Author Vilma Luz Cabán looks forward to catching up with Honorable Senator Maria de Lourdes Santiago. They met last year at the start of Vilma’s book tour in September. Vilma Luz had the great pleasure of sharing with this highly respected advocate her future plans. Vilma’s vision is to inspire a reverse migration to Puerto Rico where advocates, writers, artists, and creative souls rebuild Puerto Rico and support the next generation of Puerto Ricans within the Diaspora.
Senator De Lourdes Santiago was pleased to learn that Dr. Cabán will “rematriate” and retire in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. She encouraged Vilma to bring her professional and creative gifts to advocate for the needs of children and educators living in Puerto Rico. Vilma Luz is ready to sign up!
The construction work at La Casa de Maria kicked off January 2024 in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. In a few weeks, Vilma is ready to wear her General Contractor hat to advance construction. With her new tool belt, she will work alongside contractors. The goal is to have the ribbon-cutting ceremony February 2025 and extend Honarable Senator Maria de Lourdes Santiago the great honor of cutting the ribbon.
NUYORICAN- BORINQUEÑA CONSTRUCTION:
It is time to activate super powers in the Borikén archipelago of Puerto Rico!
At the Westchester Arts Puerto Rican literary and artisan event, Vilma Luz was honored to talk about the power of “rematriating” to Borikén. She is grateful for the collegial conversation she had with creator Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez of “La Borinqueña“ and his encouraging words. She discussed key findings that personally resonated about UCLA’s research on the status of Puerto Ricans in the continental US and on the archipelago.
MAY 2024
THE HEART OF AN ADVOCATE AT THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S HALF MARATHON RACE IN WASHINGTON, DC.
Author Vilma Luz Cabán dedicated this 13.1 mile race to all of the amazing women in her life who supported every step of her educational, personal, professional, research, and publishing journey.
Wrapping up her book tour in Washington DC, Vilma Luz symbolically lifted up her book within this historical space emblematic of our need to continue ratifying positive social change for women and children. Among the 30,000 runners present at that race, The National Women’s Half Marathon had a runner with THE HEART OF AN ADVOCATE.
BOOK COVER ARTIST FOR THE HEART OF AN ADVOCATE
Author Cabán was pleased to reunite with New York City socio-political artist Hiram Meléndez. It was a great opportunity for the Nuyorican artist and the author to catch up. Almost a decade ago, they met at a New York City art exhibit during Hispanic Heritage Month. At this event, Vilma learned about his unique artistic collage style. Afterwards, she commissioned an art piece that she wanted to originally use as the cover for a future book about her Moroccan advocacy research centered on homeless youth and abandoned children. Thereafter, her research took her to Guatemala and the theme “Forgotten Hope” seemed so appropriate for the cover of her memoir The Heart of an Advocate.
In this art piece, Hiram used different images of Vilma wearing her hijab as she traveled in Morocco as well as some other images captured throughout her travels.
Hiram is a talented artist that has shared his artwork within different installations at The Met Employee Art Exhibit. Vilma was so proud of this artistic accomplishment! Artist Meléndez was very excited for Vilma as she prepares to pack her bags to “rematriate” to Puerto Rico. Hiram can’t wait to visit her future publishing house La Casa de Maria Publishing House in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. She hopes to hold an art exhibit at La Casa de Maria featuring amazing Nuyorican artists like Hiram Meléndez.
APRIL 2024
CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK : “WOMXN UP!” STUDENT ORGANIZATION
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AUTHOR SPEAKER:
Author Vilma Luz continued her campus book tour visiting the City University of New York, BCC Campus. As a part of their Sexual Violence Awareness Events, the Women Center Womxn Up! invited Dr. Cabán to speak about ways to combat domestic violence. Vilma Luz spoke of her personal experiences as the daughter of a battered mother. She shared ways that loved ones tend to isolate and blame domestic violence victims.
Reading excerpts from her memoir The Heart of an Advocate, Dr. Cabán shared the patterns that many victims fall into as they try to leave their abusers. She highlighted resources that students can share with friends and family to help raise shared awareness and boost public visibility on the patterns of domestic violence. As a take-away resource for the students and faculty, she gave a digital copy of her PowerPoint which had additional links to connect them with advocacy organizations supporting victims to break free from their abusers.
