Centro Journal ISSN: 1538-6279 [email protected] The City University of New York Estados Unidos

Berman Santana, Déborah Reseña de "Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas" de Rosie Pérez and Liz Garbus Centro Journal, vol. XIX, núm. 2, 2007, pp. 262-265 The City University of New York New York, Estados Unidos

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Directed by Rosie Pérez and Liz Garbus. 2006. New York: Independent Film Company (IFC). Video, Running time one hour, 25 minutes. DVD release date: June 5, 2007. REVIEWER: Déborah Berman Santana, Mills College

Brooklyn-born Rosie Pérez is an obligatory event for politicians and other accomplished actress and choreographer. newsmakers. The parade’s importance in She is perhaps best known for her promoting a positive self-identity for explosive film debut in Spike Lee’s Do the Puerto Ricans provides one of the Right Thing (1989), as well as for her common threads throughout the powerful performance in the 1993 film documentary, which otherwise tends to Fearless (for which she received an Oscar jump back and forth between New York nomination). Pérez is also well known for and Puerto Rico, from past to present, her dedication to her Puerto Rican and from theme to theme. Additionally, community, particularly in and around throughout the film Perez’s family—both New York City, where she is sought after in interviews and through displaying for school lectures and charitable events. numerous family photos—plays an Her passion for social justice received important role in tying the different much media attention when she was themes of family, history, colonialism, arrested in 2000 along with a dozen culture, and identity together. other women during a protest outside the Among the many themes Pérez United Nations headquarters against the explores are the ethnic origins of Puerto U.S. Navy’s continued occupation and Rican culture, presented stereotypically bombing of Vieques, Puerto Rico. So it is as Taíno, African and Spanish (with brief not surprising that Pérez recently mention of other Europeans). Pérez completed a documentary about Puerto recalls the constant question “What are Rican identity, entitled Yo Soy Boricua, you?” asked even as early as the second Pa’ Que Tu Lo Sepas (I’m Puerto Rican, grade and as late as college, as motivating just so you know). her to explore her roots. While The hour-and-a-half-long documentary photographs of ancient petroglyphs is directed at English-speaking audiences appear on the screen, she observes that in the United States. The film is almost the indigenous civilization stretched back entirely in English without Spanish at least 4,000 years before Columbus. translation (English subtitles are provided She also reads a list of Taíno cultural for the few Spanish-language scenes). practices such as generous hospitality, Numerous scenes make a strong effort to which her relatives excitedly respond, to debunk negative stereotypes about affirming the similarities to today’s Puerto Ricans in the United States. Puerto Ricans. In particular she For example, Perez recounts how one highlights the generally peaceful nature of her lectures was publicized as “From of Puerto Ricans’ indigenous ancestors Homelessness to Hollywood.” She until “they get pushed against the wall.” complains that she has never been This is followed by a graphic portrayal of homeless, and that it is simply a negative the atrocities that the Spanish invaders stereotype directed against people of committed against the Taínos. In this and color in the U.S. Her film both begins and many other scenes one gets the sense that ends with a look at the Puerto Rican Day Pérez was impacted emotionally from Parade in New York City, which has what she learned during the making of become the city’s largest parade and an this documentary. While insufficient

