#latino public radio

Sandra Cano was born September 9, 1983 in Medellín, Colombia where she attended Catholic school and enjoyed swimming. Her father was a manager of an airline company in Colombia. During the 90’s rebels were kidnapping business-owners to hold for ransom. Unfortunately, Sandra’s father was on this list. He was kidnapped and ready to be killed, when miraculously, a former employee, who Sandra’s father had helped years ago, let him go saying, “He’s not on the list. Take him back home. He doesn’t have any money, he is just a man working for the company.”

After two weeks of being separated from his family, he was advised by his boss to seek political asylum in the United States. He traveled to Rhode Island to be with his son who was studying in an exchange program at Brown University. Upon Sandra’s father’s arrival to the US, he was advised by the government to bring the rest of his family with him, so that they would be protected as well.At age 17, Sandra was a student at the University in Colombia and had dreams of being a journalist or news reporter, but had to sacrifice her education in Colombia to move to the United States to find safety. She arrived to Pawtucket, Rhode Island in September 2000, where she and her family reunited with her father.

Sandra, reluctant to leave because she was already enrolled in the University, promised her father to live in the United States for six months to learn English. She was unprepared for the setbacks she faced, especially because she had already gradated high school in Colombia after 11th grade, but was placed back in high school to complete 12th grade in the United States. This was most frustrating since she had to attend the same English as a Second Language (ESL) class with her younger thirteen year old brother, who constantly teased her.

Despite this frustration, Sandra continued her life in the United States. She received her Associates degree from the Community College of Rhode Island. Sandra then transferred to Rhode Island College, and completed her bachelor’s degree at Bryant where she was able to obtain a scholarship. Most recently, Sandra obtained her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Rhode Island.

Sandra is now the Assistant Vice President of Business and Community Development for Navigant Credit Union in Central Falls, Rhode Island. She never gave up her journalism dreams; she volunteers at a Latino Public Radio station where she hosts her own public radio show. In addition, to her professional career, Sandra serves her community in Pawtucket, Rhode Island as the first Latina to be elected to the School Committee.

Serving in a public office as a young, female immigrant, Sandra feels that her leadership capacity is sometimes questioned. Some members of the community consider her accent a weakness, and assume she is uneducated. As a young Latina she still struggles to have her ideas heard and taken seriously. Sandra hopes to combat negative stereotypes and push forward a positive vision that immigrants and refugees are not looking to take advantage of, but to help make the Unites States a better and stronger country. She explains,

“There are a lot of negative perceptions about immigrants and refugees, and people don’t know their stories… I want you to understand that I’m coming here to contribute to this country; I’m not coming here to take away from this country. And, we all together could be a community. I mean, everybody is an immigrant, other than Native Americans.”

Despite facing some adversity, Sandra felt encouraged by all who believed in her. She continues to take a stand on issues important to her community.

“Every time somebody would shut the door on me… somebody else would give me that encouragement to continue…In Pawtucket we have a lot of work to do…it is still very divided. So, [we have] the Latinos here and the Cape Verdeans on this side of the city, and the white, Irish, and French Canadians on this side of the city….and they’re not really integrating. So, I would like to work together, or do something to try to help.”

Sandra still misses the family reunions and traditions of playing soccer at her grandparents’ home back in Colombia but it looking forward to starting a family of her own in Rhode Island. Sandra’s desire to have a happy and healthy family comes from her dad, admiring how selfless he was in doing everything he could to help his children create successful lives in the United States.

Sandra envisions a bright future ahead for the ocean state.

“I want equal access opportunities for my [future] kids in terms of education [and] job opportunities. I want a Rhode Island that has a positive economy…And I am positive for the future of Rhode Island. I think that more than ever we have had our struggles, and this time communities and people are getting together…to put our vision forward; a positive vision forward.”


Written and compiled by Colleen Dusel and Katy Foley