Asynchronous Blog Spot on Yo Soy Boricua Pa’ Que Tú Lo Sepas

19 thoughts on “Asynchronous Blog Spot on Yo Soy Boricua Pa’ Que Tú Lo Sepas”

1. The documentary “Yo soy Boricua pa’ que tú lo sepas” highlights the unique historical and political context of the island, through Jorge Duany’s argument that Puerto Rico is an overseas possession of the United States .One effect of US colonialism in Puerto Rico has been the island’s economic dependency on the United States. The documentary notes that since the US takeover in 1898, the archipelago has been exposed to American capital, commodities, and laws, which have led to a reliance on US markets and investments. As a result, the island has struggled with high levels of poverty, unemployment, and debt. Another effect of US colonialism in Puerto Rico has been the imposition of American customs and values on Puerto Rican culture. The documentary explores how Puerto Rican culture has been influenced by US popular culture, particularly through the media and entertainment industries. For example, the documentary highlights the decline of the island’s agricultural sector and the loss of traditional farming practices as a result of US economic policies and the promotion of industrialization.
   Overall, these effects of US colonialism in Puerto Rico have had a significant impact on the island’s social, cultural, and economic development. They have also led to ongoing debates about the island’s political status and its relationship with the United States.

   The effects of US colonialism in Puerto Rico have impacted the lives of millions of Puerto Ricans and continue to be a source of political and social debate on the island. It is important to acknowledge and understand the complex history of Puerto Rico’s relationship with the US and work towards creating a more just and better future for all.

2. Option #2
   In the text, Duany says that this notion of vaiven “also connotes unsteadiness, inconstancy and oscillation.” This shows how there is a feeling of not knowing where you belong. Puertoricans went back to their homeland as a form of feeling safe then when things weren’t going right in the homeland they would come to the US. They “never set roots in particular communities”. This moving back and forth was a way for them to find work opportunities and sovereignty. “The fluid and hybrid identities of Puertoricans on the island and the mainland, suggesting that none of the traditional criteria for nationhood–a shared territory, language, economy, citizenship or sovereignty –are fixed and immutable”. This shows how Puertoricans didn’t belong to just Puerto Rico but they also belong to this diaspora. This is also because of the power the United States has on this land. Puerto Rico never got the ability to be independent like other islands. When you go to Puerto Rico it’s like you’re visiting another state. “Government authorities do not police Puerto Ricans moving between the island and the mainland, unlike those who cross international frontiers.
   In terms of the documentary, you can see one woman talking about how she traveled back and forth and these labels you gain when you come from there or when you come from here. She said she lived in the Bronx until she was 10 and then she moved back to Puerto Rico when she was 13 and other there she was seen as the Nuyorican but when she came back to live in New York, she was seen as the girl who came off the banana boat. There is a sense of not knowing where you come from or where you belong like it’s described in the text because your family moves so much between the homeland and the mainland/diaspora.

3. Option 3
   Written even within the title of the documentary itself—“Yo Soy Boricua Pa’ Que Tu Lo Sepas”—one of the biggest points of Puerto Rican cultural defense is self-aware pride. This is something addressed in the beginning, solving the question of why with the idea that Boricua-ness within itself is a feeling. Something that can’t necessarily be explained outside of the sentiment that it runs through blood. Many of the interview subjects express pride in their mestizidad, understanding that even despite their political standing as Americans, there is much to be learned from indigenous and non-white diasporic culture. One of the most telling examples is how their pride is very purposely anti-American, not just despite the oppressiveness of the colonial government, but still within the sentiment of ni de aquí, ni de alla. Spanglish, as demonstrated in the poetry and conversation at the bar, intentionally combines the American and Boricua identities and almost satirizes forced assimilation. This assimilation is either entirely into American culture or entirely against it based on how children and their families are taught Spanish, but nevertheless caught in the limbo of the faulty American dream. Political promises like Operation Bootstrap put profit over people, and the people had no choice but to recalibrate their understanding of home. The distinctly Nuyorican identity mirrors the island’s historic conditions of poverty and allows the community to realize that a lot of things aren’t as different as they were led to assume. This similarity gives a place to establish roots, basking in the perpetual idea of “otherness” to find a home. Puerto Ricans are a naturally diverse and culturally nuanced people, so bringing that into diasporic communities not only preserves but builds the generations and futures that the documentary aims to highlight.

