ASPIRA of New York’s 2020 Circle of Achievers Gala

ASPIRA of New York is hosting a fireside chat with this year’s honoree, Luis Miranda, JR. Watch an inspiring evening focused on recognizing corporate achievers who make a social difference within the Latino community, as well as, awarding deserving Aspirantes with college scholarships.

Video transcript

DIANA ALVEAR: Good evening. Before we begin tonight's program, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the upsetting and difficult events of the last two weeks in this country. I want to begin by sharing a message from Justin Liriano. He is the incoming chair of the ASPIRA Clubs Federation.

JUSTIN LIRIANO: Good evening, everyone. As Diana previously mentioned, my name is Justin Liriano, and I have been elected to the ASPIRA Club Federation's chair for the upcoming school year. I would first like to start off by saying how incredibly honored and grateful I am to have been voted into this position. With that being said, I know that we are all aware of the current state of our nation right now with the Black Lives Matter movement being at the forefront of all news and media.

As the upcoming ACF chair, I feel it is my responsibility to make it known that, within the next upcoming school year, it will be my mission to fight alongside this movement to help create positive and meaningful change. Throughout this organization's history, ASPIRA has been known to be at the forefront of civil rights movements, always fighting for what is right-- that being equality for all, regardless of religion, race, or sexuality. I think now, more than ever, it is important for us to get educated-- get educated and use your voice to spread awareness and make positive change. ASPIRA has given me an incredible platform, and it has helped me realize just how meaningful my voice can be, and just how powerful it can be.

DIANA ALVEAR: Gracias, Justin, for taking the time to share those very important words. Now, let's all stand together in a moment of silence and solidarity for our brothers and sisters in the black community. And now, in that same spirit of diversity and inclusion, I want to welcome everybody to ASPIRA of New York's annual Circle of Achievers Virtual Gala. I'm Diana Alvear, and I am your host for this special evening, and I am so honored.

We know it's been a challenging time for everybody, but that is not going to stop us from highlighting our honorees and supporting ASPIRA. ASPIRA has been transforming lives and leaving a lifelong impact on Latino youth, and we know that this is work that cannot be done without the support of our very generous sponsors. Now, representing our corporate sponsors tonight is our Circle of Achievers dinner corporate chair, Verizon's very own Chief Finance Officer and an honorary Aspirante for his years of incredible support, Matthew Ellis.

MATTHEW ELLIS: Hello, everyone. It's an honor to gather with you again this year, as the corporate chairperson of tonight's Circle of Achievers Virtual Gala. I look forward to this opportunity to invest in students, who are already leaders in their schools and communities and will someday lead our institutions. Thanks to your generous support, ASPIRA continues to grow and provide students more choices and greater possibilities to achieve their academic and career aspirations.

You are opening doors of opportunity for young leaders and building the talent and skills required for sustaining our organizations and society as a whole. Much has been done, and there's more to do. I salute all of you who continue to invest through scholarships, internships, and other programming to develop the workforce and leaders for our future.

Thanks to you, this annual dinner has raised over $4 million in the past nine years. Your generosity has helped ASPIRA of New York double the number of young people served from 3,000 to over 6,000. One of ASPIRA of New York's hallmark initiatives, the leadership and college access program, realized a 100% graduation rate among high school seniors, with 95% of graduates entering college, the majority of which were first generation college entrants.

A lot can be accomplished when corporations partner with organizations like ASPIRA. Thanks to you, our platinum, gold, and silver sponsors, we've raised close to $500,000 this year alone. It takes organizations like these and individuals like you to continue to grow our impact. With that in mind, we want to make sure you have an opportunity to make a personal donation tonight. Yes, I did say personal.

Through Text-to-Pledge, technology makes everything simpler and faster. And if you have the authority to make an additional pledge on behalf of your organization, please do so. Let's raise $59,000 in honor of our 59th anniversary gala. Let's get 100% personal participation. Whatever level your donation might be, we thank you for it.

The Circle of Achievers Gala not only raises very necessary funds for ASPIRA programs. Thanks to your support, we are also able to salute corporate achievers, honor ASPIRA scholars, and award our highest recognition, the Dr. Antonia Pantoja Leadership Award to Luis Miranda Jr. Your accomplishments make us especially proud. Congratulations to each of you.

