El Boricua – 6in x 8in – Egg Tempera on Panel
Boricua comes from the word Borinquen, the original name of Puerto Rico. Today the word Boricua is used by puerto ricans on the island and on the mainland to express pride in their rich puerto rican heritage and ancestry. As a child I recall many times my father expressing his pride over being from Puerto Rico by wearing shirts, singing songs and proudly flying our flag. This work is about a man, his name is Angel. He happens to be my cousin. In spite of growing up and living on the mainland he retains that sense of pride of where he comes from. This work is about me as well. Living in a culture that is so overtly hispanic yet not puerto rican drives me to identify more with who I am and where I am from. My love for my heritage has gotten stronger as I have been immersed in this culture because it provides a sense of identity and vision. I am boricua, I am puerto rican. As one older gentlemen once quipped in a documentary about being puerto rican on the mainland: “I have a mother her name is Puerto Rico and I love her dearly. I also have an uncle named Uncle Sam. While I owe Uncle Sam alot for what he has given me and taught me, the love my mother comes first.” Yo soy boricua, pa’que tu lo sepas.