CENTRO Out Loud: The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada
You may be familiar with his photographs, but did you know Puerto Rican Photographer Frank Espada also interviewed people across the communities he documented? After decades, the full collection of these audio recordings are finally available to hear for the first time. From the experiences of mushroom farmers in Pennsylvania to the second generation of Puerto Ricans in Hawaii, a multitude of stories now come to the fore – illuminating the complex and poignant experiences of Puerto Ricans in the diaspora.
CENTRO Out Loud is a new podcast, from the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, illuminating often forgotten histories and stories from our archives. From the stacks to the streets!
Co-Producer & Creator: Dr. Yomaira Figueroa-Vásquez
Co-Producer & Scriptwriter: Alana Casanova-Burgess
Co-Producer & Editor: Juan Diego Ramirez
Researchers: Nicole Hernandez; Jaden Morales; Yuleysy Ortiz; Alana Cordero-Montesinos; Ariana Costales del Toro; Olivia Ramirez; Imaida Duran Mariñez; Melly Gonzalez, and Yafrainy Familia
Director of Communications: Victoria Preis
Visual Designer: Alyssa Monet Chambers
The first season of CENTRO Out Loud, “The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada,” was made possible with support from the Diaspora Solidarities Lab Projects, the Mellon Foundation Higher Learning Projects, Michigan State University, Johns Hopkins University, Hunter College at CUNY, and The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, with special thanks to the Espada Family for their support.
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with Imaida Duran Mariñez and Yafrainy Familia
While many Puerto Ricans migrated to New York in the mid-20th century for better work opportunities, Ada did so to escape her abusive husband. After separating from him and supporting her family as a single mother, she eventually returned home to be with her community. Upon their arrival, they encountered multiple challenges and gained a new perspective that made them question their return home.
11 Sept 2026
Lo que les pasó en Hawaii
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with Nicole Hernandez and Jaiden Morales
Have you ever yearned for a distant ancestral homeland? That is the experience of Solomon, whose parents were 2 of the nearly 6,000 laborers who migrated to Hawaii after Huracán San Ciriaco in 1899. Nearly half of the first migrants headed for Hawaii never made it. Those who survived faced exploitative work conditions, familial separation, and several other injustices perpetuated by U.S. Sugarcane Corporations. On these plantations, Puerto Ricans encountered division from other migrant workers from across the world. Despite these experiences, they built community and created a new musical genre that still tells their story today.
11 Sept 2026
Healing with the Spirits
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with Ariana Costales del Toro and Olivia Ramirez
Where the healthcare industrial complex failed, El Centro Lazaro in Hartford, CT arose as a sanctuary for therapy, wellness, and healing for the local Puerto Rican community. In this episode, we hear from Marta who opened the center on Park St in the 80s as a place prioritizing espiritismo, bodily autonomy, and community care during ongoing health care crises facing Puerto Rican women.
11 Sept 2026
Farming in the Dark
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with Yuleysy Ortiz and Alana Cordero-Montesinos
Less than 40 miles away from El Centro de Oro in Philadelphia is a town with a deep and fraught history for Puerto Rican migrants & undocumented workers: Kennett Square…aka The Mushroom Capital of the World. In this episode, we hear the gripping testimony of Margarita who reflected on her experience waking at 3am each night to help her husband fill his quota as a mushroom worker facing appalling conditions during the growing season.
11 Sept 2026
Frank Espada: For the Record
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with Dr. Yomaira Figuera-Vásquez, Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies and Alana Casanova-Burgess of La Brega
“Nobody wants to see pictures of Puerto Ricans.” This is what photographer, activist, and teacher Frank Espada was told. However, this dismissal served as a catalyst for his federally funded project titled Documenting the Puerto Rican Diaspora. In addition to over 4,000 photos he took traveling across the country, Frank also conducted interviews with over 130 members of the communities he visited. In this episode Dr. Yomaira Figueroa-Vásquez, Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, and Alana Casanova-Burgess of La Brega discuss Frank’s legacy and the impact of the interviews he preserved and left for us to learn from.
This is the first episode of "The Unheard Tapes of Frank Espada," the first season of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies' podcast: CENTR Out Loud
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