DIANA ALVEAR: Thank you, Matt. And you know, he is right. Without your financial support, we can't do the incredible things we do, and it's so easy to give. Just dial 41444 and text ASPIRANY. Let's take a moment to thank our platinum, gold, silver, and bronze sponsors. Thank you so much for your generosity. You are changing lives. Next, I want to introduce you to ASPIRA's CEO, Carmen Diaz-Malvido. Carmen, take it away.

CARMEN DIAZ-MALVIDO: Thank you, Diana. ASPIRA New York thanks you for joining us as we virtually celebrate our 59th Annual Circle of Achievers Gala. Despite the extremely difficult and challenging circumstances presented to the global community with COVID-19, it is important that we take time to celebrate the accomplishments of our US grantees, corporate achievers, and sponsors. The coronavirus outbreak has transformed the way we live, learn, and connect, but we are resilient and are committed to meeting this pivotal moment creatively, resourcefully, and undoubtedly planning for future opportunities.

Socially, educationally, and economically this experience has already begun to change our society. We are grateful and honored for your continued partnership and journey with us to find solid footing in this new normal. ASPIRA was born from the dream and perseverance of Dr. Antonia Pantoja, an educator, social worker, feminist, and civil rights leader, who sought to foster the social advancement of Puerto Rican and Latino youth.

In 2020, we continue to support youth to take charge of the issues facing their communities by providing the exposure to knowledge, skills, and training to turn ideas into real action. During these unprecedented times, we continue to remotely provide services to our students, families, and schools, as our organization is shifting, and building an ASPIRA module that supports academic enrichment and creative after school programming, including virtual leadership development clubs and service learning.

Tonight, we also celebrate our rising leaders of tomorrow, our class of 2020. 18 remarkable Aspirantes who will be starting college in the fall are being recognized and rewarded for their academic and leadership excellence with $1,000 scholarship made possible by our platinum sponsors. It is also my honor to congratulate Luis Miranda Jr. as the recipient of the 2020 Dr. Antonia Pantoja Leadership Award, our most esteemed recognition. Luis Miranda Jr. is part of the ASPIRA family.

He has and continues to exemplify the ASPIRA triple-A process of awareness, analysis, and action throughout his almost four decades experience as a leader in the public and private sectors, including his impactful work at ASPIRA of New York. [SPANISH] Luis, for your commitment to advocacy and mobilization of resources to the collective Latino nonprofit sector and community at large. On behalf of the ASPIRA of New York board of directors and staff members, thank you all for your unwavering support, and we look forward to continuing to build bridges to strengthen our communities. This would not be possible without your continued support. Be well.

DIANA ALVEAR: Gracias, Carmen. And who cared more about building bridges for our Latino youth than the very woman who created ASPIRA nearly six decades ago, Dr. Antonia Pantoja. Tonight, we had the privilege of introducing some outstanding Latino and Latina achievers. All of the achievers honored tonight are excellent professionals, representing great companies and the best of the Latino community.

On behalf of our top sponsors, we honor them all, and we are lucky enough to be able to hear from a few of them tonight. First up, Esneyder Ospina. Esneyder is the director of network system performance at Verizon and is a leader in recruiting top Latino talent.

ESNEYDER OSPINA: Hi, everyone. This is Esneyder Ospina. I'm part of the technical leadership team at Verizon, and I'd like to extend my gratitude to ASPIRA for all of the great work they do supporting the Latin community, but also to Verizon for allowing me to support diversity and minority programs.

Earlier this year, I had the great opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico to spend time with engineering students on UPR. And it was energizing being around so many students investing time in their studies, working hard. And it reminded me. During my last year in college, I had all these questions and concerns. Am I going to find a job? Am I going to graduate?

So for all those Aspirantes out there, if I could leave you with a word of advice today is, don't get distracted by those thoughts, like I did. The learning doesn't end after you graduate. Continue to invest in yourself. Continue to invest to become more marketable, and to become more competitive. So I'm looking forward to meet more Aspirantes very soon. Thank you.

DIANA ALVEAR: [SPANISH]. Another winner, Leslie Arias. A New York City native, she's built a career at Banco Santander SA and volunteers her legal skills to the public.