4. Option 1:
   There has been plenty of implementation of American customs and laws in Puerto Rico and even in the mainland that negatively impacts Puerto Ricans. From the documentary there are many examples, but the 2 I wanted to focus on is la operacion and the garbage incident involving the young lords. I touched upon this in my presentation because they really struck out to me. Essentially the U.S. imposed a sterilization act which was embedded in Puerto Rico and caused as many as 65% of women to be sterilized which is the biggest percentage of the world. The U.S. did this to control the population and to decrease poverty. Another aspect that is cruel is that birth control was tested on Puerto Rican women, so Puerto Rico was pretty much treated as a science experiment. The Garbage incident was a protest to laws enacted that favored throwing upper middle class’s garbage more effectively than in neighborhoods which are predominately Puerto Rican. The group responsible for the protest are the Young Lords which were activists similar to the black panthers for Puerto Rican’s rights in the U.S. Even though they had many good efforts, they eventually succumbed to the pressures of the FBI and internal conflicts.

5. Option 3:
   One of the ways in which Puerto Ricans defend their cultural legacy and community is through national and cultural pride. The title of Rosie Perez’s documentary is “Yo Soy Boricua Pa Que Tu Lo Sepa,” which is a widely recognized statement because of how often it is uttered. Puerto Ricans have consistently been a community which is always fighting for their people and showing extreme pride for their culture and roots. A joke that I heard that sort of illustrates the potency of Puerto Rican cultural pride is that when you meet a Puerto Rican person and you can’t immediately tell where they’re from due to a flag on their belt, shirt, or hat, they’ll tell you within the first 5 minutes of conversation. Some people might see the constant waving of the flag and statements like the title of the documentary to constantly make sure their presence and identity is felt and respected and reduce it to simply nationalism and pride in culture. While it it definitely is those things, it is also a response to the cultural and physical destruction that has been done to the people and island of Puerto Rico by the United States, and the horrors of colonialism. At one point on the island of Puerto Rico the colonial government made it illegal to even own the Puerto Rican flag, not even just display it, and they also attempted to end the speaking of Spanish on the island by attempting to enforce English through the school system. Due to socioeconomic factors put in place by colonization, in the last century there’s been many waves of Puerto Ricans immigrating to the US and being displaced from their homes and land. This was a part of a project of cultural genocide and ethnic cleansing, but rather than having their culture be erased and be forcefully assimilated, many Puerto Ricans instead flipped the switch and started claiming and representing their culture even more. Even after several generations in the United States, many people of Puerto Rican descent still identify as just Puerto Rican and actively practice their culture, even if they weren’t able to preserve language.

6. OPTION THREE
   Duane explain that Puerto Ricans move back and forth between islands was challenge and at the same time a beauty. They got to learn English and Spanish at a young age by prating “spanglish” their entire life. They got to experience to different environment but that was also challenge because even thought they knew who they were in New York not many people knew where Puerto Rico was. Back home it was welcoming but also sad for those living in the island because there was lack of many resources that does who left to the USA had access to. For example we see the story of how the grandma use to sit and pray for a better life to come. Living in USA is difficult because it can be lonely but in the Parada is one community as a whole. The good thing is that everyone is welcome to join and celebrate Puerto Rico Parada. They mention how friendly Puerto Ricans are because as soon as you come to their house there Is always food. For example, “quire un. cafesito.” Puerto Rican fought as well to have freedom they became to make a name for themselves. Some became politician, artist , musician, etc. The history of Puerto Rican as well as other latin community is still unwritten because history is always shifting.

