Puentes Culturales (Cultural Bridges)
Puentes Culturales is WRKE’s weekly public affairs program heard Thursday mornings at 10:00 on 100.3 FM in the Salem/Roanoke area and live streamed on WRKE.org and through the TuneIn app (as well as other streaming services). Each week host Jose Banuelos Montes discusses topics of interest to and about the local Latinx community and beyond. Puentes Culturales is the only locally produced bilingual public affairs program in the Roanoke Valley. We welcome your topic suggestions and comments. Contact Us: [email protected], 540-375-2277
On the May 4, 2023 edition of Puentes Culturales Roanoke College’s VP of Community, Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Teresa Johnson Ramey joined host Jose Banuelos Montes for a discussion on what’s happening on campus in her area of responsibility.
November 30, 2023 Puentes Culturales features a discussion with Dr. Antonio Villa, founder of Casa De La Salud (House of Health) which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the Hispanic community in Central Virginia. Dr. Villa has more than 15 years of health care experience in Colombia and Mexico before moving to Richmond.
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December 14, 2023 Puentes Culturales includes insightful discussions with 2 two guests joining host Jose Banuelos Montes. In the first and second segments of the show, Jose talks with Dr. Sally Perret, Associate Professor of Spanish at Salisbury University in Maryland. In the third and fourth segments, David Garcia, a volunteer at Casa Latina in Roanoke joins Jose to discuss the organization’s computer literacy, reading and nutrition groups.
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December 21, 2023 Puentes Culturales examines how different Latin cultures celebrate Christmas in segments 1 and 2; then in segments 3 and 4 host Jose Banuelos Montes talks with recent Roanoke College graduate Roge Lopez about his success in and out of school.
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January 4, 2024 marks a new year for Puentes Culturales, WRKE’s public affairs series focusing on issues relevant to the Roanoke/Salem area Hispanic/Latinx community. In this installment of the program, host Jose Banuelos Montes of Roanoke College’s Spanish language department brings us up to date on events and goings on in the area. We also reprise a segment with the College’s VP of Community, Diversity, and inclusion and Jose closes with services available in the new year at Roanoke city’s Casa Latina.
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The January 11, 2024 edition of Puentes Culturales features a discussion with Roanoke College’s VP of Community, Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Teresa Johnson Ramey who joins host Jose Banuelos Montes for an update on progress made in her area of responsibility during 2023 and what’s ahead in the new year.
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Puentes Culturales 3-21-24
On this edition of Puentes Culturales host Jose Banuelos Montes discusses why Latinx students need to connect with their community and outreach community services available in the area. Guest on this program is Dr. Ian Michalski who teaches Spanish at Roanoke College.
Puentes Culturales 3-28-24
Host Jose Banuelos Montes discusses topics of interest in the Roanoke area Latinx community including mental health and emotional challenges faced by new residents from other cultures. In the second half of the program, Jose is joined by Salem High English teacher Nolan Shigley who also sponsors the school’s Multicultural Club and hosts Pots, Pans, and Gritos (“Shouts” in Spanish): A Voice for the English Learner.
Puentes Culturales for April 4, 2024, features host Jose Banuelos Montes discussing wellness and playing some great Latin tunes.
On Puentes Culturales for April 18, 2024 host Jose Banuelos Montes interviews Roanoke College grad Gaston Ocampo who has risen to a lead position with an international organization. As the Secretary General for the Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean, Gaston is responsible for the strategic oversight and responsibility for all initiatives related to the day to day of the institute, leading the structure to ensure successful delivery and optimization of the resources.
Based in Lisbon, Portugal the Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (IPDAL) was created in 2006 with the aim of strengthening business and academic relations between Latin American and Caribbean countries and Portugal. IPDAL is a private institution with economic diplomacy at its chore.
On Puentes Culturales for September 12, 2024 host Jose Banuelos Montes discusses how to stay healthy, how to navigate the DMV, and getting ready for the November election by registering to vote.
Puentes Culturales with host Jose Banuelos Montes for September 19, 2024 features a discussion with Adriana Perez-Smith, Director of Undergraduate Studies-Spanish Instructional Professor of Spanish.
