Message of Solidarity with Caribbean Countries

Dear Community, In the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Fiona and in lieu of Hurricane Ian, the PMAHCC stands in solidarity with our sisters and brothers of Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Caribbean countries affected by this natural disaster. If you are inclined and have the financial capacity, we encourage you to donate to the organizations stated below. They are working on the ground to provide aid and relief to the victims in the various impacted Caribbean countries The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce offers aid to Puerto Rico - Donate Here Direct Relief offers aid to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean nations affected by Fiona - Donate Here Brother's Brother offers aid to Puerto Rico - Donate Here Global Giving provides aid to specific projects within the Dominican Republic - Donate Here In Solidarity, The PMAHCC The Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (PMAHCC)'s mission is to develop, promote and advocate on behalf of Hispanic businesses & professionals in the Pittsburgh region, while encouraging the advancement and economic growth of Pittsburgh's Hispanic community. The PMAHCC is a community-building organization. The Chamber welcomes members from all diverse backgrounds, business status and career paths. We invite you to join us today. The PMAHCC is a member of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). To learn more and subscribe to this listserv visit our website. Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce  1555 Broadway Avenue Second Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-553-9300 - Email us! Please Like, Follow and Subscribe us at:

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month, from the CMU Latine Faculty and Staff Alliance!

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM), we'd like to take this moment to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans. HHM is observed from September 15 to October 15. During this time, we celebrate and acknowledge the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

We also want to share some of the other events that will be happening throughout HHM:

• Live Salsa Music for Hispanic Heritage Month

When: September 17, 2022 

Where: Marisquería Insomnia - 810 Brookline Blvd, Pittsburgh PA 15226   

The event will feature the salsa music of Armando Davalillo and Jesus Alberto Ochoa, both formerly of the "Adolescentes" one of the most well-known salsa groups in Venezuela.
They will be bringing all their best hits and culture. 

• Hispanic Heritage Night at Highmark Stadium

When: September 24, 2022

Where: Highmark Stadium - 510 W Station Square Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

• ¡QUE VIVA CLEMENTE! 

When: October 14, 2022 

Where: JERON X. GRAYSON COMMUNITY CENTER - 1852 Enoch St, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Enjoy authentic Puerto Rican cuisine (including lechón a la vara, Puerto Rican style slow roasted pork!), music, and dancing! Meet other Latine people, community leaders and activists from Pittsburgh, during a celebration of Clemente's life and Hispanic Heritage Month!

• Latin American & Caribbean Festival

When: October 15, 2022 

Where: Wesley W. Posvar Hall Patio -  230 S Bouquet St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

The Latin American and Caribbean Festival has had many years of success and every year it seems to improve in the number and quality of groups that participate and the scope of media coverage. This brings us the 40th edition of the festival, and as the Latine and Hispanic population in Pittsburgh continues to grow, it makes the festival one of the largest gatherings of Latine people in Western Pennsylvania.

Invitation: Hispanic Professional Forum

Invitation An expert panel with outstanding Latino Professional will discuss about challenges, opportunities and resources for Latino Professionals in the region. After the panel we will host a networking session for attendees to meet the panelists and find resources for professional development. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE! Schedule: 4:30 Doors open and registration 5:00 - 6:00 Expert panel 6:00 - 7:00 Networking session PMAHCC in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University would like to invite you to participate in the panel, network with the panelists and enjoy refreshments. September 16, 2022 | 5pm Connan Conference Room Cohon University Center Carnegie Mellon University Special thanks to our partners at: Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce  1555 Broadway Avenue Second Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-553-9300 - Email Us