LESLIE ARIAS: Hi, my name is Leslie Arias, and I'm the Chief Compliance Officer for the New York branch of Banco Santander SA. I would like to start by thanking ASPIRA of New York and Banco Santander for nominating me as one of the 2020 Latino achievers. It's truly an honor to receive this award.

Programs like ASPIRA impact lives. It makes us want to be a part of our community and help our community the same way we were helped. So one of the things that I'm passionate about and that I like to participate in is something called Monday Night Law. It's a program run by the city Bar Association in which the community members can come in and ask questions regarding legal matters that they're concerned about.

Growing up in the Latino community in New York, I was given many opportunities. I had the opportunity to work with a lot of great teachers and great guidance counselors that invested their time in youth and helping them develop for the future. ASPIRA is a great example of one of these groups, because their mission is to work with the youth, and develop them, and give them opportunities to set them up for their life and the career paths that they may choose to take.

DIANA ALVEAR: Our next Latino achiever is Pat Prieto, a senior specialist in customer assistance at Con Edison. A committed activist, Patrick is a leadership mentor. He's helped Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria, and he still finds time to volunteer for various causes.

PATRICK PRIETO: Hello, my name is Patrick Prieto, and I work for Con Edison of New York. And I'm very blessed and humbled to be receiving this award from ASPIRA. I am very thankful for my colleagues at Con Edison for recognizing the work I've done not only for the company, but for the communities that we serve. What has helped me out tremendously in my personal and professional life is really just surrounding myself with positive people, people that share the same vision and hope as I do.

And there was a defining moment in my life that someone just took the time out to sit down with me and instill positivity and hope in me. And I really worked very hard in paying that forward in any way possible that I can. And to every Aspirante out there, please remain patient, stay humble. Always believe in yourself. Never forget about family.

And remember, no one can do what you do, how you do it. You are unique, and the world needs you.

[SPEAKING SPANISH]

DIANA ALVEAR: Gracias, Esneyder, Leslie, and Pat for your video submissions, and you're going to read all about our achievers on ASPIRA's website, ASPIRANY.org. And you can inspire greatness in our youth by texting 41444 And text ASPIRANY. Make a donation now.

Now we'd like to honor the Aspirantes who have been selected as the 2020 Hector Gesualdo Memorial Scholarship winners. This is the signature legacy of Dr. Pantoja, and no one personifies it better than the 18 recipients this year. Diober Abreu and Johana Diaz Guzman, sponsored by Barclays. Julia Cordova and Kathia Lopez Cappellan. Sponsored by Morgan Stanley. Rainery Montella and Thessla Rodriguez, sponsored by Wells Fargo. Javier Bonilla and Jessica Yauri, sponsored by McKinsey & Company. Kaying Chan and Natalia Gutierrez, sponsored by Credit Suisse.

Food Taang Zheng Gimenez and Jasmin Luna, sponsored by Bank of America. Daniel Modesto and Ana Mendoza, sponsored by Con Edison. Amanda Gorbera and OBrian Rosario, sponsored by JP Morgan. And sisters Grisely and Grismely Taveras, sponsored by Verizon. And now we get to hear from a few of them.

DANIEL MODESTO: Hi, I'm Daniel Modesto. I'm 17 years old, and I live in Brooklyn, New York. I grew up in Brooklyn my whole life. My parents are from Mexico. I applied to Dartmouth early decision. I got in fortunately. Right now, I'm planning to do Latin American studies.

I guess initially I exposed to ASPIRA because I was friends with this one girl. Like, she just pulled me. She was like, you need to go to this club. And I was like, why? She said, because you're Latino, and I'm Latino, and it's a pretty cool club, probably, like, OK.

I feel like that was the first time I really got involved with a non-profit organization and working with a nonprofit organization, and really, like, trying to, like, make a change in our communities. It was just a nice way to, like, you know, spend your Saturday, and, like, feel very productive. You have to learn how to use your voice to self advocate, and so I feel like that really helped me grow, because, like, you need to have those skills when you grow up. And it's better to learn now than later, so I'm really thankful that ASPIRA really helped me, like, get out of my shell and learn how to communicate more with people.

That's what an Aspirante is, in essence-- being a leader in your own community in your own way, being passionate about something, and also, like, being involved with the community. Being a leader comes in very different forms, and I feel like ASPIRA really taught us that.

