[Originally published in The Nation June 30, 2020 When considering debates about political formulations as nebulous yet as desperately crucial as “the Latinx vote,” it can be vexing to consider those Latinx who vote Republican. In the age of Covid-19, Black Lives Matter protests, and radical right Trumpism, how could they exist? What common ground […]
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Originally posted on cnn.com on June 15, 2020 During one of the most tumultuous weeks in recent American history, massive demonstrations against the brutal actions of Minneapolis police in the death of George Floyd spread across the country in over 700 cities and towns. In response, President Donald Trump called for more police violence against protesters, […]
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Originally published on CNN.com on May 18, 2020 Two months into the coronavirus crisis, with many Americans clamoring for a return to business as usual, Latinos are still mourning the terrible toll on their communities. An Ecuadorean bus driver in the Bronx died at 66, months before retirement; an undocumented Guatemalan in Oregon lost his life; and a […]
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The island recently withstood several earthquakes, hundreds of aftershocks, and governmental turmoil. It needs progressive change in policy from the U.S. [Originally published in The Hill February 18, 2020] It’s been such a rocky start to the year 2020 in Puerto Rico that hundreds of locals decided to tear it all up and start from […]
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[Originally published in The Washington Post on February 7, 2020] On a recent trip to London, I took the Underground from Oxford Circus to the city’s northern reaches in Tottenham, home to one of the centers of its Latinx community. A few steps from the Seven Sisters stop is the Latin Village market, also known […]
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Originally published in The Washington Post September 20, 2019 at 6:23 a.m. I want to take you on a journey that begins and ends with questions about the American Dream, about what being an American means, and what it means to be an “other.” I’ve survived the flowering and disintegration of that dream during my lifetime, […]
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Since my latest book, Fantasy Island: Colonialism, Exploitation and the Betrayal of Puerto Rico (Bold Type Press) went on sale last September, I’ve had an amazing time doing talks and interacting with people who are passionate about the island-nation. The book is a historical overview of Puerto Rico’s colonial relationship with the U.S. including a […]
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Originally published in The Nation August 2, 2019 On July 26, still giddy after the massive mobilization of Puerto Ricans that played a major role in forcing Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign, plena musician Tito Matos and street-theater activist/music video director Israel Lugo were in the Hato Rey business district of San Juan, walking together […]
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What has happened on the streets of old San Juan and the distant west coast and mountain towns of Puerto Rico has been stunning, a hauntingly beautiful display of people power — a full-on awakening augured by the decades-invoked “Despierta Boricua” slogan, one that allows islanders to say things like “ya no es el mismo […]
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This week has been unlike any other in Puerto Rican history. An estimated 500,000 demonstrators filled Old San Juan’s cobblestone streets on Wednesday to demand the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló. He has lost public confidence because of mounting scandals in his government and damning revelations from a leaked trove of private chats, published on […]
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