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VL Digest

13 Dec 2011

Instead of me finding time to write about some of the news stories that are of interest (which seems to be a challenge these past few weeks) I’ve decided to share with you the stories. Yes! These are stories I would love to write more about, share my perspective, challenge our ideas, and forge a conversation about them with VL readers. Perhaps we can do that without individual posts for each piece? Perhaps not, either way, here’s a VL Digest. Have VL readers heard of these stories? What are your thoughts?

An Apology 30 Years In The Making: El Salvador Marks El Mozote Massacre

Yesterday I was reading about the apology the Salvadoran government gave for El Mozote massacre where over 800 women, children, men, people were killed by the Salvadoran military. The Massacre occurred 30 years ago in December. I remember growing up in Maryland and hearing about this massacre by the Salvadoran immigrants who migrated to the Takoma Park and Langley Park area. I remember my parents telling me that some folks who we met may not ever be able to go back home because of a Civil War. It all began to become more clear to me years later when I started reading more on the historical accounts and injustices that were occurring, especially the role the US played in training the military in the Americas.

The Exiles of Puerto Rico

There was a lot of buzz about TEDx San Juan, and I’m eager to see what video is available of our friend Larry La Fountain-Stokes’ presentation of the work, activism, and survival of Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ community. In attendance was Forbe.com blogger Giovanni Rodriguez who shares his ideas of Puerto Ricans as being exiles (inspired by Larry’s usage of queer Puerto Ricans as sexiles who use music, art, songs, and writing to share their testimonios). Rodriguez considers those Puerto Ricans who migrated from the mainland to the US as exiles as well (this would include my parents) who were searching for more secure and better economic opportunities. He argues that many Puerto Ricans leaving now are doing so reluctantly.

Third Party & Independent Candidates 2012

I am often exhausted with hearing only two party debates, discussions and media coverage. This week I went in search of who may be considering running as Third Party and Independent candidates for President of the US in 2012. This site was useful to give me an idea and remind me that there are always more than two options when it comes to voting, and knowing all of those options is what makes someone, in my opinion, an educated voter.

Miercoles Movie ( y History Lesson) – Isabel Rosado : Nacionalista

7:01 am By Maegan La Mala · history|Puerto Rico · Comments Off

26 Oct 2011

Filmmaker Melissa Montero is working on a film about Puerto Rican Nationalist Isabel Rosado and is requesting the help of the community. I woke up this morning thinking about “Occupy Oakland” , police violence and tear gas. This got me thinking about the years of resistance in U.S. occupied Puerto Rico and the work of women in that struggle.

Please watch the preview and if you can, contribute to the finishing of this film.

Isabel Rosado, a centenarian, who at 30 years of age joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and dedicated her life to the Puerto Rican independence movement. Through her story– as a Party member Isabel collected funds, sewed flags, delivered messages, cared for the stricken leader Don Pedro Albizu Campos, and took up arms in the fight for independence. We learn about the colonial relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States and Puerto Rico’s struggle for independence. Isabel, spending approximately 12 years in prison, has become a revered symbol of colonial resistance in Puerto Rico. Her life is a testament to the island’s unresolved conflict with political status, economic development, and a century-long struggle for independence. Isabel Rosado: Nationalist, chronicles the life of a woman of humble means who risked it all, endured persecution, and had her civil rights violated. Not only does her story highlight the central problem of colonialism but it also represents a marginalized community who for many years struggled for their nation’s right to self determination and sovereignty.

Born Anew at Each AM : Puerto Rican Author/Poet Piri Thomas Passes On

7:24 am By Maegan La Mala · Books|history · 1 Comment

20 Oct 2011

Yesterday, It was with great sadness that I read about the death of Puerto Rican author, poet, and inspiration to many – Piri Thomas. According to a release that I received via the National Institute for Latino Policy, Thomas, 83 years old, passed away on Monday, surrounded by his family after struggling with pneumonia.

I, like many, first became aware of Thomas via his book Down These Mean Streets, which looks at life in el barrio (Spanish Harlem, NYC) for a young Afro-Cuban Rican, and how the complex intersections of race, poverty, and urban policies guided him through a struggle that included drugs, prison, activism and art.