GRISMELY TEJADA TAVERAS: Rock, paper, scissor, shoot. Rock, papers, scissors, shoot. I'm Grismely.

GRISELY TEJADA TAVERAS: I'm Grisely.

GRISMELY TEJADA TAVERAS: We're twins. We are 17 years old.

GRISELY TEJADA TAVERAS: And we live in Brooklyn.

GRISMELY TEJADA TAVERAS: We were born in the Dominican Republic. All our family is from there. I think around two, almost reaching two, we moved here with our parents. We're not going to come here after all this struggle and then just not try and not strive for something better, because they did so much for us.

GRISELY TEJADA TAVERAS: I'm pursuing the political government area, just because I want to give a voice to the people who otherwise don't have a voice.

GRISMELY TEJADA TAVERAS: Similarly, I'm pursuing political science. I just love to help people. That's, like, the biggest thing I like to do, and my parents always joke around that I love to talk. And I have to debate. Like, we argue all the time, and I'm always winning.

GRISELY TEJADA TAVERAS: No.

GRISMELY TEJADA TAVERAS: But like--

GRISELY TEJADA TAVERAS: The confidence that I didn't have going into high school, as a person, as a student, as a friend, I gained it all through ASPIRA. ASPIRA helped me meet the friends that I needed to tell me, hey, you should take yourself out of the shadows. Like, you're better than that. You shouldn't just hide.

GRISMELY TEJADA TAVERAS: Yeah, I go to school with a lot of very smart people, so sometimes they can get very intimidating. And like, you start to question how much you actually know. But being actually-- I was like, OK, you know, I'm smart. I can do this. I can do that, and it was just like constantly proving it to myself, and just like doing things that I never thought I would do.

GRISELY TEJADA TAVERAS: Being an Aspirante is two parts, and growth is the first one. So you have to have personal growth and grow as a person, gain the confidence, know that you're worth whatever you have because you worked for it. You deserve it.

And then the second part is being that for your peers, so making sure your peers know that they're also worth it. So you-- you manage yourself, get yourself to the point you want to be at, and then you help other people get to that same point, too, and reach their full potential.

DIANA ALVEAR: Thank you Daniel, Grismely, and Grismely for those wonderful words, and we congratulate all of our scholarship winners, and we share in your excitement. In fact, we're probably more excited. Now, these scholarships would not be possible without your financial support. Just take a look at the screen with specific instructions for the Text-to-Pledge.

And we need to pledge. We need to reach our goals-- $59,000 and 100% participation. We can do it. All right, our next award is a very special and rare honor. It is a tribute to ASPIRA's founder, Dr. Antonio Pantoja.

Dr. Pantoja, a school teacher in her native Puerto Rico, came to America in 1944, and soon she became a leader for the Latino community. She created ASPIRA to combat the high dropout rate among Puerto Rican youth in New York City in the '60s. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997.

Tonight's recipient, Luis Miranda Jr, shares many of her incredible qualities, including her fierce commitment to uplift Latinos in America and empower them with education and political representation. We are so excited to honor Luis Miranda tonight, a founder and activist who has worked with some of the biggest names in politics. But if you ask Luis, his greatest achievement is his family, and now they would like to say a few words about the man they love so much.

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA: [SINGING IN SPANISH]

ASPIRA is one of the first words I ever learned. That's because my dad has been involved with this organization as long as I can remember through my childhood up through today. I'm so proud you guys are honoring him. He loves you so much, and just here to say congratulations. And I love you, pa, and I'm always proud of you.

LUZ TOWNS-MIRANDA: Congratulations, my dear Luis. You have been involved with ASPIRA from the time you arrived in New York at the age of 18. This is a much deserved honor. They love you. I love you, and you have worked very hard all your life to promote such wonderful organizations like ASPIRA.

LUZ MIRANDA-CRESPO: When he got to New York City to attend a graduate program at NYU, he realized pretty quickly he needed a job and was told about this organization named ASPIRA for Latino youth. He found a phone book, looked up the name ASPIRA, found their address, and showed up at their office. They welcomed him in, and he was hired that first day in their research department.

It just goes to show that, for many, many years now, ASPIRA has been that type of an organization who's there to lift up and help Latinos in New York City. Congratulations to my dad. I am so proud of you always. You amaze me. You are like 10 people in one with all of the things that you do for your family, for organizations, for people. And you just never stop, and I have a feeling you never will.

