The United States is a very diverse country. Among its population it counts millions of people from all races: Native Americans, African Americans, Asian American, Hispanics, etc. Americans speak many languages and worship God in various and different religious ways. And in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 events, knowing about them and their special characteristics has become ever more important. For such knowledge only helps to strengthen our internal unity as a nation.

"Entre Vecinos" is a bilingual, public service TV program that airs every third Sunday at 7 a.m. on WSTM-TV3 (NBC) and the following Saturday at 6 a.m. on the PAX TV channel. It is conceived as a public forum about Hispanics and Hispanic-related issues in the Central New York community. Let me tell you about it.

The program's format is simply a bilingual talk show. For each program, two or three guests discuss, with the program host, a topic of interest to the Hispanic community: health, education, jobs, the arts, etc. The guests develop the topics in Spanish. But after each participation, an English summary, for the benefit of the non-Spanish speaking audience, is given by the participants.

"Entre Vecinos" is not new in Syracuse. Sam Velazquez was its initial conductor and host for some 11 years. Sam now is retiring. I began hosting the show during the spring and summer. We have already broadcast our first shows with the assistance of several community leaders, analyzing crucial problems that concern the Syracuse Hispanic community. For example, we discussed issues about the education of Hispanic children and the merits of bilingual education. Our next scheduled program, on the importance of participating in the electoral process, will air Oct. 20.

To become a full community forum on Hispanic issues, "Entre Vecinos" needs to be watched by Syracusans. Then, the show needs to actively interact with both its English and Hispanic audiences.

To establish communication with its viewers, the show has a section in WSTM's Web page. There is an e-mail address (entrevecinos@wstm.com) where the public can send their comments, questions and suggestions for topics. Its early-morning schedule is not very easy to follow. But with the ever-present VCRs, most interested viewers can program and tape in these early hours, then view at their leisure at a more convenient time.

In addition to serving as a community forum on Hispanic issues, "Entre Vecinos" has other uses. Since it is truly bilingual, it can be used in intermediate Spanish courses as support material for students. Short conversations in Spanish are immediately followed by their English summaries, which enable Spanish students to pick up whatever they lost in the original version. We know of a couple of teachers who are already using it this way, to supplement their Spanish training.

We have also encountered English-speaking viewers who simply wait for the translation summaries and meanwhile enjoy listening (and picking up) some Spanish. Some Spanish-speaking ones do exactly the same - but in reverse. They both learn about the topics and issues developed and hear the other's language.

Finally, the show helps break many stereotypes. Many "real" Hispanics appear as hosts and guests on "Entre Vecinos" - persons of all colors, shapes, education levels and walks of life, as Hispanics truly are.

We hope that more and more, "Entre Vecinos" can contribute to mutual understanding between Hispanics and all other cultural and ethnic groups in the Syracuse and Central New York communities. Jorge Luis Romeu teaches statistics at Syracuse University.