Vilma Luz is grateful to CUNY Professor Coss-Aquino for connecting her with Professor Gloria Rodriguez’s work and her long-standing commitment to CUNY’S BCC Department of Social Sciences. The Women’s Center Womxn Up! is fortunate to have Director Gloria Rodriguez lead this impactful campus organization. For this event, she joined forces with the CUNY BCC Association of Latino Faculty & Staff, the Office of Student Life, as well as with the CUNY Public Safety Department. It was great to see Officer Jose Rodriguez attend and share his insight. We are grateful that he will share these resources with his fellow law enforcement staff.
Author Vilma Luz’s ultimate desire is to offer CUNY WOMXN UP! students the opportunity to earn a study abroad scholarship to partake in future writing retreats at La Casa de Maria Publishing House in Puerto Rico. Vilma Luz shared her upcoming plans to “rematriate” to Puerto Rico to establish a publishing house. With the support of the Associate Director of Student Life Tiffany Dubon, she is excited about coming back September 2024 to showcase La Casa de Maria Documentary. It is a great way to launch Hispanic Heritage Month on the CUNY campus. In addition, it will be the book release anniversary of The Heart of an Advocate. It is with great pride that this Nuyorican author comes back to her New York City roots to pay it forward for the next generation of writers and advocates.
MARCH 2024 (WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH)
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE / GUEST SPEAKER
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Dr. Vilma Luz Cabán shared international human rights research findings with graduate students attending the Springfield College School of Social Work and Behavioral Sciences.
As a part of her Massachusetts book tour, Dr. Cabán revealed researcher anecdotes and read excerpts from her memoir The Heart of an Advocate.
It was a moment to bridge research theory with practice for students using the Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Author Cabán shared key findings from her international human rights research in Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.
Many of the social work graduate students were excited about purchasing a signed copy of her book. Many continued to ask questions about her writer’s journey. She shared how her work was inspired by many inspirational circles of people trying to make a difference. Dr. Cabán shared information about the One Circle Foundation wherein she is a proud executive board member. Activating the voice of young people to constructively express what is on their hearts is a way to promote positive change.
FEBRUARY 2024
PODCAST INTERVIEW TALKING ABOUT THIS AUTHOR’S PLAN TO “REMATRIATE” TO PUERTO RICO AND ESTABLISH A PUBLISHING HOUSE
After Vilma Luz Cabán completed her book tour event in Norwalk, Connecticut, she was approached by fellow author and host Michael Carlon of the podcast “Uncorking A Story”. His podcast features a diverse lineup of storytellers from around the world. Carlon is a marketing consultant that has a passion for amplifying the voices and stories of bold authors blazing a trail in the publishing world. Michael Carlon travels around the world as a marketing research expert working with large companies as Pepsi, Meta, and American Express. Author Cabán is deeply grateful for his interest in carving out a space to showcase her book The Heart of an Advocate.
In this episode, Cabán offers a vulnerable personal account in her writer’s journey. She discusses the next chapter in her life as a future Latina entrepreneur launching a publishing house in Puerto Rico. Vilma Luz lends some heartfelt insight into the transformative power of writing.
Listen as Author Cabán channels the superhero power of “La Borinqueña“ (created by the talented creator and novelist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez) to share about her dream to “rematriate” to Puerto Rico. She talks about the power of other inspirational Puerto Rican authors who paved the way for her and the next generation of writers.
Image Credit: “Uncorking A Story: A Pearl of Great Price with Dr. Cabán. https://uncorkingastory.com/vilma-luz-caban/
NEW YORK CITY BOOK TOUR:
Puerto Rican Authors in The Poets House
Poets House, New York City
Celebrating a former Poet House Fellow Elisabet Velasquez, author Vilma Luz Cabán was emotionally moved to have this remarkable best selling author’s endorsement at this poet’s event. Elisabet took a picture with Vilma’s book The Heart of an Advocate and proudly declared to event participants “Vilma is an author!” Elisabet expressed how happy she was to see that Vilma’s book tour is on a roll!