DIANA ALVEAR: And as you can see there, there is nothing but love for Luis from his family, from his two children and his wife. Clearly, he is a hero in their eyes, and they're so excited for him to receive this award today. And down Luis, I'm so excited to be talking to you in person right now, or as personally as you can get. And I just wanted to start off by saying [SPANISH].

LUIS MIRANDA JR: [SPANISH]. It's nice to talk to you, as well.

DIANA ALVEAR: Yeah, and I just want to talk to you a little bit about ASPIRA-- what it has meant to you, why you got involved, and what it means for the thousands and thousands of kids who are participating in ASPIRA's mission today.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: I-- I think the most incredible thing about ASPIRA so many decades later it's that it constantly remakes itself to continue to be relevant. I-- I have been involved with ASPIRA for a very long time, since my days as a worker there and a student.

DIANA ALVEAR: A researcher, yeah.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: A research there. And to the many years that I was then involved with the board, and I was involved with the developmental programming for-- for the agency, but-- but-- and it's one of those institutions that at least was crucial in my life and my development.

And the way in which I heard about ASPIRA is sort of like a little weird and different. I just arrived in New York to go to graduate school, and even though graduate school sounds like something that big people do, I was an 18-year-old kid. I just finished college very early in Puerto Rico and then came to New York, accepted by NYU to do graduate work. But I needed to get a job right away. I-- I-- I had an apartment. I had a life in Puerto Rico that I was leaving behind.

So I asked my aunt-- I came to New York to live with my aunt in Chelsea, and that's when Chelsea was a huge Puerto Rican neighborhood. And-- and she said, just look at [SPANISH], and there's lots of jobs that are announced in [SPANISH].

DIANA ALVEAR: [SPEAKING SPANISH]

LUIS MIRANDA JR: I know. And get "The New York Times," also, which I did that that same Sunday to sort of look for jobs. And I ended up at some kind of factory on 14th Street, which was not far from my aunt's house. She was on 21st. And I saw all of these places. It was easy to go from one to one.

And when I went to the second or third one, the foreman or the supervisor in the place-- I don't remember his name. He was very, very sweet, asked me a little bit about myself, and he said to me, you know, you're going to graduate school, and most of the people who work here-- and even if I were to give you sort of like a floor supervisor job, most of the people here had finished high school. But I know that there is a place for troubled kids like you.

I said, OK. Here I am, finished college, going to graduate school, but somehow I'm a troubled kid. I was cool with it. And he said, let me call so-and-so who works here, and she'll remember the name of the place.

So the woman came, and he asked, what's a place that helps your kids? And she said, ASPIRA. And she didn't know anything more than when their kids were in high school ASPIRA helped them. And so I just went back home and looked in the directory-- in the phone directory.

Remember, this is way before Google. And actually looked in the phone directory and found this address for ASPIRA on Fifth Avenue. And the following day, I just showed up.

DIANA ALVEAR: Wow.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: And it happened that they had just gotten this research grant from the Carnegie Corporation, I think it was. And they were looking for student researchers, and that was the way in which I got introduced to ASPIRA.

DIANA ALVEAR: Wow. And honestly, I mean, this is decades ago, and things have evolved so much, and yet there's still--

LUIS MIRANDA JR: This is 1974.

DIANA ALVEAR: 1974, exactly. And yet look at us now. We need ASPIRA more than ever. Explain to me what you see ASPIRA doing in these times. What is it about this organization that's so uniquely designed for these times and our Latino American youth?

LUIS MIRANDA JR: I believe it's relevant. It's that it works with Latino young people who are at different stages of development. On the one hand, it could be some kid that needs education, and it's in a charter school that ASPIRA, here or elsewhere, it's involved in.

It may be that it's a young person that is going to a high school that needs extra help to make it. And so there are all of the after school programs that the organization has to help kids who may need some extra help in order to make it, and then there are others who are doing well, that are part of the club structure that it's developing leadership and cultural awareness for a new generation of Puerto Rican Latino kids, who are now in high school and in college. So it's beauty-- it's that it's catering to a different segment of our young population.

