A CHILD Consuelo Lee Corretjer A child is a future, inexorable, synthesis of creation, owner of everything he sees, that he touches, that he hears, that he feels inhales tastes. But overall he is a vehicle of immortality; without a past in appearance but a steel container of all the past and all that lived, free, without straps nor fears restless fighter seeking his kind as the plants seek the sun. Ignoring prejudices, and other negativeness; wearing hopes for the first timesharing originalitieswithin all that is the samein eternal repetitioneternally newand as old as the earth itself Continue reading at Puerto Rican Cultural Center Read More
Al cumplir mis 70 años celebro y le doy gracias a la vida por todo lo que me ha dado y por todo lo que me ha enseñado. La celebro y le doy gracias por haberme enseñado que ella es lucha toda, que si pretendo vivir tengo que luchar y luchar si pretendo vivir. La celebro y le doy gracias por dejarme experimentar la extrema pobreza material y por retarme a trascenderla sin envidia u odio a nadie. La celebro y le doy gracias por haberme expuesto a experimentar en carne y hueso los prejuicios, la discriminación y el racismo por ser boricua, por mi piel oscura, por mi tamaño, por no saber hablar inglés y hasta por hablar español “chapiao” para que aprendiera una grata lección – que la única raza es la humana y que todos los humanos somos falibles e imperfectos. La celebro y le doy gracias por haberme expuesto a una guerra para que me paseara por la sombra de la muerte, sintiera la muerte de los otros como si fuera la mía y sin ser conciente de ello convertirme en un sembrador de muertes, de devastación y destrucción en un pueblo que pudo ser el […] Read More
José E. LópezExecutive DirectorPuerto Rican Cultural Center This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Paseo Boricua, which is encased by the world’s largest steel fabricated flags. During this decade we, as a community, have grown and developed, as well as dug our roots deeper into this area. The Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center is proud to have played a role, both in the history-making process of reclaiming this area for our community, as well as having anchored it as a physical space for action and reflection. As we celebrate this historic decade, on January 6, 2005, it is important for me to thank the members of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center for their work and passion which inspires me to continue to serve as its Executive Director. Without them, particularly the youth of Café Batey Urbano, it would be impossible to do my work. At the same time that I express my gratitude, it is important to highlight some of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center’s achievements of 2004. This past year was an amazing one, despite the many obstacles we faced. The following will give a synopsis of some of what we have accomplished: We […] Read More
The Case of the Mexicans and Puerto Ricans –Two People, One Destiny 1998 marks two infamous anniversaries for the two largest Latino groups in what is called the United States; for Mexicans, 150 years since the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and for Puerto Ricans 100 years since the US invasion of their island. On February 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed; a humiliated and defeated Mexico accepted the Rio Grande as the border with Texas and ceded California, Nevada, New Mexico and parts of Colorado, Arizona, and Utah to the United States. Thus the jewel on the crown of the expansionist and imperial design known as Manifest Destiny was set in place. The country which, in 1776, had declared itself independent from colonial domination, had now become the world’s major colonizer. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, like all treaties which the United States had entered into with Native Americans, was not to be enforced as far as the native inhabitants were concerned; as the great Puerto Rican Nationalist, Pedro Albizu Campos would say, “The United States wants the cage but not the bird.” This sentiment echoed the words of the Mexican diplomat Manuel Cresción […] Read More
Perdón presidencial: una victoria agridulce agosto 1999 El miércoles 11 de agosto el Presidente Bill Clinton se vió forzado a firmar una orden extendiendo el perdón presidencial a 11 de los 15 prisioneros políticos puertorriqueños. Esto representa una gran victoria para la campaña por la excarcelación de estos presos y en particular para el Comité Nacional Pro-Excarcelación Prisioneros de Guerra y Presos Políticos Puertorriqueños. La euforia inicial se tornó en idignación al enterarse que el Presidente estaba imponiendo condiciones estrictas como requisito para la liberación de los presos. Con esta victoria agridulce el Presidente tuvo que reconocer la fuerza de la campaña que ha ido creciendo en los últimos años. Además es importante recalcar que el presidente y el Departamento de Justicia tuvieron que admitir que las sentencias de los prisioneros eran desproporcionadas y excesivas. Sin duda alguna, la protesta el 23 de julio en Washington, D.C., donde 17 compañeros fueron arrestados en una manifestación de desobediencia civil, fue la gota que desbordó el cubo. Seguir leyendo en RED BORICUA. Read More
Mr. Luis Alejandro Molina, National Boricua Human Rights Network. http://boricuahumanrights.org/ (Chicago) Interview dated 17th Aug 2011 on telephone Mr. Molina is part of the Network from 2001, as that’s when it was formed, but he was a founding member of the original organization, the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Prisoners of War and Political Prisoners, in 1979. He was involved with these issues from 1976 and has always been interested in Latino rights issues (ever since he was 16/17 years old) because of the influence of his family background. His mother, in particular, was moved by social justice issues and influenced him. His parents had to go to college a second time in the U.S. as their BA’s from Mexico were not accepted in the States. The struggles for civil and human rights in the university were also rooted in the Latino community. Mr. Molina has lived in the same community for the last 40 years. Continue reading at National Boricua Human Rights Network Read More
José E. López Solidarity message to the Millon Man March Compañeras y compañeros, Brothers and Sisters: I greet you in the name of the Puerto Rican communities of Chicago. I greet you in the name of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos – the standard-bearers, the embodiment, the symbols of the Puerto Rican people, yearning for freedom, justice and peace. I greet you in the name of the Puerto Rican political prisoners in U.S. prisons charged with seditious conspiracy for their actions on behalf of Puerto Rico’s right to be a free and independent nation. I salute Minister Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam, and all who have labored to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the Million Man March with their Day of Atonement. A delegation from the Puerto Rican community has come today to demonstrate our solidarity with you on this momentous occasion. Our presence here tonight, we hope, will be the beginnings of a dialogue among our communities that will become an everlasting bridge for our peoples. We must realize we have a common history, and therefore a common destiny. The entire history of the past 500 years or so has been a process of taking us out of history – […] Read More
Interview by Ferd Eggan and Edy Scripps with Danny Castillo, a representative of the US Army Corps of Engineers, then commentary afterward with Alexis Massol of the Adjuntas Academy of Art and Culture. Also with Bob Lederer and Mike Hansen. Army Corps of Engineers representative revealed the extent of the so-called “flood control” project in Maraguez which had already displaced 450 people from there. Alexis shared that the dam’s purpose was to provide hydroelectric power for future industries as part of the 2020 Plan which includes the development of Puerto Rico for the benefit of multinational corporations, causing environmental and physical damage to the island and its people. Read More
