NYC Ignores Our
'Save the Medallions' Campaign
Transportation Commissioner Hoards the Credit
AND MY FORMER STUDENTS ARE OUTRAGED!
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"When I read about the missing Medallions on HiddenHispanicHeritage.com, I was excited to have learned something new. I had never noticed that medallions were hung on lampposts on the Avenue of Americas. And when I learned that so many medallions were missing, including Puerto Rico’s, I decided to join the campaign to restore these precious emblems.
I went out and collected petitions from strangers on the streets, asking people to pull out their phones and sign the petition on change.org. When I heard that DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez held a press conference and stated he would return the medallions to the Avenue of Americas; I felt I was a superwoman activist. |
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However, it made me sick to my stomach to know that the commissioner did not mention the person who started this campaign, Professor Miguel Perez, or the Lehman College alumni involved in the campaign. He didn't even mention the petition signers! Now that's what I call political plagiarism. Can we really continue to employ leaders who steal ideas and pass them off as their own?
To make things worse, when I was already terribly offended, I saw that the commissioner’s list of new medallions doesn’t include Puerto Rico. There are no nice words to describe how I feel now."
— Cynthia Rios
To make things worse, when I was already terribly offended, I saw that the commissioner’s list of new medallions doesn’t include Puerto Rico. There are no nice words to describe how I feel now."
— Cynthia Rios
"Professor Perez reached out to me to join the restoration of the NYC medallions campaign back in July. I quickly joined his movement, because I felt the cause was historic, important, and motivating. As an afro-Cuban, I thought representation matters and felt it was important to have a sense of pride for what we have contributed to this country. It was truly disheartening to see that Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez took all of the credit and did not even acknowledge the initial campaign for this restoration project. By acknowledging our efforts he could have shown a community effort. It's awful." — Carolyn Lluesma
"Professor Miguel Perez is an excellent journalist, and very good at what he does. His keen research and activism was why many people knew about the missing medallions in the first place. It is very upsetting that anyone would even take credit for that, almost like a slap in the face. Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez ought to be ashamed of himself. You never plagiarize anyone’s work. As a journalist myself, I stand by that very firmly. Nevertheless, we need to bring light to this matter ASAP and give credit to the rightful person, Professor Miguel Perez. Of course, we can’t forget about his students as they were imperative in this as well." -- Sherley Boursiquot
"I am happy and sorry at the same time for the way things went. Unfortunately the stealing of the ideas is very common especially when things have a positive effect in the society and they didn’t do a thing in the first place. Its easier this way for them. And I feel it is worse when this happens from someone who comes from the same heritage." — Amelia Gjoni
"Professor Miguel Perez is an excellent journalist, and very good at what he does. His keen research and activism was why many people knew about the missing medallions in the first place. It is very upsetting that anyone would even take credit for that, almost like a slap in the face. Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez ought to be ashamed of himself. You never plagiarize anyone’s work. As a journalist myself, I stand by that very firmly. Nevertheless, we need to bring light to this matter ASAP and give credit to the rightful person, Professor Miguel Perez. Of course, we can’t forget about his students as they were imperative in this as well." -- Sherley Boursiquot
"I am happy and sorry at the same time for the way things went. Unfortunately the stealing of the ideas is very common especially when things have a positive effect in the society and they didn’t do a thing in the first place. Its easier this way for them. And I feel it is worse when this happens from someone who comes from the same heritage." — Amelia Gjoni
