The Taino were indigenous people of the Caribbean who Christopher Columbus came across during his “explorations”. They treated him with nothing but kindness, unfortunately the same can’t be said about the way he treated them. The Taino people were actually very skilled and talented, for example in the article it states “Although the Taíno never developed a written language, they made exquisite pottery, wove intricate belts from dyed cotton and carved enigmatic images from wood, stone, shell and bone.” When Christopher Columbus arrived, things started to take a turn. When Spaniards removed men from villages to work in gold mines and colonial plantations it kept the Taíno from planting the crops. In the article it states “They began to starve; many thousands fell prey to smallpox, measles and other European diseases for which they had no immunity; some committed suicide to avoid subjugation; hundreds fell in fighting with the Spaniards, while untold numbers fled to remote regions beyond colonial control.” This led to a great downfall in the Taino community, therefore their culture was gone as well. In this article, they proceed to interview people who have a Taino family background and how they still try to keep in touch with their roots.

Sinthya Rosa
Mandy Hui
Clarita Clouden

Group Blog Post

Blog 1- Puerto Rican bomba y Plena and Interracial Couple

Blog forum about an interracial couple
• It is beyond me how people have such hatred for interracial couples. It is none of their business who a person decides to be with and have an intimate connection with. But it seems that people have more of a problem with black and white interracial couples than anything else.
• You do not really hear discussion or debates on Puerto and Asian couples. Or black and Hispanic couples. All the talk is mainly surrounded by black and white couples. And it is sick.
• The main reason is pride, to be proud enough of your own race, to only date your own race. To keep your bloodline “pure”. When in reality not a single family’s bloodline is pure. Based on past historical events. People need to accept interracial couples. And let them be.
Puerto Rican bomba and plena
• It is so amazing how music can fuel a group of people or an entire community. The community of afro- Puerto Ricans live off of the music Bomba and Plena. It is absolutely incredible how it defines them. And how the music tells their story. They cannot let that music die. I love the meaning behind the music. The soul behind it.

Art Portion of Blog 1– (Sinthya)

Visual for Blog 1 –

RPReplay_Final1600133994.mov

Blog 2– Selena Quintanilla

Mandy Hui
Clarita Clouden
Sinthya Rosa

2nd Group Blog Post

•   It is surprising to see how much of an inspiration Selena Quintanilla had and still has till this day.
•   Imitation of Selena goes on about how Selena’s death had been imitated in a suburb town.
•   The Gold Rush was the center of the outbursts and killings that were happening which was shocking because each and every person there, praised Selena and the person that was imitating her, which was Pesticida.
•   Seeing drag queens trying so hard to impress and fit the norm.
•   The situation between Bianca and Pesticida is deep because that shows hatred and competition. 
•   Selena was a feminist icon in Latin cultures and Latin history.
•   It impacts Latinx representation and shapes many identities throughout history. 

Angela Robles, Anabel Guzman, Yanibelly Leonardo

Blog 1: Bomba & Plena

Bomba and plena are Afro-Puerto Rican beats that trace back to the early European colonial era, it was inspired by those that were enslaved. Bomba music was used as a way to express oneself spiritually and politically, with danceable beats and outspoken lyrics bomba helped build communities and identity. Instruments used in bomba are the drums, maracas and fua, these instruments create up to 16 different rhythms, bomba is not only music that moves people, its music Afro-Puerto Ricans are proud of as it was a catalyst for uprisings. 

Plena was inspired by bomba at the start of the 20th century, it is used to tell stories and spread messages. Although inspired by bomba it only has one rhythm and has a variety of instruments used to create the rhythm, but a preeminent instrument is the pandereta, which is a hand drum that comes in a variety of sizes. 

Bomba and plena are very dear to the Afro-Puerto Rican community, it has been around since the 17th century and continues to be a source of pride for many, it has even made its way to the cities in which they have settled, proving that it will always be cherished. 

This video is an example of the Bomba and Plena music style. This musical style represents the Afro-Puerto Rican heritage. This musical style was a way for Puerto Ricans to express their cultural roots, as a result, this musical style has traveled with Puerto Rican immigrants everywhere.

In the first part of the video, the first song is “Aguatile”, which the musicians play with the drums and maracas, while the girl dances. Then in the second part of the video, the song playing is “Don Pacheco” which the musicians play with the “panderetas”.

