Blog #6: The Nuyorican Proximity to American Blackness
This afternoon I was chatting with my mom (shoutout my momma), and I was updating her on my book progress. I just finished writing a portion that explores a portion of my identity that is American Blackness strengthened and affirmed from growing up in Baptist Church as my Church Home.
Our conversation naturally started swaying towards the differences in Black Ricans vs. Islander Puerto Ricans (Mira-Miras) and we finally determined that Black Ricans tend to be Nuyoricans (Conn./Mass./NJ) and our culture is just so heavily different from island Puerto Rican culture that it’s hard to feel comfortable in those spaces. If anything, it’s always an underlying feeling of judgement. Either from not growing up on the island, being “too” Americanized, not speaking Spanish in the same tonality and dialect, and/or many more various factors. Throw our mixed Puerto Rican and Black babies in there and you get a whole other realm of judgement from the White Puerto Ricans who still haven’t realized they are a product of the Whitening.
Eventually, the determination in me and my mothers conversation was that, at this point, Nuyoricans are so influenced by Black American culture and vice versa that we’re inextricably wound together in our own upper East Coast way of being. In the city, our families are mixed and integrated. Puerto Ricans giving birth to Black American babies and vice versa. Combined living. Combined celebrations. Combined culture. We are one in NY, it’s just how it’s always been.
This led into a conversation about the influence of Nuyoricans in Black American Culture, more specifically Hip Hop, and alternatively the influence on Black American Culture in Nuyorican Culture, more specifically Reggaeton. I referenced a video I’d seen on TikTok by the user @The_Illustrious_Deron_Harris where he discussed the question: “Should Puerto Ricans be considered when discussing the origins of Hip Hop?” Deron addresses his original comment on a post where he said: “There are different elements of Hip-Hop. There is graffiti writing, there’s breakdancing, there’s DJing, and of course there is MC’n. Puerto Ricans most definitely were there for the inception of all of those things.” (Video linked below.) I thought Deron had a lot of great talking points and gave very good firsthand experience examples.
One of the points he brings up is that younger people unfamiliar with that time will often say that Puerto Ricans weren’t around. This brings up another point that I’ll expand on in a different blog which is the unwritten history of Puerto Ricans in America. It’s not that we’ve had our history here in America erased, it’s that records of it simply don't exist in mass.
The fact of the matter is that Puerto Ricans have been state-side for a very long time participating in and contributing to Black Culture and Black History for equally as long, whether that wasn’t noted because of the lack of visual division between us or what, I’m unsure. But some examples:
Deron brought up the 1970s Urban Crisis in the Bronx. Prior to and during this time, Black Americans and Puerto Ricans lived together side by side where we went to the same schools, same parties, same hangouts, and also shared in the same struggles. I won’t expand on this because I think he did a magnificent job and I encourage you to go watch his video for more information.
Deron also references Black Pioneers like Africa Bambata who founded the Universal Zulu Nation with Black and Puerto Rican members from inception. And Puerto Rican Participants/Contributors in Hip Hop as cited by Deron: Crazy Legs, Frosty Freeze, Lee Quinones, Lady Pink, DJ Charlie Chase.
The Harlem Hellfighters, one of the first predominantly African-American regiments to serve in World War 1 also had members who shared in Afro-Puerto Rican heritage. 18 of the 44 members were Puerto Rican.
The 375th Regiment was specifically created for Afro-Puerto Ricans. During World War 1, Puerto Ricans were sent to either Black or White units depending on their skin color.
The Young Lords, a Puerto Rican counterpart to and supported by the Black Panther Party, had Puerto Rican, African American, and Afro-Puerto Rican members.
Arturo Schomburg, an Afro-Puerto Rican Historian who dedicated his life to preserving the history of the African Diaspora. He was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance.
And much, much, more.
I can’t speak to the mira-mira experience (Islander Puerto Ricans) because I am unfamiliar, but what I can say is that growing up as a Nuyorican, we were all Black. We all knew it. We all lived it. We all experienced it. Our families were combined, our neighborhoods were shared, our music wove together, we fought in the same war units, shared in the same struggles, danced together in the same parties.
As Deron Harris best said, I’m someone who lives this culture while you are someone who’s still googling it.
Explaining my Blackness is something I’ve always found annoying. Truly. Those who get it, get it, and those who don’t… Well, you have avenues to educate and enlighten yourself. I’ve always known I was a nigga. From the time I was a kid and still now: I’m a nigga till the day I die. I didn’t understand my Blackness when I was a kid but I did know this fact. And, it’s for nothing, but I wouldn’t want to be anything else in any other lifetime, I love us from the coils in our head to our toes.
With this firsthand experience and as I continue writing my book, I am left wondering if Nuyorican is a better identity indicator for me or not. Unfortunately, most people outside of that world wouldn’t understand anyways but it’s a thought. Afro-Nuyorican, perhaps?
I’m interested though, what are your thoughts? If you want to respond, you can visit my Blog Archive to leave a comment.
As for today, I’m reaching a brain block and I can feel it so…
Thalia, out. ✌️