[ 262 ] BOOK REVIEW (freed ex-slave) liberto The scenes in New York include visits York in New The scenes to the Museo del Barrio and the Museum del Barrio the Museo to as well as several York, of the City of New in the Nuyorican clips of performances learn one early we scene In Café. Poets’ in Rican recorded that the first Puerto the city was a she doesn’t Torres—although names John She also shows clips mention the date. growing from the 1950s of Manhattan’s located where Albizu lived in 1950; the Albizu where located walls still bullet from contain holes the footage depicts attack. Historical police in the 1937 massacre of Nationalists remark that the guide’s (despite Ponce fired the first shots” “no one knows who were protesters it is known that the unarmed) as well as attack on the 1954 Lebrón. She also Congress led by Lolita discusses the history Rico’s of Puerto Borinqueña,” which national anthem “La lyricshad pro-independence long before it was Rican by the Puerto rewritten government. Pérez speaks movingly of Albizu suffered by the radiation torture him as “our while in prison, and refers to she also compares Ché.” Interestingly King, rather Luther him with Martin This may seem to X. than with Malcolm in educating interest the film’s indicate Americans about Puerto North (white) Ricans, as well as a general reluctance strongly with identify too appear to to “radical” politics and its “violent” society. in mainstream U.S. connotations fact, she quickly follows her In by mentioning a Albizu discussion of Ricans such long list of famous Puerto and Rita Moreno. Feliciano as José about the seeming ambivalence Her relationship—for Rico-U.S. Puerto example, her fiercely proud treatment Rican flagof the Puerto accompanied flag without by her displaying the U.S. mentioning the controversy about the Ricans—may among Puerto seem latter contradictory but in fact reflects sentiments, widespread conflicting both in the island and in the diaspora. [ 263 ] (lizard). In several Pérez scenes (lizard). In A clip portrays the U.S. historical Pérez includes many clips detailing attention is paid to Puerto Rico’s African Rico’s Puerto is paid to attention heritage, of Pérez gives some hint racism when widespread internalized the in Miami. Here visiting cousins their great-grandfather’s speak of cousins wife one with his white households: two his black mistress, and the other with struggledand how the children with the the other part keep efforts of the wife to of the family Pérez hails a secret. Since it is from family, the “black side” of the perhaps disappointing—though not surprising—that she does not explore Afro-boricua legacy, further her proud although she does mention the efforts abolition of slaverytowards of the Rican independence” “father of Puerto (though Betances Emeterio Ramón Dr. not that he himself was black). in 1898. Pérez invasion Rico of Puerto follows with a walk through the fruit tree-studded in backyard of her cousin Aguadilla, from where the family hails— her cousin’s evokes and city girl Rosie when she is frightened by a laughter lagartijo poignantly the sense of loss underscores felt by many diaspora Ricans, Puerto such as Rico the push out of Puerto of New the urban ghettoes toward and the loss or “Spanglish-ization” York of her first language, clearly linking it the same time she At colonization. to is fiercely proud of how so-called have defended their “Nuyoricans” heritage a vibrant and created part of that is an integral community Rican nation. the Puerto the history struggles of independence the 1898 invasion, since particularly Party. focusing on the Nationalist the famous She begins with a visit to with the mural of wallin Old San Juan Albizu Pedro leader Dr. Nationalist laureate who Chilean Nobel Campos, called Mistral once “the lastGabriela is This mural American liberator.” Latin Puerto Rican community, as a result of reminiscent of Puerto Rico, surrounded Operation Bootstrap, Puerto Rico’s by flowers and used by the community pioneering “development via export-led for barbecues, drumming and dancing, industrialization” program, which also and domino tournaments. attempted to reduce population partly Later the film jumps to scenes of through emigration. The other part of Vieques protest in New York City in that population reduction program, of 2000. Pérez recounts her experience of course, was the infamous policy of getting arrested along with a group of sterilization of Puerto Rican women women outside of the United Nations. without informed consent, which by 1965 Her brief discussion of the Vieques, had sterilized 35 percent of Puerto Rican Puerto Rico, story may erroneously leave women. This shameful legacy was the impression that the Navy documented in the film La Operación expropriated the whole island during the (1982); Pérez includes a few clips of the 1940s, when in fact 76 percent of the film with her narrative, along with lands were taken, leaving viequenses additional information about how Puerto squeezed in the middle. This is an Ricans were used as guinea pigs in important point, since even some developing birth control pills and the Congress members expressed the Dalkon Shield intrauterine device. erroneous belief that the Navy had been Meanwhile, in New York Puerto bombing an uninhabited island. Pérez Ricans such as her beloved Aunt includes some historical footage from Dominga (who raised her) worked two the 1986 documentary The Battle of or three jobs to maintain an extended Vieques, as well as scenes from the mass family; she speaks lovingly of her protests and arrests during the final anti- “bedroom” in the hallway of the bombing campaign that resulted in the apartment. Here Pérez includes historical Navy’s leaving Vieques in 2003. footage of the late great poet Pedro Pietri Significantly, she points out that because performing his epic Puerto Rican Obituary Vieques is still contaminated and the immortalizing the poor boricua related cancer rate is still climbing immigrants who Operation Bootstrap (among other problems), “la lucha pushed out of Puerto Rico and into the continúa.” She briefly touches on the 1998 lower stratum of New York’s economic referendum on Puerto Rico’s political and social life, but whose hard work and status (the most recent of four since the dedication to their families provided the 1950s), in which “none of the above” won. backbone for today’s vibrant community. However, since she did not include any She also includes a bit of history of the discussion of the context in which the impact of the Young Lords Party in pro-commonwealth party helped lead a promoting Puerto Rican pride and protest of the terms of the referendum, consciousness during the 1960s and this was not particularly informative. 1970s, featuring segments from the The final part of the film returns to film Pa’lante, Siempre Pa’lante (1996) — New York, where Pérez stresses the although one wouldn’t know from Pérez’s importance of Puerto Rican food in treatment that the organization began in promoting pride and a strong sense of Chicago instead of New York. She identity. This segment is reminiscent of mentions briefly the importance of the the PBS ethnic immigrant series episode casitas movement, where Puerto Ricans entitled Puerto Ricans: Our American Story reclaimed devastated and dangerous (1999), which (not so?) coincidentally was vacant lots in New York City by building aired at the same time that the Vieques brightly colored wooden houses issue and the release of 11 Puerto Rican