DIANA ALVEAR: Right. And it feels like it-- it became not only part of your-- you started professionally, and then it became kind of a part of your family, because your daughter's involvement in bringing an ASPIRA chapter to a high school. Why does this matter so deeply to all of you?

LUIS MIRANDA JR: Because it's so part of our history that it's sort of-- it's part of our DNA. When I talked about ASPIRA in the '70s, you're talking about many, many years ago. So it was part of my development as a Puerto Rican New Yorker, as someone who comes from Puerto Rico and sort of ends up in New York. Then, when-- when my daughter is in high school, I always talked about ASPIRA. The entire family knew about the importance that ASPIRA played in my own development.

So my daughter gets involved in the new Stuyvesant chapter of-- of ASPIRA. So there is another generation of Aspirantes that are part of-- of-- of this development of an organization. So at the end, it's-- it's part of our DNA as a family.

DIANA ALVEAR: Yeah. All right, let's-- let's move on and talk a little bit about the woman for whom this award is named. I mean, this is-- this is a-- this is not often that they give out the Dr. Antonia Pantoja Award. This is very rare, very special, just like the woman herself. And you-- you share certain characteristics with her. Tell me a little bit about that. Tell me what it means to you to win an award in her name.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: Well, first of all, [SPANISH] too big to fit. So let-- let's start lowering expectations and humbling myself. Just-- just think about it. When-- when you're here in the '40s and the '50s, we're a totally new group. When I came here in the early '70s, racism, discrimination, [SPANISH] was still so part of who we were as a community here. Imagine the '40s and the '50s when Antonia Pantoja sort of comes into New York and begins to develop an organization. They must've looked at her like she had five heads.

DIANA ALVEAR: Yeah.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: So-- so-- that's-- that's why I-- I want to say [SPANISH], because to be ahead of your time, to have the foresight to create an institution that then exists out there for 60 more years, and for many more generations, it's-- it's it's big thinking. And that's what Antonia Pantoja was-- was someone who will think long range for the needs of the Latinx Puerto Rican population for generations to come.

DIANA ALVEAR: So a little bit more of your time, if you don't mind, because there's so many things that I could talk to you about, but I want--

LUIS MIRANDA JR: Of course.

DIANA ALVEAR: I want to hit the main points. So you're a founder yourself. Tell me a little bit about Hispanic Federation. Why did you believe this was something that was necessary at the time?

LUIS MIRANDA JR: I-- I realized, when I worked for Ed Koch as special advisor, that Latinos were increasing. At that point, Hispanics were increasing in power because they were increasing in numbers, because it was not just the new generation of Puerto Ricans whose parents came in the '40s and the '50s in large numbers. It was not only the large number of the Dominicans who were coming to New York in the '60s and the early '70s, but then the early '70s saw this influx of central Americans given the political upheaval in that-- in the region.

So all of a sudden, Latino numbers begin to increase, and an organization that can focus on the power of those numbers, and then create, and help nurture the institutions that are serving those communities was key. So when United Way tapped me in the late '80s, and the Hispanic federation opened its doors in May of 1990, it was, I thought at that time, the next stage of our development as a community.

When you ask-- and we did research early on. The different groups of Hispanics in New York-- half of them called themselves by where they came from. Who are you? I'm Puerto Rican. I'm Dominican. I'm Colombian. [SPANISH].

And so we knew that it would be a while before we all got used to this generic name that continues to evolve from Hispanic to Latino to Latinx. And the Hispanic Federation, I thought, needed to play an important role in organizing and using the nonprofit sector as a way to organize, serve, and develop the Latinx population.

DIANA ALVEAR: And you were absolutely right. I don't know what the New York City areas Hispanic population would've done without your leadership in that regard.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: Thank you.

DIANA ALVEAR: So as a member of the Latino population in general, I thank you. And now, I really-- I mean, I was blown away by what you did with "Hamilton" in Puerto Rico. I mean, [SPANISH]. It was so awful, and they were so neglected, and then you have this powerhouse musical that brings hope to people. And this is your son who created "Hamilton," who said, Hamilton reminds me of my father, Luis. So tell me why it was so important to put on that production of "Hamilton" in Puerto Rico.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: Again, you're giving me way more credit than I-- than I deserve. The Hispanic Federation was created because there is this group of people who work very hard. Now, on its fifth precedent, and it continues to thrive, and-- and sort of my hat to them, because they continue the development similarly to Hamilton. You know, Hamilton-- it's something that my son and his collaborators developed that all of a sudden becomes this humongous thing, that-- that becomes an international phenomenon.

