Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Class assign #2

Not Neither
Sandra Maria Esteves

Being Puertorriqueña Dominicana
Born in the Bronx, not really jibara
Not really hablando bien
But yet, not Gringa either
Pero ni portorra, pero si portorra too
Pero ni que what am I?
Y que soy, pero con what voice do my lips move?
Rhythms of Rosa wood feet dancing Bomba
Not even here, but here, y Conga
Yet not being, pero soy, and not really
Y somos, y cómo somos?
Bueno, eso si es algo lindo
Algo muy lindo
We defy translation
Ni tengo nombrenameless, we are a whole culture once removed
Lolita alive for twenty-five years
Ni soy, pero soy Puertorriquñea commo ella
Giving blood to the independent star
Daily transfusions into the river of La Sangre Viva.

From Stone on Stone/Piedra Sobre Piedra, edited by Zoe Anglesey. Seattle: Open Hand, 1994. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Class Assignment #1

Pre-Reading questions:
1. What's the difference between a Boricua and a Puerto Rican?
2. How do you think Puerto Ricans identify themselves? (Boricua/Puerto Rican)? WHY?
3. Why are Puerto Ricans called Boricuas? What are the connotations (An idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word) of both (negative and postive)?

HUEN 233 Journals

This will be your online journal. You will make personal comments and reviews of literature and what others write as well. Feel free to express yourself. However, remember there has to be a certain net ettiquette involved with each and every post. If you break the rules, there will be consequences.