Newswoman takes pride in her heritage, career BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer Lynda Baquero JACKSON - It isn't every day that children at the Elms Elementary School have a chance to hear firsthand about Hispanic heritage from a special role model, but when WNBC-TV news anchor Lynda Baquero came to speak with fifth-graders about Hispanic heritage they knew they were in for a treat. Hispanic Heritage Month is being celebrated from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Baquero said her family's roots are in Puerto Rico, although she was born in the continental United States and learned to speak Spanish in high school. Her husband's family roots are in the Dominican Republic although he, too, was born in the United States. Baquero told the children about her job which takes her to many places around New York City, throughout the United States and sometimes to foreign countries. "I often go out to different neighborhoods in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island to get the news," she explained. "Then I race back to the newsroom to see the videotape." Sometimes Baquero only has a few minutes to get her story ready for the newscast. "You have to work really fast," she told the children. Baquero said she learns so much every day from her job and the people she meets. Her assignment editors know about her family roots and she is often sent to cover stories in Puerto Rico, she said, telling the pupils, "Lots of times I end up in a hurricane." Baquero also hosts a segment that focuses on the Spanish community. That airs on Saturday at 9:15 a.m. "I want it to be a very positive segment," she said. "I cover a lot of Spanish people in the news." She told the children they can be what they want to be as long as they work hard and apply themselves. She explained the importance of going to school and knowing how to speak more than one language. She then took questions from the pupils. One youngster asked what her favorite type of story is to cover. Baquero said her favorite stories are about her experiences. "I went to Cuba," she said. "Most Americans are not allowed to go to Cuba because of the political and economic situation. You see people lined up for food, but it's also a beautiful country. There is beautiful architecture there." Baquero said she has also been on assignment in Italy and in the Middle East. Baquero responded to one student's question about people who come to the United States illegally. "I like to think of myself as a law abiding citizen," she said. "Clearly, people should not be breaking the law to come to this country." She explained how there are villages in Mexico where it is possible to see a home or a school where there is a Mexican flag and an American flag. In some instances, she said, half the town lives in New York City and people who stayed behind begin to think of the opportunities elsewhere. "In this country there are opportunities no matter what your background is," she said. "It doesn't matter what nationality you are. You can be black, white, purple or green. It doesn't matter. There are a lot of opportunities in this country. Again, no one should be breaking our laws, but it's not that simple. It's a tough issue." Baquero told the pupils that one of her favorite stories to cover was about the Hudson River. She said she learned the history of the river and had a chance to go kayaking. Baquero said she took an interest in TV news at the age of 12. By the time she was 14 she was doing taped shows and at the age of 17 she began working for a Spanish network. She later worked in cable television and has been with WNBC-TV for 11 years. When asked about salaries for people who work in television news, Baquero said they can make between $30,000 and hundreds of thousands of dollars depending upon the area where they work and the experience they have. Baquero said later that "if I can impact just one child by what I've said ... it makes my job rewarding. There aren't many professions that give you the opportunity to speak with kids like that." She said she had one important message for parents. "You have to preserve the culture," Baquero said. "It's incumbent upon the parents, especially as we all grow up in this country. [There is the tendency] to lose our traditions." Baquero said that for many years getting away from tradition was encouraged, not by anyone directly, but by a pressure to assimilate. "And now the beauty is we can have the best of both worlds," she said. "You can appreciate the beauty of the American culture, but at the same time it's really important to keep those Spanish traditions and the language." World language teacher Martine Jean-Louis called Baquero a wonderful role model, not only because of her heritage, but also for her career choice. Jean-Louis said one very important message Baquero gave the children was that they can be anything they want to be. "You just need determination to make your dreams come true," Jean-Louis said. "Reading and writing are very important. You need those skills." Jean-Louis said Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the art, music and contributions of Latinos in the community. Baquero also met with members of the Jackson Memorial High School Spanish Club and Spanish honor students. "We're here to see [Baquero] and to learn about her experiences," said senior Kayla Castillo. "We want to find out how she made it big. [That way] we can learn to grow through our experiences as well." Jackson Memorial High School Advanced Placement Spanish teacher Martha Liebenthal was also on hand. "I use (Spanish language newspaper) Latinos Unidos as part of my curriculum," she said. "My advanced placement students and my honors students read the paper."