EL BORICUA 3109- C VOSS DRIVE EL PASO, TX 79936 elboricua.com A Cultural Publication From the editor . On Friday, October 13th, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which has jurisdiction over Puerto Rico, overturned a lower-court decision that ruled residents of Puerto Rico should be allowed to vote in US presidential elections. In August, the US District Court in San Juan, Puerto Rico ruled that residents of Puerto Rico, as US citizens, have an inherent right to vote in the national Presidential election. In it's ten page opinion the court of appeals ruled that ``The judgment and order of the district court is reversed and vacated, and the case is remanded with instructions that the action be dismissed with prejudice.'' In other words, the ruling of Judge Pieras was overturned in the appeals court. On July 19th, Judge Jaime Pieras, with the US District Court in San Juan and a respected local judge known for his pro-statehood philosophy, ruled that Americans citizens residing in Puerto Rico have the right to vote in US presidential elections, beginning with the next election this November. In September, island governor Pedro Rosselló, signed legislation, passed by the Puerto Rican legislature, allowing island residents to vote in Presidential elections for the first time in over 100 years. continued on page 3 November 2000 November 2000 EL BORICUA PAGE 2 EL BORICUA is a monthly, cultural, bilingual publication for Puerto Ricans. Published by: BORICUA PUBLICATIONS EL PASO, TX MarkNet Group is dedicated to providing Javier Figueroa you with the best possible on-line solutions for Publisher your business, organization, and personal use. Ivonne Figueroa Editor and General Manager Dolores M. Flores • Web Design Language Editor • Web Hosting • Web Consulting Yearly subscription fee $25.00 • Internet Marketing Service • International fee is $40.00 Database Programming Email version ONLY $15.00 914914---278278278---52365236 Please send your comments or information to: http://www.marknetgroup.com/ [email protected] EL BORICUA 3109-C Voss Drive El Paso, TX 79936 915-595-1446evenings EL BORICUA is a monthly, cultural, bilingual publication that is Puerto fax915-595-1409 Rican owned and operated, established in 1995. EL BORICUA is NOT e-mail [email protected] sponsored by any club or organization. Our goal is to present and promote http://www.elboricua.com our "treasure" which is our Cultural Identity - the Puerto Rican experience. WEBSITE courtesy of What is culture? Culture is the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thought, speech, action, and artifacts and depends upon man’s capacity for learning *MarkNet Group, Inc. and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations, the customary beliefs, social ©1997-2000 Boricua Publications forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group. All articles are the property of Boricua We at El Boricua purpose to maintain our culture alive in our lives and in our Publications or the property of its authors. hearts. Let's not forget who we are, where we come from, let's not forget el cantar del coquí, la flor del flamboyán, our terruño, our Isla del Encanto. BORICUA... is a powerful word. It We feature articles on our history, historical places, culture, traditions, typical is our history, it is our cultural recipes, music, musicians, Boricua heroes of today and yesterday, and affirmation, it is a declaration, it is a promote a positive image of Puerto Ricans and the Island. We also offer a term of endearment, it is, poetic . vehicle in which contemporary poets and artists can publish their work. We it is us. promote networking between Puerto Rican groups and promote cultural activities throughout the Nation. Advisory Panel Members: Paul Figueroa EL BORICUA is distributed in all the states, Puerto Rico, Central and South Dolores M. Flores America, Europe and the Orient. The largest percentage of subscribers and Carmen Santos Curran distribution (95%) is in the northeastern United States, the Bronx, New York Javier M. Figueroa area in particular. Monthly distribution is scheduled in the Bronx area public Christine Reeves schools, administration, staff, school libraries, parents, public libraries, Fernando Alemán museums, and businesses. We also distribute to national Puerto Rican José Castellanos organizations, Puerto Ricans in the federal government, college & university Ivette Farah Mildred Lanie staff and their libraries, Puerto Rican members of Congress, and national subscribers. A la orden November 2000 EL BORICUA PAGE 3 Refrán Puertorriqueño No hables por boca ajena. Don’t speak for others. AMOR DE MI BOHIO Rafael Hernández HISPANOS. Valle plateado de luna, sendero de mis amores, The future is on our hands quiero brindarle a las flores el canto de mi montuna. Vote on november7th Es mi vivir una linda guajirita