A few months earlier, Elisabet offered Cabán such powerful advice when Vilma was feeling doubtful about her book launch as well as nervous about approaching organizations about her work. Elisabet shared “If you don’t say YES to you, who is going to say YES to you?” That was the energy that led Vilma into her book tour. Elisabet is the author of When We Make It: A Nuyorican Novel. It’s a powerful piece of fiction writing that captures the heart of so many Puerto Rican youth. Regrettably, we learned that it has been banned in Florida, but this is not stopping Author Velasquez.
As Generation X and Millennial Puerto Rican authors Vilma and Elisabet see the collective power of pushing forward together as a tribe of Latinx writers in full support of each other. Most recently authors Cabán and Velasquez saw each other at The Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Lincoln Center, and at Vilma’s Milford Beach Book Club celebrating Dr. Melissa Coss Aquino’s remarkable book Carmen & Grace.
Vilma Luz also felt proud to meet a new author and poet Jasmine Gonzalez (Petals of the Red Dahlia) . Please support this new poet and purchase her book as well.
The Nuyorican Poets Cafe: Womxn Orator Wednesday
Hosted by The Loisaida Center, New York City
It was a great honor for author Vilma Luz to be the first poet of the evening sharing from the Epilogue: Poetic Prose section of her memoir The Heart of an Advocate. Cabán read two moving and spicy poems.
If you told her a year ago that an Emmy Award winner and remarkable poet Caridad de La Luz would introduce Vilma Luz at The Nuyorican Poets Café Womxn Orators Wednesday Night, she would never have believed it. She is grateful for the remarkable support she has received from The Nuyorican Poets Cafe. This performance was in collaboration with The Loisaida Center. These remarkable cultural centers have inspired the next generation of poets. It was their work during the pandemic, that kept a tribe of writers afloat.
Poem #1 Blow it Away begins at 6 minutes and 15 seconds (6:15).
Poem #2 Roarrrrrrrrr begins at 45 minutes and 05 seconds (45:05).
RIVERDALE, NEW YORK CITY
Featured Writer with Art in the Basin. Sponsored by Poets & Writers and New York City Cultural Affairs.
Hosted by the amazing organization Art in the Basin, memoirist Vilma Luz Cabán shared her healing journey as she delves into poetry during a very heart breaking chapter in her life. Vilma Luz shared how she penned her pain…and it released her promise. This work was sponsored with a grant from Poets & Writer’s Inc. a national writers organization based in New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Washington DC and Los Angeles, California. It was a hybrid open mic performance enjoyed by poets and writers in different parts of New York City. After Vilma Luz shared more about her writer’s journey, she was so excited to share the microphone with a talented circle of aspiring writers.
JANUARY 2024
Fairfield University Masters of Fine Arts (FUMFA) Writers & Poets Live Reading featured Vilma Luz Cabán at Eco Evolution Cafe.
Reading an excerpt from this researcher’s memoir. “Cornered by A Chief” Author Cabán shared how she earned her “diplomatic cultural ambassador wings”. This moving chapter describes how she escaped a perilous situation abroad. Money and power tried to trap and cage this dove, but she was witty and flew out.
2024 BOOK CLUB TALK
Joining a beautiful circle of supportive readers, Vilma Luz was honored to be the featured author of a book club in Fairfield County, CT. It was an opportunity to answer questions about the writing process as well as reveal intimate details regarding a few harrowing experiences that were captured in The Heart of an Advocate. This women’s book club was featured in the One Circle Foundation’s blog “Finding Your Circle: Witnessing Strength“. As a part of their beach book club experience, the group enjoyed a surprise visit from Dr. Melissa Coss Aquino. She is the author of Carmen and Grace. Dr. Coss Aquino has served as a supportive Latina author mentor to Vilma Luz. Also in attendance was the talented Elisabet Velasquez! This poet and author of When We Make It: A Nuyorican Novel has been such a great inspiration to Vilma Luz. The beauty of reading circles and writing circles came together for this book club. Circles coming together celebrating courage and strength… build more circles of courage and strength!
