Senators Sepúlveda, Brouk, Hoylman-Sigal, Ryan, Myrie, Salazar, Liu, Cooney, Comrie, Bailey, Gonzalez, and Chu Support $1M for CENTRO

Albany, NY – Senator Luis Sepúlveda and colleagues Senators Samra Brouk, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Sean Ryan, Zellnor Myrie, Julia Salazar, John Liu, Jeremy Cooney, Leroy Comrie, Jamaal Bailey, Kristen Gonzalez, and Iwen Chu have proposed $1 million in funding for CENTRO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at the City University of New York (CUNY). CENTRO, renowned for its comprehensive study and preservation of Puerto Rican culture and history, holds the largest digital archival collection in the CUNY system. 

This funding is aimed at enhancing CENTRO’s role in cultural, educational, and intellectual enrichment in New York State. It supports CENTRO's mission to use scholarship for social change, highlighted by impactful policy reports and demographic studies. The proposed allocation will facilitate educational partnerships, development of library research guides, and conservation of precious archival and bibliographical material. These initiatives are designed to integrate Puerto Rican and Latine Studies into broader educational curriculums, benefiting educators, students, and researchers across the state. 

The coalition’s support for CENTRO reflects a commitment to preserving and promoting the understanding of Puerto Rican and Hispanic heritage, ensuring these vital stories and contributions continue to inspire and inform future generations.