la cosita mas bonita... trigueña. Save your copies of EL BORICUA in a three-ring binder. This keeps them handy and in good condition. Es todo amor lo que reina en mi bohío donde la quietud del río... se sueña. Guest articles, poems, and short stories are Al brotar la aurora, sus lindos colores, welcomed. matiza de encanto mi nido de amores. mamey: literal translation= fruit Al despertar, a mi linda guajirita “eso es un maney” = it’s easy - cosa fácil dejo un beso en su boquita... que adoro de nuevo el sol, me recuerda de aquel día ya en su plena lozanía derrama, Happy Thanksgiving luego se ve a lo lejos el bohío y una manita blanca que de dice adiós. YOUR AD FITS HERE CALL US EL BORICUA A Puerto Rican cultural publication 915-595-1446 EVENINGS Ivonne Figueroa Editor and General Manager 3109-C Voss Drive El Paso, TX 79936 915-595-1446 915-595-1409fax http://www.elboricua.com [email protected] The first Olympic Medal ever won by an athlete representing the island was in 1948 Javier Figueroa, Publisher when Juan Evangelista Venegas won a bronze medal in boxing. More on page 12. Subscribers . To receive EL BORICUA via email please send us an email-message at [email protected] Include your name, mailing address, and email address. elboricua.com You will receive it promptly by the first of the month and you will be able to print it in full color! It will be a Microsoft Word dt November 2000 EL BORICUA PAGE 4 Nicholassa Mohr, writer and artist. Nov. 1, 1935 Nov. 1, 1966 Hermán Badillo becomes the first Puerto Rican art elected Bronx Borough President Nydia Velázques is elected first Puerto Rican Taínos were skillful in stone sculpture, shell Nov. 2, 1992 woman in U.S. Congress. and bone carvings, pottery, and gold plating. The Indians made charms and amulets, Hermán Badillo becomes first stateside Puerto ceremonial artifacts, and everyday utensils Nov. 3, 1970 Rican congressman. in clay, cotton, and straw, wood, stone, shells, and bone. Oscar García Rivera, first Puerto Rican Nov. 6, 1900 elected official in NY. Among their stone sculptures are stone Ernesto Juan Fonfrías, Lawyer, writer, poet, collars and belts, cemís, face masks, dujos, Nov. 7, 1909 and politician. He wrote about customs & and weapons. Their work was of religious folklore. Nov. 7, 1903 Jesús María Sanromá, became one of the content and is not easily understood. century's most accomplished and important pianists. The stone collars could have served a series Nov. 8, 1942 Angel Cordero, champion jockey. of purposes, from protective game gear in Nov. 8, 1903 Emilio S. Belaval, lawyer and writer. Author of the batey, a type of ball game the Indians "La intríngilis puertorriqueña." Furthered our played, to funeral offerings. There were two culture and folklore. types of collars, the massive oval or the slender pear-shaped form. The collars were Nov. 12, 1851 Jose Gautier Benítez, poet and writer on very heavy and it took many years to finish Puerto Rican customs and folklore. one. Luis Rafael Sánchez, playwriter and author. Nov. 17, 1936 The Indians also carved cemís out of stone or wood. These three-pointed carvings Puerto Rico's Discovery Day Nov. 19, 1493 frequently depict the form of human or animal heads on one end and animal legs on Nov. 22, 1868 Milagros Benet de Newton, born in Cayey, the other, sometimes the head is found in the became a civic leader and fought for women's central projection. At times the cemí is not rights. carved at all, it is simply a three-pointed stone or wood figure. The cemí was believed Nov. 23, 1935 Celeste Benítez, journalist, politician, PPD to have magical to religious powers. leader. The stone face masks that have been found Nov. 25, 1897 Spain grants Puerto Rico autonomy under the seem to have had ceremonial significance. leadership of Luis Muñoz Rivera. They may have been carried on a staff or pole because they were too heavy to have Manuel Tavárez, composer and father of been worn. These masks may have had a Nov. 28, 1843 Puerto Rican danza. funeral use or have been exchanged among chiefs. Their overall shape is similar to a Nov. 28, 1900 Washington Llorén Llorén, born in Ponce became a scientist, writer and journalist, cemí because they are also three-pointed linguist, and scholar. stone figures. Nov. 30, 1850 Cayetano Coll y Toste, was born in Arecibo, became a physician, writer and historian. He was the editor of the Boletín Histórico de Puerto Rico. November 2000 EL BORICUA PAGE 5 La Casa del Campo Entre hilachas y trapos Ahora había que estar pendiente Al fondo del baúl encontré De rociar todo en la laja. Un cuadro viejo y borroso Pues si se secaba la ropa Que hace años, allí deposité. El viento podía volarla. Con el pasar de los años Más tarde la recogíamos Y las inclemencias del tiempo Y venía la segunda tanda El cuadro ha sufrido daños Otra nueva estregada Y otras cosas que no entiendo.