Blog 2: A Lower Eastside Poem

The main idea of the “A Lower Eastside Poem” is that one has to be proud of one’s root, no matter the flaws of the place one came from. Throughout the poem, the author describes the bad aspects of his hometown and ends every stanza with the phrase “scatter my ashes thru the Lower East Side”. In other words, even though the Lower Eastside is filled with “hustlers & suckers” and pushers making sales … smoking pot and cocaine dealers,” the author expresses that “I stand proud as you can see pleased to be from the Lower East.” As can be seen, it doesn’t matter that the Lower East is a dangerous place with many flaws, the author still wants to be there even after death. When people want to be cremated they want their ashes to rest in a meaningful place and the author’s hometown is that place(at least for him). Through the imagery of his hometown and the repetition of the author’s wishes, the main idea is clearly demonstrated. One should be proud of where one comes from, it may have its flaws but it is still one’s origins and it made us into who we are today.

Miguel Pinero claims the Lower East Side to be dangerous and flawed, yet his last wish is for his ashes to be spread around the Lower East Side. This hows how proud he is of where he comes from and that he clearly enjoys the community it contains, this video shows people just living their lives as they usually would. This video shows one side of why he was proud of his community and how they lived among eachother.

Group#7: Jalyn Betances, Stephanie Palacio, Davis Moreno

Llevame Pa Tras

(Poem inspired by Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena )
Jalyn betances

Take me back to my roots

To the colonial times 

Where my ancestors had pursuits

Of creating a narrative of their own 

That no white oppressor could dethrone

Take me back to the sugar cane plantations 

Where my ancestors used old barrels 

To spark a new nation

Giving them a musical voice 

That allowed them only to rejoice

Take me back to the end of the 17th century

When Bomba music became 

One of our biggest treasuries

Allowing my people to develop their own expression 

And for also permitting our cultural progression

Take me back to the Afro-Puerto Rican communities

Where Plena y Bomba sparked opportunities

To convey a sense of anger and sadness

That also allowed for rebellions and madness

Thank you for providing me

With great culture and tradition, 

For giving me a dance and song to listen

You show me rhythm, which is something I love

Now I have something to be proud of

Bomba and Plena woman (Art portion):

Stephanie Palacios

This image was inspired by the woman who went on stage to dance along to the music playing. I have never heard that type of music before but it was so fun that it inspired me to draw this woman holding a similar skirt!

Tal Vez Un Dia

(Poem to shed light to impact of bomba and plenas had on slavery)
Davis Moreno

Bomba and Plenas

The instruments that kept us sane

Through the fields, through the hard times

We will hear it play 

Bomba and Plenas 

The beat we so dearly love

Plays like a warm blanket on a cold night

The sound so soothing, it was a gift from the man above

Bomba and Plenas 

Every beat of the Bomba represents the pain and sorrow 

We come together and dance  

Because we don’t know if we will see each other tomorrow 

Bomba and Plenas 

The lyrics we made was a punch to slavery

We stood up for our ourselves 

The songs we wrote for people who showed bravery 

Bomba and Plenas 

The beats will never die 

As we see, that pain inflicted by slavery 

We play our songs in hope in someone hearing us cry 

Blog #2: Imitation of Selena

Stephanie Palacios- Video Portion

I chose this meme and the video because it shows how people really like Selena and actually want to create her looks, be her, etc. Her songs, fun spirit, and nice smile inspired many young girls and guys to appreciate their culture. Of course there could be some negative side to these fans. The video I linked could probably have some people trying to put down someone for trying to be like their favorite singer. Sadly it is something that happens to a lot of people. 

Jalyn Betances- Art Portion

Selena’s death on March 1995, lead to several other deaths in the queer community.  This illustration is a depiction of the portion in the reading when Bianca decided to dress up as Selena for one of her shows.  Pesticida who was the head of the drag house, the Gold Rush, held absolute ownership over Selena’s stardom.  Bianca was later found dead after her performance, just like the other niño reinas who had dared to perform any Selena song.

March 31

poem by Davis Moreno

Through New York to California

The world suddenly stopped as they saw the news

Selena had been shot 

Fans were all in the blues 

The smiles she brought to the world will always be within us

Her spirit still roams around 

Her unique persona and her singing brought us joy 

What she brought to this world is still found

She was an inspirational and very warm-hearted person

Taken away from us way to early 

By her trusted friend Yoldanda Saldivar 

Shot and killed, the end of selena’s journey 

However, her remarks still live on

The music she wrote inspired young latin singers

March 31, her music being played in the streets

We were at lost when heard the news of Yoldanda pulling the trigger 

The once thought unstoppable singer was stopped 

Over money and self greed, her life was taken 

Thank you for setting an example and for the great music

March 31, her fans are still shaken 

Blog #2

Shanika, Andrea and Allison

PRLS3105 East Side blog post

After reading this poem it was interesting to analyze and interpret the meaning behind this poem. The poet describes himself as a Puerto Rican who faced adversity living in a low-income neighborhood. His message to his readers is to take pride of where you are from and do not be ashamed of your culture. He loved his neighborhood so much that he wanted his ashes to be left behind.