A Cities of Asylum solidarity tour

Register for free tickets—live, in person or streamed on-demand

Dear friends: Russian poet Dmitry Bykov nearly died in a poisoning, then found himself banned from teaching and pursuing his work as a public figure. Essayist Pwaangulongii Dauod received death threats for writing about queer culture in his native Nigeria. Cartoonist Pedro X. Molina watched as Nicaraguan state forces jailed his colleagues and occupied the offices of the newspaper where he published his work. Novelist Anouar Rahmani was threatened with imprisonment for writing about human rights in Algeria.  All four were forced to flee their homelands and live in the writer sanctuaries in the US Cities of Asylum network (Pittsburgh, Ithaca, and Detroit). Now all four share the stage for the first time, sharing their experiences, their writings, and their commitments to creative freedom of expression.  This program is the first of its kind solidarity tour between the Cities of Asylum in Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Ithaca. It is manifestation of City of Asylum's mission to protect and celebration freedom of expression and a display of the heart of commitment to providing a safe haven to exiled and persecuted literary artists.  Join us for DISSIDENCE: Exiled Writers on Resistance & Risk on Monday, September 19 at 7:00 PM. Free Online Tickets Free In-Person Tickets Dmitry Bykov (Ithaca City of Asylum) is one of Russia's best-known public intellectuals. He spent five days in a coma after falling ill during a speaking tour in 2019. An independent investigation blamed Russian security forces for poisoning him with the nerve agent Novichok. Bykov is currently a visiting critic at Cornell University and a fellow of the Open Society University Network. Pwaangulongii Dauod (City of Asylum Detroit) is a novelist, essayist, and memoirist from Nigeria. His 2016 essay in Granta, "Africa's Future Has No Space for Stupid Black Men," sparked a national conversation about queer issues in Nigeria. Woke Africa Magazine named him one of the Best African Writers of the New Generation. He is currently an Artist Protection Fund Fellow in residence at Wayne State University. Pedro X. Molina (Ithaca City of Asylum) is a political cartoonist who fled Nicaragua during a crackdown on dissent in 2018. He has taught at Ithaca College and was an Artist Protection Fund Fellow in residence at Cornell University. Among his many honors is a 2021 Gabo Award for Excellence, a 2019 Maria Moors Cabot Award from Columbia Journalism School, and the 2018 Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award from Cartoonists Rights Network International. Anouar Rahmani (City of Asylum Pittsburgh) is a novelist, journalist, and human rights defender from Algeria. He has faced legal harassment for his advocacy for individual freedom, environmental rights, and the rights of minorities, women, and LGBTQ+ people. In 2021, he was shortlisted for the Index on Censorship's Freedom of Expression Awards. He is currently an Artist Protection Fund Fellow in residence at Carnegie Mellon University. Free Online Tickets Free In-Person Tickets About Cities of Asylum The Cities of Asylum movement was born in the 1990s, after a group of writers led by Salman Rushdie formed the International Parliament of Writers and convinced governments in several European cities to provide one to two years of support for endangered writers. These "Cities of Asylum" pledged to protect not only the physical safety of writers, but also freedom of speech and publication. Today, more than 75 cities around the world belong to the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN). In the US, City of Asylum organizations in Pittsburgh, Ithaca, Detroit, and other communities help threatened writers find jobs, housing, and legal services, and advocate for human rights and freedom of expression. "DISSIDENCE: Exiled Writers on Resistance and Risk" is supported by a grant from Cornell University's Migrations Global Grand Challenge and the Mellon Foundation's Just Futures Initiative. The Migrations Initiative, part of Global Cornell, studies the movement of all living things through an interdisciplinary, multispecies lens, with a special focus on themes of racism, dispossession, and migration. City of Asylum Exiled Writer and Artist Residency Program Updated COVID-19 guidelines and FAQs for City of Asylum @ Alphabet City. Proof of vaccination is no longer required. Use of masks during programs will be encouraged but optional if the COVID-19 community level is low or medium in Allegheny County, as determined by the CDC. Use of masks will be mandatory if the COVID-19 community level is high in Allegheny County. The Pittsburgh International Literary Festival (LitFest '22) is a 10-day festival (starting on Saturday, September 10) that considers themes of identity and marginalization with an emphasis on literature in translation. City of Asylum is committed to producing literary programs that encourage cross-cultural exchange and this festival continues that work and the work to protect and celebrate freedom of creative expression.  This literary month features a diverse array of writers and artists from 15 countries and speaking more than 11 languages. It is a true hybrid festival, with programs connecting audiences and artists in Pittsburgh and around the world, both in person at Alphabet City and online. Check out the lineup Buy the featured books LitFest '22 is made possible by the generous support from the Allegheny Health Network, Allegheny Regional Asset District, FISA Foundation, First National Bank, Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Opportunity Fund, PA Humanities, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh,  The Fine Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, The Pittsburgh Foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation, and UPMC Health Plan. Our mailing address is: City of Asylum 40 W. North Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Javier Ávila: The Perfect Latino

Thursday, Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m., McConomy Auditorium, CUC 

Join Javier Ávila in his one man show, The Perfect Latino, a blend of comedy and poetry to explore the American Latino experience. The show draws on the arts, education and entertainment to deliver a message about diversity, inclusion, race and representation. The presentation also provides audiences with a platform for further conversations about the future of America.