7. Option 3:
   The Puerto Rican community’s cultural heritage and relationship with the US is a unique one, and from examples in both the reading and documentary, we can discern the importance of cultural preservation especially here stateside. As mentioned in the prompt, the Parade has long since been a way for the Puerto Rican community to express their cultural pride, but to dedicate just one day of the year to this kind of expression just doesn’t do enough for many people. It’s not like the other 364 days they stop being Puerto Rican, and this need for dedicated spaces for Puerto Rican culture to flourish is visible in community-based organizations and centers such as “El Centro Cultural Rincon Criollo”. What began as an effort to clean up a corner for a couple of friends to put up chairs to relax and listen to music over time became a central hub for several forms of cultural expression including community gardening, visual arts, but most notably a center for Puerto Rican musicians to come play live music. To conclude my thoughts, Id like to finish it with a line from the documentary that illustrated the utmost importance of cultural centers like La Casita de Chema, cited as follows: “If they dont have a place where they can gather with each other to share it or practice it, then it’s dead. And if they dont have a place where they can hang out with younger people and they can pass it down, then it’s dead.”(Rosie Perez 2006)

8. Option 3:
   Puerto Ricans expand their cultural legacy and community by making sure that representation is being done constantly. People lose touch with their own cultures because they either establish a new culture or they just simply forget it. In the documentary “Yo Soy Boricua Pa Que Tu Lo Sepa” Rosie Perez goes on to saying that people often go in front of the UN to protest the U.S. Navy’s continued occupation and bombing of Vieques, Puerto Rico. This goes to show that Perez and other women constantly bring awareness to their community, that these women were arrested at least twenty times for protesting. They continue to do it because it is their culture and they are part of the country, so they have every right to make things right. Having different values, experiences, or cultural practices shouldn’t segregate a country. Having a Puerto Rican day parade isn’t enough for people to truly see how amazing a cultural legacy is and people shouldn’t let the American culture rub on because it goes against the whole idea of keeping Puerto Rico’s legacy alive. Representation is what creates diversity and protesting for Puerto Rico brings attention and educates those who are unaware that other communities should be respected.

9. OPTION TWO: Duanys statement that Puerto Rico has become a nation on the move in the past few decades is a reference to the transnational movement between the island and the mainland causing some instances of displacement, permanent settlement, or returnees. Rosie Perez depicts this image of Puerto Rico as a country on the move as it reflects on the real feeling of Puerto Ricans within the United States as well as how they feel back home. We see that Puerto Ricans had found themselves in a situation to move to the US for job opportunities as the US had changed the economic status of PR after their control. This then caused some to move back home or some to stay. We see examples of Puerto Ricans that were brought and taught to assimilate with the US culture by not being taught Spanish or being engaged with the Hispanic culture while on the other hand we see examples of Puerto Ricans that emphasize their love for Puerto Rico abroad. As one mentioned, Puerto Rico is the mother while the US is Uncle Sam. They will always belong to Puerto Rico no matter how hard a nation like the United States tries to hide their existence. We also see an example of a Puerto Rican who says that she did not want to learn English because if she did then that would give her mother the license to stay in the US, and she did not want that. The strong nationality and cultural pride that exists in Puerto Ricans is a major cause of the mass migration numbers between the the island and the mainland because pride is a “political power” on its own for Puerto Ricans and that is what brings them back. The concept of fluidity and hybrid identity that Duany mentions is a result of the mass migration as people are choosing how they represent Puerto Rico abroad but still managing to maintain the sole Puerto Rican identity.

10. Option #2
    In Jorge Duany essay “Nation and Migration: Rethinking Puerto Rican Identity in a Transnational Context” he describes how Puerto Ricans were able to move back and forth between their homeland and the US. The idea of moving back and forth between the mainland and Puerto Rico as described in the essay is called vaiven, through the constant relocation of the Puerto Rican population, the people from Puerto Rico face certain problems of identity and belonging.
    They did so to find work opportunities and when they felt like it wasn’t going right that they could always go back to Puerto Rico and kind of reset. In the Rosie Perez directed documentary “Yo soy Boricua pa’ que tú lo sepas”, it explains how they were able to go back and forth somewhat easily. In the documentary they describe how going to Puerto Rico is “like going to another state” there wasn’t as much enforcement and check and balances as there are if you’re coming from another country. The constant moving back and forth for young Puerto Ricans did make them feel somewhat lost, as they didn’t feel like they belonged anywhere.