DECEMBER 2023
Puerto Rican Literary & Artisan Event at The Arts Westchester
Westchester County, New York
Author Cabán was thrilled to meet and talk with the creator and novelist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez of La Boriqueña comic book series. Vilma Luz shared how moved she was to see his comic book on shelves at another cultural event. She shared how she had mentioned him in her television interview on the Open Friday Morning Show with Rhina Valentin. In fact, Vilma Luz couldn’t wait to meet him and La Boriqueña. They spoke about their love for Puerto Rican narratives, life in the archipelago, and the need for more cultural affirmation across different literary genres. The Puerto Rican Diaspora is rich!
Having the great honor of meeting up and gaining support from Honorable Mayor Roach was such a key moment for Dr. Cabán. Many years ago, she had the wonderful privilege of teaching both of the Mayor’s sons. Honorable Mayor Roach proudly announced how one of his sons is a dedicated teacher. Mayor Roach took the time to listen to Vilma Luz and shared space with this author as she talked about the next leg in her literary journey. He walked away with a signed copy of The Heart of an Advocate and a smile.
New York Congressman Jamael Bowman and author Vilma Luz Cabán talking about Puerto Rico dreams.
Author Vilma Luz Cabán was pleased to meet Congressman Jamael Bowman. He was very proud to talk about his love of Puerto Rico. She shared her personal mission to rematriate to her mother’s motherland to establish a publishing house in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. Congressman Bowman shared his excitement for her cause and encouraged her to chase her dreams. La Boriqueña super hero was present to continue their conversation about the need to share more Boricua stories.
Puerto Rican Authors Literary Sunday
Arts Westchester , Westchester County NY
Dr. Cabán was proud to share space with some remarkable Puerto Rican authors at The Arts Westchester Puerto Rican Artisan Fair coordinated by the White Plains Puerto Rican Cultural Committee. A proud moment for this author was when New York State Senator Shelly Mayer purchased her book The Heart of an Advocate.
She was intrigued about Vilma Luz’s journey to rematriate to Puerto Rico to establish a publishing house on the island.
Vilma was very excited to share author space with Adriana Erin Rivera the author of Paloma’s Song. Both authors shared great company reading their book excerpts to the Sunday audience. They discussed the importance as new authors on the scene to break barriers for the next generation of Puerto Rican authors.
SURPRISE BOOK CLUB WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS
NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT
Vilma Luz walked into a special surprise coordinated by her Comadre Rachel and a beautiful circle of loved ones. They traveled far and wide to be a part of this special moment for the heart of an advocate.
Circle of Intergenerational Puerto Rican Women Authors
Author Vilma Luz Cabán felt so fortunate to be able to receive the encouragement of Puerto Rican women authors who have paved the way for the next generation of Latina authors. It truly takes a “pueblo” to lift each other up. Sharing words with the famous Esmeralda Santiago as they spoke about Vilma’s dream to establish a publishing house in Puerto Rico stirred such rich conversation. Elisabet Velasquez and Esmeralda were featured in the Daughters of Latin America edited by Sandra Guzman. In November, author Sandra Guzman’s received the Lincoln Center’s Latina Luminary Award. Vilma Luz felt so fortunate to witness this great moment!
She was touched by the ancestor altar created in honor of all the daughters of Latin America. There Vilma Luz placed her recently released book and a picture of her beloved mother Maria. She dedicated her book to her mother’s memory and the future of the next generation of Latina writers!
Bronx Community College / Creative Writing Author Visit
Visiting undergraduate students in New York City, Dr. Cabán shared some challenging moments in her author journey. She is grateful to Dr. Melissa Coss Aquino for the special invitation in celebrating the 10th year anniversary of the Thesis Magazine publication for the college.
Author Cabán dug deep into her “personal why” to share strategies that helped her break through in her memoir writing. Visiting childhood memories as an adult retracing footsteps to activate memories was a key strategy for her. She told of how she climbed fire escapes and walked rooftops to write about a personally challenging chapter in her memoir. She offered insight into her creative writing process, then she invited students to partake in an open mic opportunity sharing their writing pieces developed in their creative writing course.