Parts 8:00-9:30

Allison, Andrea, Shanika

Listening to music has for a long time been one of our favorite hobbies. It sets the rhythm of our mood. However, after reading the article called Bomba and Plena it was interesting to learn the attitudes of Bomba and Plena styled songs. During the 17^th century, enslaved Afro Puerto Ricans used Bomba as a form of expressing their anger; simultaneously because of the upbeat rhythms, they used it as a form to dance and celebrate themselves. Plena was developed in the 20^th century with the intentions of sharing history and news events about political protests happening in Puerto Rico. From reading this article, we could see how important it is to learn the meaning of songs in order to understand why songs send out a certain emotion towards one’s mood.

Article​: ​Raquel Salas Rivera: ​“The Independence (of Puerto Rico)”

For Raquel Salas Rivera, the Independence of Puerto Rico, symbolizes the strength and resilience of Puerto Ricans when oppressed by their colonizers. The author describes Puerto Ricans and their strength as; “fiercer than melted snow” when put under pressure and “more tender than roots with earth”, representing their connection with the Earth. They describe the value of their people as “richer than stolen ports” and “more more than the minimum and more more than the most” because “we are insularly sufficient”. Hence Puerto Ricans owe no one “smallness” because for centuries, Puerto Ricans were oppressed, denied land and basic human rights, hearing that they “are much of the less and too little of the more”.

The island of Puerto Rico,
full of Taino blood and pride
black and brown skin, of all shades
Boriquas of the beautiful island
They are more and more, than our colonizers, tell us
As Raquel Salas Rivera said, Puerto Ricans are “more than you imagine
and more than we have ever imagined ”.
and above all, Puerto Ricans are independent “even in the hole more colonized by porous fear “.

Sabrina ^

Audiovisual Material:

I chose this video because I believe that the passion that is in the poem and the vigor of independence is aligned with the video that I linked below. Especially when I read the lines below:

and in all things we are independent,
even in the most colonized hole of our porous fear;
even in the panadería most packed with papers that cover ads; even in the corrosive act of saying we are only an island;

These lines show how independent Puerto Ricans have strived to be in the past and nowadays as well through celebrations of independence. They are more than an island and they are the most independent, despite how colonized their island has been.

Andres ^

Julio Cuatianquiz

Blog post #1: Open Veins

            The idea of how Columbus and his people forced Indians to adopt their Catholic faith. If the Indians did not adopt to their Catholic faith, the Spaniards threatened them by taking their women and children and making them become slaves; as well as doing as much damage to them as they possibly can like taking everything they possess. Columbus and his men basically took the Indians basic human rights. This situation is still relevant today because in China, the government is kidnapping Muslims and sending them to concentration camps so they can influence Chinese culture on them. The basic human rights of these Muslim individuals are being taken away because in these concentration camps they are being forced to eat pork although in their religion, eating pork is haram (forbidden). 

RPReplay_Final1600115143.mov

Blog Post#2: Lower Eastside Poem

The idea of the poem The Lower Eastside Poem reminds me of how individuals migrate from their home country to the United States. After migrating and living the rest of their lives out here in the United States, they finally feel like this is their new home because they been here so long that once they go back to their home land after so many years, they won’t be able to recognize it that it will seem foreign to them. Especially if you move to New York City, you will notice a huge difference once you move back home; you won’t be able to see such a fast paced environment where everyone is in a rush, traffic jams, deli’s on like every corner, performances on the trains or train station. These individuals are so used to seeing all this in their everyday lives that leaving it all behind will cause a great impact that decide to just stay and be buried here just like the person in the poem emphasizes on having his ashes scatter through the lower eastside. 

group #1: By Diamond Renderos, Michelle Solano Diaz, Marisela Zempoalteca, and Mariel Hernandez.

What we have learned presented by Michelle S.