I was a teenager when I first read Down these Mean Streets, struggling with my own NYRican identity and what it meant. His words were part of my learning to navigate identity and what to do with my definition of self. I was 18 when I was lucky enough to meet Thomas. I was in college and he was giving a presentation open to the whole school, but those of us in the Latino organization, Solidaridad Latina, were able to have a small intimate lunch with him. At this point I already considered myself a writer and and an activist – although an infant in both of these roles. It was during these meetings that I became exposed to Thomas’s poetry. If Down These Mean Streets is a brutally honest look at gritty realities and painful realities, his poetry is words on bright alas de mariposas offering a new vision for growth and evolution. I was struck by how hopeful and joyful Thomas was. The light he exuded was not in spite of his struggles – it was a direct result of it and he encouraged us all to work through our lives unapologetically and like the title of a poem of his that I always remember – he invited us to be born anew at each a.m.

So gracias Piri – no te digo adios because you live on through your words and your actions that have touched the hearts, minds, and souls of so many – including this NY Rican from Queens.

Monday Morning Movie : This is not a Holiday Edition “Against Mexico – The Making of Heroes and Enemies”

7:39 am By Maegan La Mala · history|mexico|Texas · Comments Off

10 Oct 2011

While the clip of the PBS film , Against Mexico – The Making of Heroes and Enemies, featured below, has nothing to do really with Columbus Day, I chose to share it this morning because the subtext is a common one. How are holidays around history invented? What are the messages that we internalize around our inherent worth as diasporic peoples? How do we accurately portray history understanding that the “winning” side is not always the just side? What language do we adopt and what vocabulary do we reject in the context of how ethnicity still plays a role in how people are treated? And how do we approach these issues with our children so that they do not struggle, feeling they have to be “good” or “bad”?

Watch the full episode. See more PBS Presents.

Latin@ Events This Weekend in NYC : Celia Cruz in the Bronx, Latino Rock at #OccupyWallStreet

11:13 am By Maegan La Mala · Activism|Culture|history|New York City · Comments Off

7 Oct 2011

Here are a few events of interest this weekend happening in various parts of NYC including the Bronx and down at #OccupyWallStreet. If you want to see your event listed here please email info@vivirlatino.com

Sunday, October 9th

Friends of Woodlawn is proud to present Azucar! Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Celia Cruz with The Bronx Music Heritage Center, Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education, and City Lore.

1:00 p.m.

A FREE event honoring the legacy of The Queen of Salsa, whose timeless work continues to have a major impact on jazz, pop culture and Latin music worldwide.

Program includes:

• Panel discussion on the life and influence of Ms. Cruz organized by preeminent City Lore folklorist Elena Martinez and moderated by Grammy-nominated musician Bobby Sanabria
• Selection of Ms. Cruz’s music performed by students from The Celia Cruz High School of Music
• Guided visit to the Cruz mausoleum, La Guarachera de Cuba’s final resting place.

“EL GRITO DEL MUNDO” – MUSICOS LATINOS SE UNEN A #OCCUPYWALLSTREET

6 pm

La reciente formada Coalición de Músicos Latinos de Nueva York anuncia gran concierto acústico en apoyo a #Occupywallstreet este Domingo 9 Octubre a las 6:00PM. Invitamos a toda la comunidad latina sin importar su status migratorio a manifestar su apoyo a través de la música y cultura en forma pacífica, solidarizando con el grupo #occupywallstreet que se mantiene en protesta contra las políticas económicas adoptadas por Estados Unidos como además a las movilizaciones en distintas ciudades del país, frente al descontento general, hacia la crítica situación.

“Estamos a favor de políticas, reformas sociales y económicas que favorezcan a todos los habitantes de EEUU incluyendo las minorías e inmigrantes”

Las malas decisiones tomadas, afectan desproporcional y principalmente, a las familias de menores recursos y minorías en este país. Dentro de los denominados 99% que se ven afectados, nos encontramos la mayoría de inmigrantes latinos. Nosotros junto con muchas otras comunidades en los Estados Unidos, estamos siendo perjudicados, aún más, que el resto de los indignados.
Es por eso que saldremos a cantar por la justicia social, la paz y por mejores leyes de inmigración.