[ 264 ] BOOK REVIEW . . . . . New , with a La Operación Brincando el Charco Brincando The Battle of Vieques The Battle of Puerto Ricans: Our Puerto Ricans: Mi Puerto Rico Puerto Mi ¡Pa’lante, Siempre ¡Pa’lante, Puerto Rican Obituary Puerto Rican . New York: WLIB-TV . York: New with whom many Puerto with whom New York: Third World Third York: New barrio York: National Latino Communications National York: Educational Media. Center New York: Monthly Review Press. York: New American Story American (PBS). New York: Cinema Guild. Cinema York: New Pa’lante! Newsreel. New York: Cinema Guild. Cinema York: New New York: Women Make Movies. Make Women York: New One Nation, One Standard One Nation, Pietri, Pedro. 1974. 1974. Pedro. Pietri, García, Ana María. 1982. María. Ana García, Rudaitis, Ron. 1999. Ron. Rudaitis, Morales, Iris. 1996. 1996. Iris. Morales, Nazario, Zydnia. 1986. Nazario, Negrón, Frances. 1994. Frances. Negrón, Ortiz, Raquel. 1996. Ortiz, Raquel. Ricans—and others—will closely identify. Ricans—and others—will closely identify. foreword by former New York City York foreword by former New is 228 pages Giuliani, Rudolph Mayor long, with an additional eight pages of Badillo’s pictures of Mr. black-and-white eleven early career in politics. Its life growing cover the author’s chapters States, and the United Rico up in Puerto as Rican power the first Puerto his rise to serveto as a full of a city commissioner REFERENCES eerie in the manner this response was so the reactions in the Black similar to made by Bill comments to community campaigns of the anti-affirmative Cosby, book by Juan the recent Connery, Ward and the rulings of Supreme Williams, Thomas. Clarence Courts Justice from the [ 265 ] National Institute for Latino Policy Institute National (1994), , on December Herman Badillo Herman Mi Puerto Rico Mi Angelo Falcón, Angelo Falcón, New York Post York New Brincando el Charco Brincando : One Nation, One Standard: An Ex-Liberal An One Standard: One Nation, Pérez’s hour-and-a-half-long film might hour-and-a-half-long Pérez’s 19, 2006 with the headline, “Badillo Values,” Lashes Latinos, Rips Hispanic strong feelings, not onlyit generated views on the issues, but about Badillo’s was a little It also about him personally. at age life’s 78 sums up his considerable Rican and Hispanic lessons for the Puerto Published under the auspices community. for Policy Institute of the Manhattan Badillo is a senior where Mr. Research, a big stir within this book created fellow, even the Latino community before it was in the infamous announced released. First tabloid, the on How Hispanics Can Succeed Just Like Just Can Succeed Hispanics on How Groups, Immigrant Other One Nation, One Standard: An Ex-LiberalStandard: One Nation, One on How Hispanics JustSucceed Can Other Immigrant Like Groups Badillo By Herman Sentinel, 2006 York: New 240 pages; $23.99 [cloth] REVIEWER In (1996) and Rican Puerto both by accomplished Nonetheless, filmmakers. women Pérez has an intensely managed create to personal as well as educational film that shows her as much more than a famous is a proud Boricua star—she Hollywood independence fighters from prison raised fighters independence Ricans Puerto fears among pro-statehood image “anti-American” about the island’s that film did media. However, in the U.S. that so the ambivalence on not touch feel, which Pérez’ Ricans many Puerto documentary highlights very personally. have from editing and benefited crisper organization. She may more coherent many themes, too have include tried to thus shortchanging some of the details information correctly. convey needed to Other films dealing with the Puerto Rican diasporic and the experience history include island’s