So when hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September of 2017, we immediately use the support system and the newly found fame-- as my son calls it, the megaphone-- that, all of a sudden, he had gotten. How do you use it for good? How do you use it to begin to tell the world that there is this tiny place-- 135 with two island municipalities on the side-- that was wiped out, and that that place was the home of 3 and a half million of American citizens with four other million of other generations in the United States?

So we-- we immediately began raising dollars for the development of Puerto Rico after Maria and Irma hit the island, but we knew that the island needed basic things first. So Lin-Manuel always thought-- remember that he had taken "In the Heights" back in 2011. So Lin-Manuel always said, I want to take "Hamilton" to Puerto Rico.

So the hurricane impact just gave us the impetus to go to Puerto Rico as soon as the production could go to Puerto Rico, and that's what we did. And we convinced all of the investors, all of the producers that every penny that we got in Puerto Rico will be used for the arts and the island. And everyone said, yes. Everyone was committed to it.

We were able to develop a ticket structure where we could pay for the expenses of the production, have thousands and thousands of tickets for $10, and then have thousands and thousands of tickets at $5,000 each, because Lin-Manuel, who had not been in the production for three full years, all of a sudden was jumping back and being Hamilton. When Lin-Manuel left "Hamilton," still tens of thousands of people who wanted to see him, didn't see him. And I said, well, you could come to Puerto Rico. You could support the economy in the island.

You could give $5,000, of which $4,900-- it's your own contribution to the art fund that we're creating. And now, a year later, we are working with 75 arts organizations, hundreds of individual artists. Right after the earthquakes, and now in the midst of COVID-19 in Puerto Rico, we just disbursed $1 million to art groups in the island and individual grants to 400 artists in the island. So even though this happened over a year ago, we continued to work with the artistic community in the island.

DIANA ALVEAR: That is so beautiful. I mean, I knew you were going to do well with it, but wow. Hearing the numbers and how many people are being impacted, that's fantastic.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: And again, we-- we always work in collaboration.

DIANA ALVEAR: Yeah.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: We were lucky that we found the Flamboyan Foundation to be our home so that we didn't have to create something new. We used a vehicle that existed in the island and in the US, sort of a Puerto Rican ran foundation, that then became the home for this fund and for all of this artwork.

DIANA ALVEAR: Wow. Well, listening to you and having read up on your life, I mean, [SPANISH] legacy. You know, I mean, it's like you started young, and then you've done so many things in your life. It's been this long evolution of activism and politics, and now the arts and culture, and all these different things. And I just can't help but think about the kids that are in ASPIRA right now, and how you had no way of knowing, when you came over from Puerto Rico, that your life was going to unfold in such a rich way.

And right now, these kids are poised to have rich lives of their own. So what [SPANISH] do you have for the kids that are involved right now? What do you want them to know? What do you want them to feel in their hearts, and-- and go forth, and accomplish?

LUIS MIRANDA JR: I think the first [SPANISH] it's really you have to study hard. Nothing comes easy, unless you're Trump, where your dad gives you millions of dollars to play golf. But for the most part, most of us really have to work hard, and the first step for many of us-- it's to finish an education.

And you need to study hard. You need to do well. You need to excel, because that's sort of like the beginning of your foundation to build from there. Then the second thing-- it's really to follow your passion. We should not settle. If my son would've settled, he would have not accomplished what he has.

Being an artist-- you know, when any kid tells you I want to be an artist, I want to be an actor, I want to write music, I want to be a composer, parents look at them like [SPANISH]. So people have to follow their passion. [INAUDIBLE] passion a chance.

I was very, very lucky that my kids knew what their passion was. My daughter was great in science and with numbers, so she went into engineering and into finance. That was her passion. You should hear my daughter talk when she talks about investment and how the accounts are doing. It's-- she is as excited as when my son talks about his new artistic project.

So-- and you need to let your kids follow their passion and be excited for them. You cannot only be excited about the kid who brought your "Hamilton." You also have to be excited about the kid who brought your account that are all nicely [SPANISH] when you finish all of the work. And you need to support that passion as a parent.

