Forum Explores "The Puerto Rican Experience in Bucks County"

BRISTOL, PA — In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Bucks County Community College invites the public to join community, civic, business, and cultural leaders for a roundtable discussion of “The Puerto Rican Experience in Bucks County & Beyond.”

The free event takes place at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, October 6 at the Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks, located at 1304 Veterans Highway, Bristol. It will also be streamed live on Zoom to those who register at https://tinyurl.com/PuertoRicoInBucks.

Five panelists will share perspectives on Puerto Rican life as it relates to business, politics, media, arts, and culture. They will also address disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Fiona, and recall the significant roles they played on the island after Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Joel Berrocal, director of operations for the National Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce and an organizer of the event, pointed out that Puerto Ricans have been part of our community since World War II.

“Through the good, bad, and ugly, Puerto Ricans have fought in wars, held public office, built successful businesses, and so much more,” said Berrocal, who is also an insurance professional in Bristol. “We hope this discussion gives you just a small sample of the contributions Puerto Ricans have made to our community.”

Berrocal will be joined by four panelists, including:

• Rafael Collazo, executive director of UnidosUS Action Fund, who will moderate the discussion

• Amaris Hernández Padgett, National President, National Conference of Puerto Rican Women
• Julia Rivera, Chief External Affairs Officer, Congresso de Latinos Unidos
• Samuel Kanig, coordinator, community organizer, filmmaker and musician

“The Puerto Rican Experience in Bucks County & Beyond” is sponsored by the college’s Office of Community & Government Relations, which coordinates diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for the college and the community. To learn more, contact Jean Dolan at jean.dolan@bucks.edu or 215-968-8094.

About the Panelists

Rafael Collazo, the executive director of UnidosUS Action Fund, is a seasoned activist and political leader who is one of the foremost experts on non-partisan Hispanic civic engagement and issue-based organizing campaigns. Collazo has led or supported numerous campaign initiatives, from elevating the Latino perspective on COVID relief, tax policy or voter integrity.

Joel Berrocal is the national director of operations for The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce. The NPRCC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports the development of entrepreneurship, innovation, and business expansion throughout Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland. Berrocal is also an insurance professional with The Radcliffe Insurance Group, and volunteers his time on various boards including Bucks County Community College's DEI Community Advisory Board, and St. Mark Elementary School's Advisory Board.

Amaris Hernández Padgett is an IT professional with a diverse background in education, banking, energy, insurance and non-profit industries. She’s the founder of Cybher, which performs cyber security assessments, and has a mission to promote the engagement of minority women in technology fields. Hernández Padgett also volunteers as co-commissioner for the Pennsylvania Commission on Latino Affairs, and as national president for the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women.

Julia Rivera serves as the Chief External Affairs Officer for Congreso de Latinos Unidos, leading its communications, marketing, development, community, and advocacy work. She was honored as a member of AL DÍA’s 40 Under Forty Class of 2022 and in 2020, was selected as a Coors Light Líderes Finalist as an emerging Latina leader nominated for civic leadership.

Samuel Kanig is a coordinator, community organizer, filmmaker and musician who moved from Puerto Rico to Trenton in 2006. He later became president of the city’s Puerto Rican Civic Association, and founded Galeria Casa Cultura, Trenton’s Latino art gallery and music studio. In 2018 Kanig became the first ever community fellow in-residence at The College of New Jersey, where he is currently coordinator for community engagement.