Dr. Cabán invited fellow writer and community writing advocate Ron M. Thomson to share resources where these budding writers can share their writing at various community open-mics such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and The Art in the Basin community reading events.Together they encouraged students to submit their writing for publication with The Bronx Arts Council in their Bronx Memoir Project Anthology. During this holiday season, students received a free digital copy of The Heart of an Advocate. A couple of students won the raffle of author signed copies of the book. It was a wonderful day for this community of writers.
NOVEMBER 2023
Television Interview “Open Friday Morning Show” with Rhina Valentin
BronxNet Television
Lehman College, New York City
A special thank you to Rhina Valentin, the amazing and talented host of Open Friday Morning Show! What a privilege to share space in the studio with this Latina powerhouse! Just last week, Rhina interviewed award-winning actor Luis Guzman. It was such an epic show. To be in the same space a week later, made author Vilma Luz shake in her seat! On this Open Friday show segment, Rhina and her team placed a spotlight on Dr. Cabán’s book The Heart of an Advocate and her journey as she prepares to “rematriate” to Puerto Rico 
. The author also featured images from the documentary she produced with Director Joe Negron. It recently premiered at The Bregamos Community Theatre in New Haven, Connecticutt. Rhina Valentin was so happy to learn that Vilma Luz will go to her mother’s motherland of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico to open a publishing house called La Casa de Maria Press.
OCTOBER 2023
CT LIT FEST AT REAL ARTS WAYS
BOOK TOUR – HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
Author Cabán read excerpts about her research in Morocco related to street children and orphans. She also read about the phenomena of child maids in this nation.
YWCA SOCIAL JUSTICE AND INEQUITIES IN EDUCATION
BOOK TOUR – WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK
Social justice was a strong theme shared in this book tour event where Dr. Cabán spoke about the inequities within our educational system. She described how her doctoral research helped to launch her role as a humanitarian advocacy researcher.
BOOK LAUNCH AT ECO-EVOLUTION CAFE
NORWALK CONNECTICUT
Surrounded by a close circle of family and friends, Vilma Luz felt the love and support at her book launch event.
BOOK PROMOTION WITH THE PERALTA DESIGN TEAM
THE MISSION CTRL PODCAST STATION SHELTON, CONNECTICUT
In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month CEO Ramon Peralta and the Mission CTRL Flight Crew had the honor of interviewing Dr. Vilma Luz Caban. She is a proud educator of over 32 years, a world-trotting Humanitarian Researcher, Program Evaluator, Harley riding, self-proclaimed “Swifty” and the author of: The Heart of an Advocate. In the early 2000’s, Dr. Caban was bitten by the equity bug and since then has found herself working for equality in places as far away as Egypt, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Peralta Design: Launching Brands
PROMOTIONAL PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH BILINGUAL IN AMERICA
A Conversation with Dr. Vilma Luz Cabán:
Author Dr. Vilma Luz Cabán, well known as an educator and dedicated champion for women impacted by domestic violence and socioeconomic equalities, has blazed a trail of success in passion. In her wide-ranging and often heart-wrenching memoir, Cabán weaves her personal experiences and lessons as a survivor with her deepest wish to change the course of cycles of abuse for women everywhere. She succeeds in shining a light on a reality often kept in the shadows and offers help for a way out and a better tomorrow. Vilma shares how a bruised and broken heart can become the heart of an advocate. And that advocates can make all the difference.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST INTERVIEW
PRELAUNCH BOOK PROMOTION & READINGS:
FUMFA (Fairfield University Masters of Fine Arts) Poets and Writers Live Event.
Reading an excerpt from the chapter CORNERED BY A CHIEF. It was a tough read.
(Click on the image to see the video.)
Thursday Night Nuyorican Poets Cafe Online Performance.
Sharing a chapter that almost didn’t make it into the book. However, this writer’s tribe inspired Vilma to share her story! Thank you NPC for bringing writer’s joy. Reading the chapter OVERCOMER: FIRE ESCAPES & ROOFTOPS. (Click on the image to see the video.)
VILMA LUZ CABÁN 