Your kids have to do it, and you have to support it. And many institutions, like ASPIRA, and many mentors and institutions that we have been able to develop as a community, needs to support that passion, because not everyone is going to make it. But everybody has to try, because even if you don't make it, it will give you the foundation to what you are going to do next. And nurturing that next step-- it's important as the first step with the passion project and professions that we follow. And-- and-- it's-- keep trying, because at the end, we know that the overwhelming majority of our kids have the intelligence and the perseverance to make it.

DIANA ALVEAR: But, you know, you say, you have to study hard, and you have to have a passion, and you need groups like ASPIRA to help you do both. But ASPIRA does not exist without the support of others-- donations, specifically. So tell me a little bit about your call to action tonight to the people who are watching right now, to the people who know that, in order for ASPIRA to continue doing their life changing work, they need our financial support.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: Let me tell you. Look, when I started the Hispanic Federation, I spent time at the United Jewish Appeal Federation, and I spent time there to learn and study how they raised money. And then we did our own research about how we gave in our own community. And one of the things that we found when we asked Latinos, are you giving money? Everybody will say, yes. And 90% of them said, we give to our church.

And when we asked them, but why do you give to your church and not to ASPIRA, or the Puerto Rican Family Institute, or some of the institutions that were there in the early '90s, they said, because the church asks us every week. So when someone asks us, we give.

So putting together what I learned at the United Jewish Appeal, which, if I were to summarize it, it was you have to give until it hurts. If it's not hurting, you're not giving enough. You're not doing enough for the institutions that you care about, and I put that with the lessons of our early research that you have to ask. This is a perfect place and perfect opportunity to do both-- is you have to ask, and we need to support our institutions.

And we constantly need to ask our community, and we need to ask to the friends of our community. People think that, because they gave $50, that's not important-- it's not as important as the one who gave $1,000 or $5,000. But giving, for any institution, is like a pyramid.

You have the top of the pyramid, where someone gives a lot, and you have the bottom of the pyramid, where thousands of people gave small contributions. And the entire fundraising of any institution-- it's based on that knowledge with whoever has a lot-- you give a lot. And whomever has less should give to the extent that they give, but always until it hurts. So we-- we have to ask our community. Give until you feel you have done enough for all of the causes and the needs that our community has.

DIANA ALVEAR: And give tonight.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: And absolutely. Tonight, if you're watching, is the perfect opportunity to help ASPIRA. We have now been around for six decades because leaders and community got together to support financially this institution.

DIANA ALVEAR: All right, any last words? I mean, you've spoken so eloquently about so many different things. Any last words for the young ones?

LUIS MIRANDA JR: These are difficult times. I have a 19-year-old nephew, who I raised, was a freshman in college and was told from one week to another, pick up your stuff and go back home. And I am sure there are thousands of Aspirantes out there, who, like my nephew, were told from one week to another in their first year, their second year, their third year, pick up your stuff and go.

We know how so many kids who were going to graduate are not having their graduation-- that it's so important in their lives. So this is one more experience to make us tougher and to make us better people, and we have to look at it like that.

DIANA ALVEAR: Well, then, Luis, I can't thank you enough. And [SPANISH]. You have more than earned this award, and I know-- I know you say, oh, you know, all the work you've done has been in collaboration with other people, but you truly have been a force for Latinos young and old. And we are so proud. Verizon is so proud to partner with ASPIRA to honor you in this way.

And thank you so much for spending time with me and chatting with me. I can't think of a better way to wrap up this awards ceremony. So Luis, siempre Luis. Thank you so much.

LUIS MIRANDA JR: Thank you very much for having me here, and thank you for ASPIRA for honoring me.

DIANA ALVEAR: Wow. How inspiring and amazing is Luis? We need to seize this moment and ensure our Aspirantes have every opportunity to study hard and follow their passions. And as you heard Luis say, you need to give till it hurts, but it's easy. Just dial 41444 and text ASPIRANY.

I've had such a wonderful time. Thank you so much for sharing your evening with me. On behalf of Verizon, [SPANISH]. It's been my blessed to be your host. We're gonna get through these times together and continue to help our young Latinas and Latinos succeed thanks to ASPIRA. Buenas noches.