Yanil Teron: Bonding the Heart of Hartford
by Muhammad A. Zeb, Trinity College
Muhammad A. Zeb is a freshman Class of 1963 Scholar from Corpus Christi, TX. He is founder of a South Texan non-profit called the Heritage Bridge Foundation, and has been selling cars since he was 16 years old.
A metropolitan area
is similar to a human body, wherein each city functions as a unique organ,
while the central city represents the heart. The City of Hartford -- the heart of a 1.2 million person
metropolitan area -- is starved of its lifeblood in a region starkly divided by
income and race across municipal boundaries.[1] These
divisions present barriers to social capital[2] in the
region, reducing trust, participation, and its ability to work collectively. Activist
Yanil Teron[3]
has rolled up her sleeves to reinvigorate the region’s social capital. As the
executive director of the Center for Latino Progress, she recognizes that,
“Hartford is truly the heart of this region.” She has dedicated her
professional career to building community, especially among Latinos in
Hartford. In addition to these close-knit bonding interactions, Ms. Teron
further seeks to build bridging social capital across diverse groups in order
to channel their energy through the veins of Hartford and its surrounding area.
Hartford’s Current Diagnosis
Historically,
Hartford was synonymous with the term wealth. From manufacturing to finance to
insurance, Hartford served as a hub of economic activity in the United States.[4]
Though this is not the case in the modern day, Hartford continues to possess
generous traces of the resources of its glory days, such as a sizeable
industrial sector. Hartford is also home to numerous higher education
institutions. These institutions are a vital asset in the revival of Hartford
as they nurture future citizens of the area. Instilling the importance of
social capital in the students of such institutions offers a promising future
for Hartford.
The
city of Hartford enjoys a wealth of diversity. Though the existence of wealth
and diversity in a region is often a positive element, diversity and wealth are
polarized in greater Hartford, leaving much of the wealth in the surrounding
suburbs.[5]
This departure of wealth from the city has led to a financial crisis in
Hartford as the city has minimal taxable property within its 17.9 square mile
jurisdiction. Furthermore, segregation and mistrust within and between the various
ethnic populations of the city of Hartford are at a high level.[6]
As the largest ethnic group in the city is Latino, specifically Puerto Rican,
Yanil Teron’s primary goal is to increase social capital among the Latinos of
Hartford.
Step 1: Bonding a Broken Heart
Social
capital is a vital element in a successful community since it represents the
value of human networks that enable collective social action. A high level of
social capital is often associated with better health, better child development,
and greater safety and prosperity.[7]
The two types of social capital, bonding and bridging, are closely related and
one can contribute to the other.
To
address the issue of the broken heart of the greater Hartford area, Yanil Teron
is leading the Center of Latino Progress to generate bonding social capital
among the Latino population of the city of Hartford. The projects led by Teron include
immigration services and adult learning classes, specializing in English
proficiency. These in turn coordinate with the FUTUROS program for job placement.9
Most
recently, the Center for Latino Progress has developed the BiCi Co. program, which encourages individuals to bond over the
activity of biking, through workshop courses and planned bike rides that
facilitate face-to-face interactions.[8]
As Teron explained, “Our social capital plan goes beyond the professional
interaction… we do fun things too.” In addition to fun, the program promotes
environmental sustainability and transportation access.
To
further build social networks in Hartford and beyond, Ms. Teron and her
organization often partner with other organizations. This fall, for instance,
they participated in the Heroes and Icons
Exhibit by the Arte Foundation. At this event I was given a first-hand look
at how Teron’s plan of increasing greater Hartford’s social capital occurs
through the force of bonding social capital.
 |
| Yanil Teron, center, with Matt Pianka (left) and Muhammad Zeb, both Trinity Class of '21 |
The
event specifically focused on the interaction of people around their
appreciation for Latino culture and heritage. The spectrum of attendance
greatly varied from the Latino working class to elite members of society. I was
impressed to see how a simple gathering can increase in bonding social capital.
In a corner holding a plate of Puerto Rican delicacies, I saw a Latino
entrepreneur giving job tips to a mom of two. Shifting my glance I saw an
immigration attorney discussing policy with a state representative in the
presence of a new immigrant.
“This
is only the first step in our plan,” Teron claimed when I expressed my awe to
her. “The city of Hartford needs to bridge out to the wealthy suburbs to help
greater Hartford improve,” she explained.
Step 2: Pumping Social Capital through the Veins of
Greater Hartford.
As
the map displays, Hartford is financially challenged yet its surrounding
suburbs include dense pockets of wealth. Teron’s ultimate goal is to use the
rebuilt heart of the region to pump social capital throughout the region,
thereby connecting the financially stable to the financially marginal. “People
come and go from the city every day, but they don't interact with the residents
of the city. Our goal is to make these outside visitors interact with Hartford
residents,” Teron elaborated. In order to accomplish this CLP is currently
broadening its outreach to partner with programs like Hartford Magnet Schools
and the Girl Scouts of Connecticut to increase bridging social capital.
 |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2011-2014 estimates, generated by Muhammad Zeb using Social Explorer. |
You should do something too.
Yanil
Teron contributes to healing Hartford’s broken heart, through bonding social capital.
Now her goal is to bridge this new social capital to the greater Hartford area,
thereby reinvigorating the region. As the heart of the region, Hartford will
pump social capital through the veins of the greater area, and gradually return
to its vibrant past.[9]
Trinity students have a responsibility to aid this progression. According to
Teron, “Trinity students must branch out of their homework assignments, and get
out in the community,” in order to build bridging and bonding social capital.
So the next time your friends decide to order food delivery, advise them to go
out to a restaurant. Building social capital is an enjoyable process, and we
have already made strides in the right direction, thanks to the efforts of
Yanil Teron and other Hartford leaders.
Muhammad Zeb's article is the first in a series of four student blog posts featured from Trinity Assistant Professor Abigail Williamson's first-year student seminar Civic Engagement and Community as described in my blog post Classroom to Community at Trinity.
Don Shaw, Jr.
Writer and Editor
RedTruckStonecatcher.com
Photos and graphics submitted by Muhammad Zeb.
[1] Chen, Xiangming, and Nick Bacon. Confronting urban legacy: rediscovering Hartford and
[1] Chen, Xiangming, and Nick Bacon. Confronting urban legacy: rediscovering Hartford and
New
Englands forgotten cities. Lexington Books, 2015. https://books.google.com/books/about/Confronting_Urban_Legacy.html?id=sWYemwE
York, Simon &
Schuster, 2000. https://books.google.com/books?id=rd2ibodep7UC&printsec=frontcover&dq=bowling+alone&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiGgqqFyKDXAhVrL8AKHaS1Ao8Q6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=bowling%20alone&f=false
New
Englands forgotten cities. Lexington Books, 2015. https://books.google.com/books/about/Confronting_Urban_Legacy.html?id=sWYemwE
New
Englands forgotten cities. Lexington Books, 2015. https://books.google.com/books/about/Confronting_Urban_Legacy.html?id=sWYemwE
New
Englands forgotten cities. Lexington Books, 2015. https://books.google.com/books/about/Confronting_Urban_Legacy.html?id=sWYemwE
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