Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month Visions, hosted Alyana Gomez
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Visions, hosted by Alyana Gomez, highlights those making impactful contributions to the Hispanic and Latin American communities throughout the Philadelphia region.
We shine a spotlight on issues Latinos are dealing with, focus on the people trying to solve those problems, and feature the difference-makers and success stories across our neighborhoods.
Proposed Bill will open the classroom for more teachers
Freshman State House Representative Johanny Cepeda-Freyitz has sponsored a bill that will allow non-citizens to become teachers in Pennsylvania.
Currently, the law provides that opportunity without challenging stipulations and for DACA recipients the path is even more challenging.
Cepeda-Freyitz thinks the bill is a "win-win" providing qualified teachers to help fill the current need for teachers and adding diversity to the teacher pool in Pennsylvania.
Congreso celebrates 45 years of community building
Congreso has been a cultural landmark in Philadelphia for more than four decades and it continues to be a leading force in the Latino community today.
Congreso de Latinos Unidos was founded in November of 1977 by a small group of Puerto Rican activists.
Forty-five years later, Congreso serves 12,000 people, offering everything from holiday meals and presents to programs for victims of crime.
Poetry in motion: The search for the grave of Mexican poet Gilberto Owen
The search for the lost grave of Mexican poet Gilberto Owen has connected Mexican-born writer Carlos José Pérez Sámano with his roots.
Their travels were similar, growing up in the city of Toluca, Mexico, and then both later venturing to Philadelphia.
That connection spurred an interest to find one of Mexico's most revered poets who was unceremoniously buried in an unmarked grave in Philadelphia after his death.
Phillies interpreter Diego Ettedgui ensures nothing is lost in translation
Many Phillies players have come to play in the United States from Latin countries, and still speak Spanish almost exclusively.
To help those players navigate communications, both on the field and off, the team has translator Diego Ettedgui.
Originally, from Venezuela, Diego first came to the United States after high school for an English course in Boston.
He ended up staying, finished college and worked as a sports journalist for Spanish-speaking media.
In 2015 when Major League Baseball required teams to have an interpreter for their Spanish-speaking players, the Phillies hired Ettedgui.
His duties with the team have continued to expand over the seven years he has been with them.
A Mariachi man shares his passion in Norristown
Casa Villasenor is a local entertainment service featuring former Mexican bullfighter and authentic mariachi Pedro Villasenor.
He founded the brand in 1989 in Norristown where he now resides with his family, and also makes custom mariachi outfits for special occasions.
Gift of Life creates the opportunity of a lifetime for local transplant recipient
When Dylan Contreras walked out on the field to throw out the first pitch at Citizens Bank Park in August, it was a reminder of how grateful he was to be alive.
Contreras received a kidney transplant at the age of 18, providing him with a life-changing health that he is not wasting.
The young man is chasing his dreams as a photographer, studying for a college degree and working a full-time job after finding inspiration from a new friend he met at the hospital.
Gift of Life has coordinated more than 58,000 organ transplants since its inception in 1974.
Contreras walking out to the mound at a sold-out Phillies game is a reminder of how impactful saying yes to a donation can be.
Gift of Life | Facebook | Instagram
Photography Without Borders changing lives in North Philadelphia
Photography Without Borders is a non-profit after-school program that allows young people to tell their stories through photography.
Executive Director Tony Rocco takes his students on trips around the city and the opportunity to attend an exchange program to Colombia.
Kids come from all over the city to attend Photography Without Borders to build their self-esteem and learn various concepts of photography.
