Throughout the Puerto Rican literary canon, one of the many aspects that are explored is that of race. While some authors tend to romanticize the African heritage, others try to insert their life experiences, what they see or the history and culture brought by said inheritance in order to create a new self. Many have not exactly put a name to it, but some have decided to call this individuality the “Afro Boricua”.
1. Little things are Big, by Jesús Colón
A short narrative where the narrator questions the circumstances of helping a white American. Colón’s Little things are Big, is one of the first pieces of prose to explore the role of an Afro Boricua in America. Born in Cayey, Puerto Rico, but raised in New York from the age of sixteen, Colón has often been cited as the Father of the Nuyorican Movement after the publication of his text, A Puerto Rican in New York and Other Sketches.
(picture of Jesús Colón’s book)
2. Down These Mean Streets, by Piri Thomas
The first long narrative to explore the role of Afro Boricuas in the United States and the struggles some of them endured and still go through, Piri Thomas‘, Down These Mean Streets is a best-selling memoir published in 1967. Like Colón’s A Puerto Rican in New York, this text has also been the subject of various studies within academia. Author Piri Thomas was also a poet and short fiction writer whose life and work were the subject of the film Every Child is Born a Poet: The Life and Work of Piri Thomas by Jonathan Robinson.
(picture of Piri Thomas’ book)
3. The Konk, by Piri Thomas
Exploring the identity of the Afro Boricua from a different perspective, Piri Thomas’ The Konk from his book, Stories from El Barrio, features the main character looking to change his appearance in order to fit in. Like the other narratives found in Thomas’ collection, The Konk features the writer’s trademarked, deeply thematic exploration while adding a touch of humor.
(picture of Thomas’ Stories from El Barrio)
4. Las Caras Lindas, by Ismael Rivera
Originally found in the album Esto Si Es Lo Mio, the classic salsa song by Ismael Rivera, also known as El Sonero Mayor, is a track that promotes Black pride, empowerment, and appreciation of the Boricuas’ African heritage. Alongside Las caras lindas, Rivera further promoted Black pride within Puerto Ricans with tunes like El Nazareno.
(picture of Ismael Rivera’s album)
5. Negrito, by Tato Laviera
Originally published in Laviera’s fourth collection of poetry AmeRícan, the author’s poem is a short narrative about a young Afro Boricua’s first arrival to the United States and the confusion suffered after some ill-faded family advice. Born Jesús Laviera Sánchez, Tato was a Puerto Rican poet, playwright, and community advocate who explored race, identity, community, and urban life, among other subjects. The book Bendición collects the entirety of his poetry.
(picture of Laviera’s Bendición)
6. Nigger-Reecan Blues, by Willie Perdomo
Demonstrating influence from the Nuyorican Movement and Harlem Renaissance, Willie Perdomo’s Nigger-Reecan Blues is a poem that examines the role of the Afro Boricua in the United States in the form of a conversation between friends of different identities. Perdomo is the author behind a few collections of poetry, among these are his debut, Where a Nickel Costs a Dime and The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon.
(picture of Perdomo’s text)
7. Poem for My Grifa-Rican Sistah Or Broken Ends Broken Promises, by María Teresa “Mariposa” Fernández
Published in her first book Born Bronxeña, Mariposa’s Poem for My Grifa-Rican Sistah, like Piri Thomas’ The Konk, explores the role hair plays in the identity of Afro Boricuas everywhere, but from a female perspective. Born and raised in The Bronx, Mariposa is also a performance artist whose work has been featured in many anthologies, most recently in the Melissa Castillo-Garsow edited, ¡Manteca!: An Anthology of Afro-Latin@ Poets.
(picture of Mariposa)
8. Chocolate City Latina, by Esperanza Malavé Cintrón
A poem about the Afro Boricua experience in the United States from a different perspective, Malavé Cintrón’s Chocolate City Latina features the author exploring her life as an Afro Boricua who is raised in Detroit. Malavé Cintrón is the author behind the collections Chocolate City Latina, What Keeps Me Sane, and Visions of a Post-Apocalyptic Sunrise.
(picture of Malavé Cintrón’s first poetry collection)
9. Chango Blanco, by Tego Calderón
Originally featured in The Underdog/El Subestimado, the song features Calderón tackling the theme of double-consciousness through the genre of salsa. Known for exploring other sounds like reggae, bomba, hip-hop, and the blues, this entry into Calderón’s catalog continues to demonstrate his ability to be a diverse musician. Tego’s latest release was 2015’s El Que Sabe, Sabe.
(picture of Calderón’s album)
10. Negritude, by Shaggy Flores
An exploration and appreciation of Boricuas’ African heritage, Shaggy Flores’ Negritude features the poet embracing all sides of the African Diaspora that have, in one way or another, influenced the modern definition of what it is to be an Afro Boricua. A self-proclaimed Nuyorican and Massarican, Flores is a writer/scholar who was trained under the tutelage of the late Afro Boricua, Louis Reyes Rivera. His works include the collections, Sancocho: A Book of Nuyorican Poetry and Obatala’s Bugalu: A Nuyorican Book of Sights and Sounds.
(picture of Flores’ Obatala’s Bugalu)
11. Afro/Rikan, by Noel Quiñones
A fresh take on what it means to be an Afro Boricua in the United States, Noel Quiñones’ short poem features the many influences of young Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. While also mentioning some of the struggles they and their ancestors have gone through, such as the problem with learning and/or mixing Spanish and English. The Brooklyn poet is also a performer and educator whose work has been featured in the recently published ¡Manteca!, edited by Melissa Castillo-Garsow.
(picture of Noel Quiñones)
12. Brujas, by Princess Nokia
Embracing elements from the Yoruba religion, Brujas is a rap song that presents another side to Princess Nokia, the Afro Boricua. Born Destiny Nicole Frasqueri, Princess Nokia, who had previously worked under the names Wavy Spice and Destiny, is a rapper whose work is very distinct because of her constant examination of identity. Last year she blew up with her project 1992 Deluxe, where she examines her role as an outcast in the fields of hip-hop and the Latino community.
(picture of Nokia’s album)