We learned about the suffering and drastic conditions slaves have undertaken in history. Though for Africans in the 17th century, they used their pain and anger and transformed them into a music style that would remain a historic tradition in Puerto Rico. Bomba was introduced when slaves were brought to Puerto Rico. Because they came from different tribes and spoke differently, through music, they were able to communicate and express themselves. The use of Bomba was made primarily to express their suffering and use it as rebellions. This music also moved them to dance by the sound of the drum soon creating a community of people with the love for music. Plena was extended off of Bomba during the 20th century where stories were conveyed in songs. Lyrics have been composed out of political movements, events and history. Plena was considered as a “newspaper of the people,” showing how people would form a crowd to listen to the hand drums and use creativity through dancing.FUN FACT: The “bomba” dance and the songs are improvised and influenced by both African and French cultures. Historians states women used to dance, like “lero”, ( the French interpretation of a rose) forming a circle somewhat shaped of a rose.

Further understanding of La Bomba Y Plena *Presented by Marisela Z.

This image shows the kids in the back playing the Bomba drums and making rhythms. They all seem to be very happy since this is a musical tradition that they have been doing for a long time.The Bomba and Plena has been going on since the 17th century which was during the early colonial period.The woman in the right is all dressed up and ready to dance along to the music. The style in which they dress is also very traditional as it shows their identities and culture.

This Video just briefly explains what Puerto Rico’s Bomba is. It also talks about its history, culture and dance moves which help the reader get a better understanding of what to expect about the Bomba.

This video also further explains the different rhythms that you could make with the drums and it also talks a bit about the dance.

Inspiration from La Bomba Y la Plena Presented by Diamond R.

This video comprises of many interviews with Bomba and Plena specialist. One interview is with Luis Colón, a “Bomba Brava”. When talking about La Bomba, Colón talks about how la Bomba runs in the blood of Puerto Ricans and is something they need in order to be alive. Because of this Colón writes Bomba music in order to pass/carry on the feeling the Bomba gives to the society, the strong resilience Puerto Ricans have from their African ancestors. Just like Puerto Ricans carry the pain/what their ancestors endured with the playing of the drum/dancing of the Bomba, they use it to carry their present pain/problems as well. In Colón’s song “revolution” one of the lyrics is “revolution of the heart, the Bomba inspires my singing, and claims revolution”.

A Poem About la Bomba Y Plena by Diamond Renderos

The percussion sounds 

Gives rhythm and soul to dance

The swaying of skirts

The pain in the voice

The lyrics tell a story

The Africanos

The bomba moved them

To dance and to celebrate

A community

The strong ancestors

Who sang and dance to rebel

We now dance for you

Colonization VS. La Bomba y Plena presented by Mariel H.

Colonization has impacted the Latin American cultures, such as by bringing a new religion or affecting our identities. One way it came to show an impact was through music. When European colonies in Puerto Rico brought in enslaved African, the Europeans also brought their culture in too. African musical traditions influenced Puerto Rico and Bomba emerged. However, Music isn’t just sound being formed to please one of your senses. Bomba “was a source of political and spiritual expression,” which conveyed their emotions based on the situation they were in, and it was used as a “catalyst for rebellions and uprisings” (Smithsonian Institution). This shows that Puerto Ricans used the Music to unite their communities and fight together for their freedom. Now Bomba is danced to and celebrated, creating an identity. Plena Emerged from Bomba. Plena used different instrumentation and the lyrics tell narratives based on events or topics.This is very similar to a style of music called Corridos in Mexico. Unlike Bomba, Corridosaren’t danced to, however, many of the songs tell stories about topics important or controversial too. Bomba and Plena is proof of their strength because both styles of music are now a part of their culture and identity. Overall, Latin countries are very resilient as they use music as a way to help cope with their situations and unite together to fight for their prosperity.The picture with an entirely almost white dress shows a traditional dress used when dancing la Bamba. As we can see the dresses in each picture are very similar and they are also held in a similar fashion. However, the colors on the dress are each different. The picture with a blue, white, and yellow dress is a traditional Ecuadorian dress and the one that is almost entirely red is a traditional Mexican dress. This demonstrates how the styles diffused across Latin countries. All these dresses are also used during traditional dances.

Group #1 blog: Mariel Hernandez, Diamond Renderos, Marisela Zempoalteca, and Michelle Solano Diaz

Background Information *Who was Miguel Algarin?* Presented by Marisela Z

• Algarin was born in Puerto Rico and became a poet
• He moved to the Lower Eastside of Manhattan and even opened up the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. He wanted a place which provided space for poetry and performances
• He  also taught at New York University and also Brooklyn College and shortly became chair of the Puerto Rican Studies Department at Rutgers.

Commentary * What was Miguel Algarin’s poem about?* Presented by Mariel H. and Diamond R.