Registration is required to attend. Admission is free.

Register to Attend

Join award-winning author Angie Cruz at the launch of her newest book

Register for free tickets—live, in person or streamed on-demand

Tuesday, September 13 at 7:00 PM  Angie Cruz: How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water (Run time: 75 minutes) Free Online Tickets Free In-Person Tickets Associate professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh (as well as City of Asylum friend and fan favorite) Angie Cruz, visits us on launch day for her fourth novel How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water.  Inspired by a woman on a subway platform in NYC in 2017, Angie Cruz created the character Cara Romero who has been described as irresistible, tender, empowering, and according to Cristina Garcia, author of Dreaming in Cuban, "should have her own talk show!" Don't miss learning more about this character and new book from the equally poignant Cruz. Moderated by Cleyvis Natera, author of Neruda on the Park, an anticipated book of 2022 by TIME, the Today Show, Good Morning America's Zibby Owens, ELLE, Ms Magazine, Bustle, Goodreads, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, The Millions, Electric Literature, Lit Hub and The Rumpus.  About your visit: The in-house restaurant 40 North  will be closed but a cash bar will be available. About the novel: Cara Romero thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when, in her mid-50s, she loses her job in the Great Recession, she is forced back into the job market for the first time in decades. Set up with a job counselor, Cara uses sessions to narrate the story of her life. Over the course of twelve sessions, Cara recounts her relationships and friendships, her struggles with debt, gentrification and loss, and, eventually, what really happened with her estranged son.  As Cara confronts her darkest secrets and regrets, we see a woman buffeted by life but still full of fight. This is an indelible new novel about a woman who has lost everything but the chance to finally tell her story. Buy the book "With wit and warmth, author Cruz explores Cara's [life]. The potency of Cara's first-person voice as she speaks to the job counselor is undeniable…A poignant portrait of one fallible, wise woman and a corner of one of New York's most vibrant immigrant communities." —Kirkus Reviews Free Online Tickets Free In-Person Tickets Updated COVID-19 guidelines and FAQs for City of Asylum @ Alphabet City. Proof of vaccination will no longer be required. Use of masks during programs will be encouraged but optional if the COVID-19 community level is low or medium in Allegheny County, as determined by the CDC. Use of masks will be mandatory if the COVID-19 community level is high in Allegheny County. Angie Cruz is a novelist and editor. Her novel, Dominicana, was the inaugural book pick for Good Morning America book club and chosen as the 2019/2020 Wordup Uptown Reads. It was shortlisted for The Women's Prize, longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction, The Aspen Words Literary Prize, a RUSA Notable book and the winner of the ALA/YALSA Alex Award in fiction. It was named most anticipated/ best book in 2019 by Time, Newsweek, People, Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Esquire. She's published shorter works in The Paris Review, VQR, Callaloo, Gulf Coast and other journals. She's the founder and Editor-in-chief of the award winning literary journal, Aster(ix)  and is currently an Associate Professor at University of Pittsburgh. She divides her time between Pittsburgh, New York, and Turin. The Pittsburgh International Literary Festival (LitFest '22) is a 10-day festival (starting on Saturday, September 10) that considers themes of identity and marginalization with an emphasis on literature in translation. City of Asylum is committed to producing literary programs that encourage cross-cultural exchange and this festival continues that work and the work to protect and celebrate freedom of creative expression.  This literary month features a diverse array of writers and artists from 15 countries and speaking more than 11 languages. It is a true hybrid festival, with programs connecting audiences and artists in Pittsburgh and around the world, both in person at Alphabet City and online. Check out the lineup Buy the featured books LitFest '22 is made possible by the generous support from the Allegheny Health Network, Allegheny Regional Asset District, FISA Foundation, First National Bank, Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Opportunity Fund, PA Humanities, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh,  The Fine Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, The Pittsburgh Foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation, and UPMC Health Plan. Copyright © 2022 City of Asylum, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: City of Asylum 40 W. North Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15212