Estamos a favor de la unión y la reunificación de las familias de trabajadores indocumentados, y en contra de políticas de criminalización que solamente crean un ambiente de xenofobia, violencia y discriminación rampante. Por tanto, también pedimos poner un alto a todas las deportaciones y exigimos una reforma migratoria ahora. La necesidad para nosotros, de ser parte del movimiento #occupywallstreet se manifiesta, en este momento, como imprescindible. Bandas independientes neoyorquinas como Kofre, Eskarioka, Eskarroneros, Paracuta,Earthdriver, Changala, RadioArmada, The Times (lista en formación); montaran un concierto acústico en la Plaza Zuccotti, ahora apodada “Plaza de la Libertad.”

Llamamos específicamente, a todos los inmigrantes, cualquiera sea sus estatus migratorio. El grupo de abogados que apoya la causa, se encargará de establecer el dialogo con NYPD, y se responsabiliza por la seguridad de todos los asistentes.

Also at #OccupyWallStreet

This Sunday, October 9th at 6 p.m., members of Movement for Justice in El Barrio, an organizanization that is part of the Zapatista initiated The Other Campaign have been invited and will participate in Occupy Wall St.

They will share a message written by the humble immigrant community of East Harlem on their seven-year struggle for dignity and against neoliberal displacement. In this message, they will speak on their vision of the world, their analysis of the problems that besiege it, and how they seek to change it. They will offer their grain of sand and make echo the voice of all the dignified people who are struggling to build a new world from below and to the left.

Las Mujeres de Lares : The Women of Lares

7:10 pm By Maegan La Mala · history|Puerto Rico · Comments Off

23 Sep 2011

There are times when I don’t believe in coincidences. I don’t believe it is coincidence that Palestine just put in a bid at the United Nations to be recognized on the same day that in 1868 a group of Puerto Ricans made a declaration of independence. El Grito de Lares was a revolutionary call against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico and is recognized as a stepping stone for the modern struggle for Puerto Rican freedom as it remains a colony, now under the United States.

El Grito de Lares, with it’s strong abolitionist roots, is most often credited to Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis. Not to take anything away from the valiant men of the movement, but history, even revolutionary history tends to focus on the role of the heroic men while shoving aside the women who played critical roles in the same struggles. Puerto Rico’s National anthem, La Borinqueña, the original version with lyrics of machetes and canons, not the colonized version of flowers, sun and sea – was penned by poet Lola Rodriguez de Tio and written in the year of Lares and inspired by the activities of Betances. De Tio’s revolutionary beliefs forced her become an exile in Cuba, where she was also involved in the liberation struggle against the Spanish. She died and is buried Cuba. Many Puerto Rican events that I have been to open or close with de Tio’s words and it’s one of the first songs I ever sang to both my daughters as a lullaby.

On the Start of Hispanic Heritage Month – Some Palabras

12:50 pm By Maegan La Mala · Culture|history · Comments Off

19 Sep 2011

Hispanic Heritage Month has officially started (September 15 to October 15). The month, which is not really a proper month if you think about it, was built/invented around the independence (from Spain) days of some Latin American countries (i.e. Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua – 9/15, Mexico 9/16, Chile 9/18). For those countries/nationalities whose independence days fall outside this range, or for those, like my own Puerto Rico, who have yet to have an independence day, we are expected to rest easy knowing that within this invented month is included October 12 – Columbus Day/Dia de la Raza/Discovery Day/genocide day so that we are all included via our “creation” as an identity if you will.

The issue of naming the 30 days set aside to acknowledge the existence of Latinos complicates things further. Originally called Hispanic Heritage Week and later turned into the month we now know , the government label of “Hispanic” makes the role of the Spanish/European conquest central to the “celebration”. Some people, who reject the label “Hispanic”, prefer to call the month “Latino Heritage Month” in an attempt to deemphasize the conquista and focus on the survival and growth of the diaspora/mestisaje.

