens, were now free
to vote without serious impediment. In 1972 a number of political institutions dedicated to
representing Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics were either founded in or opened branches in
Williamsburg, including a collaboration with the Epiphany Roman Catholic Church called Southside
United Housing Development Fund (Los Sures - The Southerns), the Brooklyn Legal Services
Corporation, the Ad Hoc Committee for the Southside Triangle, and the Puerto Rican Defense Fund.
The Brooklyn Villas are a politically complicated development currently under construction off of
Bedford Avenue. The Satmar agreed to provide private funds for 300 units, the Epiphany Church and
the New York City Housing Authority would provide some 300 more, all on land owned by Housing
Preservation and Development.
Public housing, even private development, continues to be a divisive issue in the neighborhood.
In July 1990, a retarded Hasidic man was arrested for fondling an Hispanic woman. 300 Hasidic men
protested at the 90th precinct. They were later rebuked by the Rebbe.
Hispanics and Hasidim have cooperated in their opposition to the Brooklyn Navy Yard incinerator
and on other environmental issues. The fate of the block between Driggs and Bedford Avenues and
South 8th and South 9th Streets is a major point of contention.
HL B R
I KUG
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Will's Email
[Main] [BBS] [Community} [Neighborhoods] [Eun] [News] [Chat] [Classifieds] [History] [MaU]
/n] [Mycardj
isljcmd!
http://www.brooklynonline.com/cgi-bin/wmsbghistory
1/11/2000
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lowell Weiss
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lowell Weiss
Office of Speechwriting
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1997-2001
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36408">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431951">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2006-0470-F
Description
An account of the resource
This collection consists of the speechwriting files of Lowell Weiss. Lowell Weiss worked as a Special Assistant to the President, Presidential Speechwriter from June 1997 - August 2000. Weiss traveled and wrote speeches for President Clinton on domestic issues. His speeches cover a broad array of topics. Major issues he wrote on concern the environment, education, the economy, and race relations. He wrote weekly radio addresses; commencement speeches; and remarks for bill signings, events, and conferences. The records consist of speeches, drafts, memoranda, correspondence, schedules, event and travel arrangements, notes, articles, and printed email.
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
464 folders in 36 boxes
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Brooklyn (Boricua College) 1/13/00 - Boricua/Williamsburg
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Office of Speechwriting
Lowell Weiss
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2006-0470-F
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Box 4
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36408">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/20760829">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Adobe Acrobat Document
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
Preservation-Reproduction-Reference
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
20760829
42-t-7431951-20060470-F-004-009-2015