Intellectually Entertaining. Socially Relevant.
Eileen was born in The Bronx, to Puerto Rican parents. She grew up thinking the whole world was Latino. Moving to Rockland County in upstate New York taught her it wasn’t. One more move in 1976, brought her to Hudson County, New Jersey where she currently resides. She attended Rutgers-Newark where she majored in Social Work with a minor in Puerto Rican studies. Eileen credits her history professor, Dr. Olga Wagenheim, for the spark and impetus to search out her roots in a pre-computer era. The daughter of a minister, she credits her father for the activism, volunteerism and search for justice that have characterized her adult years.
The mother of two adult daughters, Eileen has worked in the Juvenile Justice system for twenty-eight years. She acts as a liaison between the Juvenile Detention Center and the Juvenile Court.
Writing was something she shared with family. Stories and songs for her children and Christmas tales for the extended family. She now shares her writing with a larger family, the Being Latino family.
Latinos Doing Their Thing… Spoken word poetry, like Salsa music, is a New York City creation. From the sancocho pot that is NYC came the trailblazers; artists like Gil Scott-Heron and Felipe Luciano opened the imaginations of kids sitting at home with a pencil and a piece of paper. One of those kids that heeded… [Continue Reading]
If there were a time machine that could take you back to your childhood would you take it? While not all of our childhoods had an idyllic look or feel to them, there is a certain magic and charm in our childhood memories. There was no Disney World when I was a child and, even… [Continue Reading]
There are very few people who don’t admire Ricky Martin. Whether it’s for his talent, his philanthropy, or the way he lives his life with honesty and elegance, you have to give him kudos for reaching adulthood without succumbing to the evils thrown at almost anyone who enters the entertainment arena as a child. Having… [Continue Reading]
The moment that the news of a Jersey Shore pregnancy was announced, Being Latino sent out an investigative news team to bring you the undercover scoop. As with any other hard hitting news story, there is more than meets the eye. Initial reports indicated that “The Situation” was not pleased with the announcement. Witnesses have… [Continue Reading]
I have never met anyone whose life has not been impacted by cancer in one way or another. So, the question posed is, can cancer be funny? In the right hands, the answer is a resounding yes. I recently had the opportunity to attend the premiere of a new web series. Happy Cancer Chick comes… [Continue Reading]
Life is a balancing act, and sometimes emotional responses to external stimuli requires some research; especially when those emotional responses are ridiculed and debunked by others. This is what’s happening with the Kony 2012 campaign and the video that started the storm. So who is Joseph Kony? He is the youngest of six children born into an… [Continue Reading]
There are people who impress you with their talent and there are people who make you feel hopeful. And then there is Gina Rodriguez who can impress you with her talent and make you feel hope for a more positive image of Latinos in Hollywood. A stellar performance in “GO FOR IT!” set Gina on… [Continue Reading]
Attending Off-Broadway productions is a great way to experience live theater without having to pay Broadway prices. It’s also a great way to support Latino actors and writers doing their thing. And you always have a chance to discover a gem, like the show I just saw. The story begins in Barrio San Anton, Carolina,… [Continue Reading]
It’s Oscar weekend and many of you are not planning on partaking in the festivities. Whether it’s because you don’t like awards shows or because the Academy members don’t represent you, perhaps I could entice you into watching my favorite award show of the entire season, the Independent Spirit Awards. The Spirit Awards are handed… [Continue Reading]
I’m not going to tell you something you don’t already know - Oscar is a white, middle-aged man. While most of us have believed this for years, now the LA Times actually conducted an investigation into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences membership. Because the Academy has never released a list of member’s… [Continue Reading]