Que Pues, Amigos! Your Tia Tenopia here all a fluster because this is Boricua week at Latinopia! Yep, the 24th of June is the Saint’s day for Saint John the Baptist or as we say in Razaspeak, San Juan Baustista! Now this date is particularly important to all of our Boricua brothers and sisters because on the island it is a national holiday! In fact, little known fact to your Tia, this beautiful Caribbean island was originally named San Juan Bautista, but later the name was changed to Puerto Rico (Rich Port). The capital, of course, retains the name San Juan. June 24th, Dia de San Juan, is also celebrated in many U.S. cities, a time to just feel good about being Puerto Rican!
Now as you may know Puerto Rico is a commonwealth. How did that come about? Check out the Latinopia Event 1967 Puerto Rico Plebiscite. Also check out another important though terribly sad moment in Puerto Rico’s history, the Latinopia Event 1937 Ponce Massacre.
One of the realities of Puerto Rico has been the diaspora of its people to the United States. This phenomenon is poetically rendered by New York-based Puerto Rican author Myrna Nieves in her original and metaphoric composition, “Emigración” (Emigration), read here exclusively for Latinopia. And from the Latinopia Archives we are posting anew the biography of Puerto Rican nationalist leader, Don Pedro Albizu Campos. So enjoy Boricua week at Latinopia and tell your friends! Abrazos from your Tia Tenopia.