11. Rosie Pérez’s documentary very well shows how Puerto Rico as a country is on the move because of its numerous waves of immigration. Throughout the documentary, I learned about how in the 1950s there was a massive wave of migrants from the island that came to New York City. The documentary details how a lot of people came to the states for better work opportunities and for better living conditions in general. In the 50s, the American government was trying to make the American industry appealing to Puerto Ricans and that is what caused that specific wave of migration. In addition, Puerto Rico is identified as a country on the move because there are people who move away from their homeland for a period of time and eventually end up coming back to the homeland. This is seen with one of the interviewees in the documentary, this woman who identifies as Nuyorican describes how she grew up in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in Brooklyn and then moved to the island when she was ten. Her story was interesting to hear because when she moved to Puerto Rico she was looked at as a Nuyorican but when she moved back to the states she was looked at as someone who was fresh off the boat. I think her story further proves how a lot of people who identify as Latino American feel as if they do not fully belong in American culture as well as their Latino/a/x culture. The idea of not being from here nor there is very evident.

12. Jorge Duany discusses the transnational notion that is prevalent among Puerto Rican identities, and how it is ultimately intertwined with that of the U.S. However, there is a distinct factor that goes into this simultaneous assimilation yet differentiation from Puerto Ricans, specifically, those who reside in the U.S. He details the passionate longing that Puerto Ricans feel towards their mother country, how no matter how many American cultural tendencies are adopted, their roots will always trace back to that land, the archipelago housing majority of their cultural intricacies. This sense of cultural nationalism that Duany explores is witnessed countless times throughout the documentary, for example, in the segment in which Rosie’s relatives and she are speaking on the consistent Spanglish presence within their life. They talk about this mixture of Spanish and English as a new invention helping Puerto Ricans retain their dynamic with language. One of the family members states, “We don’t speak English, we speak Puerto Rican.” This adaptation to language itself demonstrates a common approach Puerto Ricans adopt when confronted with contradicting American culture, it’s the approach to claim one’s identity by emphasizing its differences from others. By creating new common-use vocabulary, we see Puerto Rican presence flowing into all aspects of culture. I believe in the way they can find cultural sanctuary with their love for the motherland and their diverse cultural niches, they can defend their cultural legacy within communities beyond the parade.

13. Referring to Duany argument about “Puerto Ricans moving back and forth between the islands and the mainland carry not only bags full of gifts but also their cultural practices, experiences, and values, such as ideas about respect and dignity” can be seen in the documentary. An example of this is when the documentary mentions the Young Lords. The Young Lords was a group of Puerto Ricans that was formed in the late 1960s in NYC to fight for empowerment and make sure their voices were being heard. The documentary mentions how in neighborhoods where Puerto Ricans were mostly living in, the streets were filled with trash because the city wouldn’t pick up the trash. The Young Lords took it upon themselves to clean up their neighborhoods. But then they would pile up the garbage and start a fire as way to protest for Sanitation to come and pick up the garbage so that it can be maintained. Also, the Young Lords took over Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx in 1970 to protest for Puerto Ricans not receiving good healthcare. These were ways in which Puerto Ricans were defending their community within the U.S.

14. Option 3:
    Puerto Ricans are a strong united group that do everything in their power to keep their culture and community alive. Duany explains the struggle Puerto Ricans faced moving from island to island, assimilating cultures and learning new languages. Both english and spanish. They mention how they worked hard to become politicians, musicians, artists. They could mesh well with other cultures when immigrating to new places for new opportunities , but they never lost sight of their language, their traditions, their food, their beliefs. They continued to live life how they normally would and maintain healthy relationships with their community. In the poetry and documentary, American and Boricua communities are forced to mesh together and coexist. They lived under the american dream yet still taught their kids the language and continued on for generations. Also, they saw the reality of their new life and noticed that their old life is worth keeping as they are a constant in an ever changing environment.

15. Option I
    Puerto Ricans have suffered greatly from the intervention of American colonies, laws, and practices in Puerto Rico. There are numerous examples from the documentary, but there are two that stuck out to me are La Operacion and the event involving the young lords and disposal of garbage. The garbage incident was a protest over new legislation that made it easier for upper middle-class communities to dispose of their trash than Puerto Rican ones. The Young Lords, who campaigned for Puerto Rican rights in the United States like the Black Panthers, are the group in charge of the protest. Despite their many valiant efforts, they ultimately gave in to the FBI’s demands and internal strife. In essence, the United States implemented a sterilization act that was integrated into Puerto Rico and resulted in up to 65% of women being sterilized, the highest percentage in the entire globe. The United States used this action to manage the population and reduce poverty. Puerto Rico was essentially treated as a laboratory experiment because birth control was tested on women there, which is another terrible component. Overall, Puerto Rico’s social, cultural, and economic development have been significantly impacted by these consequences of US colonialism.