Adriana Perez-Smith – Global Languages & Cultures (tamu.edu)
Puentes Culturales for September 26, 2024: Jose’s guest is Joan Porte, President of the League of Women Voters in Virginia who answers questions about the important upcoming election and how citizens can prepare to vote. The League has an Election Protection Hotline open up to and on election day as well as during early voting. In English: 866-687-8683 En Espanol: 888-839-8682
Puentes Culturales for October 3, 2024: Jose Banuelos Montes talks about the Latino vote in the first half of the show and welcomes Damon Daniels, Roanoke College’s Coordinator of Military Support & Recruitment in the second half of the program. Daniels is a 20-year veteran of the US Army and the first in his family to obtain a college degree.
Puentes Culturales for October 17, 2024 features a discussion on voting and voter rights in Virginia. Our guest is Joan Porte, President of the League of Women Voters of Virginia. She and host Jose Banuelos Montes flesh out the disinformation and misinformation that’s being disseminated as we approach the November election. Also discussed is disenfranchising of voters and what those who are illegally purged from voter rolls can do to cast their ballots. The League has an Election Protection Hotline open up to and on election day as well as during early voting. In English: 866-687-8683 En Espanol: 888-839-8682
On Puentes Culturales for October 24, 2024 we provide an update on a lawsuit filed by voting rights organizations aimed at stopping Virginia’s Governor from purging legal voters from the state’s election rolls and restoring the removed citizens back on the rolls.
Also on the program, is guest Alberto Galiena, a Roanoke College 2010 graduate who is now managing an international manufacturing company.
On Puentes Culturales for November 7, 2024 host Jose Banuelos Montes discusses post-election findings relating to the Latinx community and talks with guest Dr. Enrique Bernales Albites, Associate Professor of World Languages and Latin American Literature & Culture at Northern Colorado University.
On Puentes Culturales for November 21, 2024 host Jose Banuelos Montes is joined by Roanoke College student Morgan Waski to discuss issues relating to diversity and inclusion on campus and beyond.
On Puentes Culturales for December 5, 2024 we focus on health and what’s available in our community. Host Jose Banuelos Montes’ guest is a Roanoke College grad who now works with the Virginia Department of Health.
On Puentes Culturales for January 30, 2025 host Jose Banuelos Montes focuses on immigration and recent events related to immigrants in the US. In the second half of the show, Jose is joined by Professor Sarah Hord, Chair of Roanoke College’s Academic Integrity Council and Spanish Lecturer to discuss plagiarism on campus.
On Puentes Culturales for February 13, 2025, host Jose Banuelos Montes talks with University of Tennessee Law Professor Alex Long. Dr. Long wrote a book about the first ever demonstration against segregation in a Virginia sporting event which was a 1961 Pre-season NFL game played at Roanoke’s Victory Stadium. That risky effort, involving a local lawyer, a minister and other civil rights leaders as well as the 20 black professional football athletes who joined in, played a pivotal role in ending racial segregation at sporting events across the country. It also marked the first organized player boycott in the pursuit of Civil Rights in the US.
On Puentes Culturales for February 27, 2027 host Jose Banuelos Montes talks with Alyasá Jones, Roanoke College’s Director for Multicultural Education and Retention Office of Multicultural Affairs. Topics discussed include: What diversity, inclusion, and/or cultural competence training have you received and how have you applied what you learned on the job? Describe how your career has been enhanced by exposure to diverse people, places, or experiences. Please provide a specific example. Share specific things that you have done to promote diversity, equity and/or inclusion in your current job. How do you challenge stereotypes and promote sensitivity and inclusion?
On Puentes Culturales for March 27, 2025 host Jose Banuelos Montes is joined by Michael Hancock Parmer, Director of Global Engagement at Roanoke College. Jose and his guest discuss what inspired Parmer to become a Study Abroad Advisor, his experience in the field of studying abroad, his biggest challenges in helping students prepare for life and studying in another country, among other related topics.
On Puentes Culturales for April 10, 2025 host Jose Banuelos Montes is joined by Sally Perret from Salisbury University in Maryland. Sally is Professor of Modern Languages at Salisbury University and also works with the migrant community in that area. https://www.salisbury.edu/faculty-and-staff/saperret
On Puentes Culturales for April 17, 2025 host Jose Banuelos Montes continues the conversation with Sally Perret from Salisbury University in Maryland. Sally is Professor of Modern Languages at Salisbury University and also works with the migrant community in that area. https://www.salisbury.edu/faculty-and-staff/saperret