We were given two poems by Miguel Algarin. One poem is called Survival and the other is A Mongo Affair. The first, Algarin repeats the words “ I was” to prove that he was born and taught everything he knows. He the switches his words last seconds and repeats the phrase  “I will not” to demonstrate that he has strength and is able to do what he wants for himself without no one teaching him. This is powerful because he is stating that we don’t need anyone to learn what we want to learn. The next poem begins with a “boricua”asking if some men are stable because they have government help. However, Algarin quickly informs the man he is being mislead because government help hurts the Puerto Rican pride. They’re weak due to the fact the man can support his family by himself. Algarin then continues to explain it is that same men who “cleans, h in weeps, [and] crawls.” These are the same men that work hard for everything they have. Algarin then finishes by explain that we shouldn’t believe the ideas about the cities are the places where we can make dreams come true because most of the time we will be there to “face bullets, bombs, [and] missiles.” The message Miguel Algarin is conveying through this poem is Puerto Rican’s sense of pride and hard work is being taken away from government assistance. Though this life is better than living in Puerto Rico at the time, He is showing  Puerto Rican’s have no sense of purpose anymore in America.

Video * How do Puerto Rican’s under government assistance live in New York?* presented by Diamond R.

In Miguel Algarin poem “ Mongo affair” the first few lines talks about Puerto Ricans in New York living nice “they tell me they get money

and medical aid,that their rent is paid,that their clothes get bought

that their teeth get fixed”to which the narrator shows it is in fact a lie. The narrator explains how not only does government assistance make the Puerto Ricans weak, but it diminishes them and doesn’t actually help them. In this documentary which is 6 parts, called “ A Nuyorican Dream” it tells the story of a Nuyorican family living in poverty. The mother fled from Puerto Rico to New York along with others in the Puerto Rican Migration in hopes to find a better living for her and her child. Fast forward the eldest son, Robert who made his way to college, shows how his family who grew up with government assistance such as welfare turned out. He explains how he grew up in a 2 bedroom apartment with his mom, stepdad, 3 sisters Betty, tati, and Milly, as well as his little brother Danny.He shows the struggle his family had with drugs, poverty, bad decisions and prison. To support her family the mother has to sell Pasteles, a Puerto Rican delicacy. He shows how the American dream is actually hard especially for minorities like Puerto Ricans. He shows how his sister Betty struggled with drug abuse to which she doesn’t have custody of her kids, Tati who also struggles with drug abuse but is making process. Danny h has been in out of prison due to assault and drug possessions and lastly Milly who is trying to not follow her sibling’s steps. Robert shows the struggle his family is going through, however, with that he also shows the love each member has for each oher, especially the mother. My favorite part of this film is when he flies to Florida to se his sister Tati, and Tati is opening up the presents from her mother to which Robert says “ I don’t know how mami does it, I was tinking and I was like ‘mami is so poor, but somehow she comes through with everyone’s gifts’”. This is my favorite part due to the fcat it shows Puerto Ricans are resilient and can still live their life through any circumstances. This was also my favorite part due to the fact i relate so much. Growing up in a Latino home and Puerto Rican, my family wasn’t wealthy, we had government assistance. However whenever I or my brother needed something my family made sure we got it. Though we had money problems my family made sure it never affected me or my sibling.

Poem * How does Miguel Algarin inspire us?* presented by Mariel H.

“on the corner by the entrance to González-Padín

I have to admit that he has been

lied to, misled,

that I know that all the goodies

he named humiliate the receiver,

that a man is demoralized

when his woman and children

beg for weekly checks”

This quote is from A Mongo Affair by Miguel Algarin and before this quote is stated he talks about the way a Puertarican man relies on the government. This quote proceeds to explain that all the “goodies,” meaning all the help he receives embarresses him and this is because he his wife and children “beg for weekly checks.” This demonstrates that men who ask for help constantly are not seen as men.  

He and them by Mariel Hernandez

He questions why he can’t cry,

Later told that he’ll be a fly,

Small and weak,

He looks at them, 

The other men,

“I have to be like them,”

Yet he feels that he can’t.

He looks at them,

The other men,

And sees strength, resilience.

In him he sees nothing.

“Is this what I am? Weak?” 

“No I am NOT”

He is a Man just like Them.

Drawing Presented by Michelle S.

I used the poem called Mongo Affair, a person confesses about his annoyance for Puerto Rican women. Algarin belittles women who use welfare for their needs which is false. I drew a male who is talking on the phone and talking about “Boricuas” aka Puerto Rican women wand also including welfare in their thoughts.