16. Option #2
    After watching the documentary “Yo soy Boricua pa’ que tú lo sepas” directed by Rosie Pérez and reading the essay “Nation and Migration: Rethinking Puerto Rican Identity in a Transnational Context” by Jorge Duany, it was clear to me that the phrase “country on the move” refers to Puerto Rico’s recent experience with transnational migration to and from the mainland, which has resulted in some cases of long-term habitation and returnees. In the documentary, I believe this is talked about in order to draw attention to the main problem at hand. Due to the frequent relocation of the Puerto Rican population, many members of the community struggle to define their identities and feel as though they don’t belong in particular settings. Furthermore, in Perez’s documentary, I love how she intervened someone who has first hand experience with Puerto Ricans and the relocation of them. She interviews a Nuyorican woman talks about moving to Puerto Rico at the age of ten after growing up in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in Brooklyn. Her experience was fascinating to hear because when she relocated to Puerto Rico, people treated her like a Nuyorican, but when she returned to the United States, they treated her like a new immigrant. As a result, many Puerto Ricans struggle to discover their true selves and a sense of belonging. This simply goes to show how different environments can cause you to be perceived differently.

17. Option 3
    In the exposition Duany explains the distinction between political nationalism and cultural nationalism. He details that the distinction is made for analytical purpose because they both overlap in practice. Cultural practices, experiences and values are all part of the cultural nationalism that he explains. As many immigrants live within the diaspora these values are what keeps people intact. Puerto Ricans defend their cultural legacy and community in the US by the action that they display towards the American Government. One example was when Rosie and other woman protested regarding the Navy using the Island of Vieques for an army base. Another was the way that the Young Lords fought for justice in their communities. Puerto Rico is unique in the fact that the citizens are born with a US passport. This creates an easier way to get back and forth between countries. In the past when immigrants migrated to the USA it was in search of a better financial or educational opportunity for their family. I feel like now we have different challenges but not as crucial as our ancestors from the past. It was more a sense of survival. Duany then explains to us that it creates a transnational approach to contemporary Puerto Rican culture. It creates a unique link between Puerto Ricans living in the diaspora and those who live in the homeland. Since, Puerto Rico is logistically close to Florida and relatively close to NY it makes it easier for people to fall into the “vaiven” movement. I believe that in the world we currently live in with the use of technology and the fact that we have more financial freedom it gives us an opportunity to make the decision to visit our homelands more frequently. Our parents had different challenges then we do today.

18. Option 3
    The documentary “Yo Soy Boricua Pa’que tu lo Sepas” exemplifies many different examples of how Puerto Ricans not only carry bags but also many of their values, experiences, etc. One of the ways that they do this is by making themselves be known and heard wherever they are. One specific example that was given was when the Young lords wanted a change for their community so they put all the trash in the middle of the road and lit it on fire so that something could be done about it. Doing this not only made them known but also solved the issue of trash in the community. Another example that was given in the documentary was when Rosie Perez and the other women went to protest at the United Nation despite the fact that they had a high chance of getting arrested and in fact did end up getting arrested. Rosie is scared as this is her first time but when she finds out that the other women had been arrested at least 21 or 22 times she felt more relieved. From this we can see the dedication and determination that Puerto Ricans put into protecting their cultural legacy and community. They will do anything to be sure that they are heard by the government so that changes can be made.

19. Option One
    Everyday, Puerto Ricans suffer at the hands of the effects caused by United States colonialism. The possession of Puerto Rico by the United States has resulted in a huge amount of poverty on the island. The rate of poverty on the island caused massive waves of migration to the US and still, Puerto Ricans were treated like second class citizens. In Puerto Rico, women were being sterilized through medical procedures without their knowledge by the US to test new birth control medications and procedures. The rate of sterilization in PR was 65%, higher than any other nation in the world. Not only were the women being sterilized but the economy, in a way, was as well. Through American intervention, traditional farming was pushed to be completely automated and industrialized to benefit the US economy, destroying companies and banks in Puerto Rico.

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