Clearly I’m somewhat comfortable with the label Latino – defined by me as including the diaspora of those colonized in Latin America, the Hispanic/Latin@ identity is complex and controversial and certainly not universally accepted. The idea of Latinidad is sometimes – and rightfully to some extent – accused of erasing certain aspects of what have made Latinos who we are today. The mixing of the indigenous with the European and the European with the African was not based on mutual consent but conquest, rape, violence, and war. All other variations were based on survival. This not a matter of ancient history, this is a matter of looking at how right now across Latin American governments are actively committing acts of theft and violence against indigenous communities. It is not a matter of ancient history the way many among “us” claim/re-claim our Indigenous identities to the exclusion of our African roots or vice-versa or claim none of the above at all.
Read more…

Happy Belated Birthday Don Pedro

6:46 am By Maegan La Mala · history|Puerto Rico · Comments Off

13 Sep 2011

Don Pedro Albizu Campos, born 1891, considered by many as the father of the modern Puerto Rican independence movement, would have celebrated his birthday yesterday. The Afro-Puerto Rican Nationalist was a graduate of Harvard, spoke eight languages, and was a member of the U.S. Army. That army experience is actually credited with deepening Albizu’s understanding of U.S. colonialism. His work in Puerto Rico led to his arrest and torture by the U.S. government, including human radiation experiments, corroborated by the US Dept of Energy under Pres. Clinton.

I first learned of Don Pedro as a high school student, when a classmate of mine, upon learning that I was Puerto Rican, gave me a book, written by her father, on the life of Albizu Campos. This was the start of a long and sometimes painful awakening politically and personally. (Thanks Guale).

I think in struggles for liberation we have a habit of forming cults around our leaders from the past. Let us remember that those who have come before us were human and imperfect as they moved the important work we strive to continue in our own imperfect ways.

Remembering and Not Forgetting

9:21 am By Maegan La Mala · Chile|history|New York City · Comments Off

11 Sep 2011

I have written about 9-11 for as long as this website has been in existence. I remember to write about it every year because my head and my heart do not forget. They are two separate things – remembering and not forgetting but they are the same in that they are both subjective, victims of our own age, our biases, our challenges.

I remember being stuck underground for hours in a subway car that filled with smoke and darkness, not knowing that the World Trade Center was collapsing above me and that my mother was running just ahead of it.

I remember walking the streets from downtown to Queens, half crying, half in a daze because an officer has told me at 14th Street that there was no more World Trade Center and I remember hearing that as there is no more mommy.

I remember my mother and I finally finding each other back home – she walked out of the World Trade Center and on that walk to Queens she thought I too was dead.

I remember kissing my then 4 year old daughter and trying to call Chile to let her father know we were ok but I will not forget that I was also checking to see if he was ok because his September 11th had happened already. He knew already of searching for bodies with pictures in the hands of mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, and children. He knew of checking and rechecking lists of names.

On 9-11-96 I will not forget that I first tasted and absorbed tear gas by the Universidad de Chile, surrounded by students whose families had their own planes, their own dead and disappeared. I will not forget that they eyed me with suspicion – gringa – Norte Americana – representative of the sponsor of their 9-11.

I will not forget how I have a whole generation of students who have grown up in the last 10 years being told to fear terrorism and that they, as Muslims, as brown are the terrorists.

I remember all the dead – the men and women I used to call almost on a daily basis from work who would answer from their top floor office in the WTC. The lists stacked floor to ceiling in the Vicaría de la Solidaridad de Chile of names, some shared by my Chile-Rican daughters.

They do not remember. One was a pre-schooler. The other wasn’t even a thought But they cannot forget that histories like memories are subjective and layer upon one another to form identity and policy and the space between truth and lie. I will not let them forget.

Today in Puerto Rican History : Nationalists Convicted

1:32 pm By Maegan La Mala · history|Puerto Rico · Comments Off

31 Jul 2011

While today many remain attentive to the debt ceiling theater that is taking place in Congress, in 1936, Puerto Rican nationalists Pedro Albizu Campos, Juan Antonio Corretjer, Clemente Soto Vélez and others were sentenced to six to 10 years in federal prison for for “seditious conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. Government in Puerto Rico.”. This sentence is the result of a second trial against the leaders, ordered because the first trial, where the jury was majority Puerto Rican, found the nationalists innocent.

It is important to note that earlier that year, in the Masacre of Rio Piedras four Nationalists are killed by the Policia Insular de Puerto Rico. The Nationalists avenge the Masacre de Rio Piedras. Hiram Rosado and Elias Beauchamp kill Chief of Police E. Francis Riggs. They are caught and killed in the police headquarters of Old San Juan.

It is important to note that the same charges that imprisoned leaders like Albizu Campos continue to be used against current Puerto Rican political prisoners.

Sources : ProLibertad, PR Dream

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