#Puerto Rican Independence Party

[ausetkmt]

In the middle of the 20th century, one woman became the face of the movement for Puerto Rican self-determination. Her name was Lolita Lebrón, and in an effort to draw the world's attention to Puerto Rico's colonial subjugation by the United States, she and a handful of men opened fire in the U.S. House of Representatives.

After the United States Capitol was stormed by insurrectionists on January 6th, 2021, Amarilis Rodriguez questioned how long the domestic terrorists would serve in prison, considering that Lebrón and her fellow pro-independence activists served 25 years (after being sentenced to even more.) Will the United States legal system punish insurrection as harshly as it punishes anti-colonialism?

Although Puerto Rico remains a US territory today, the independence movement that Lebrón was a part of has never disappeared. Lolita Lebrón and her collaborators expected to die in the attack, and although five congressmen were wounded, they claimed that they had never intended to kill anyone. This is the story of the 1954 attack on the Capitol and the woman who led it.

Who was Lolita Lebrón?

Lightfoot/Getty Images

Born on November 19th, 1919, Dolores "Lolita" Lebrón Sotomayor was the fifth and final child of a financially insecure family living in Lares, Puerto Rico. Her father tragically died at the age of 42, when Lebrón was a teenager, due to an inability to access sufficient medical care, and their financial situation only worsened afterwards.

Although she may have had some nationalist ideas, during her youth she didn't keep up with politics or activism. But according to Latinas in the United States, although Lebrón didn't take "much notice of Puerto Rico's political situation" while she was growing up, after moving to New York City, she joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party chapter in the early 1940s.

However, one event that is said to have resonated with Lebrón was the Ponce Massacre of 1937, where, according to the Zinn Education Project, 19 Nationalists were massacred by the police and over 200 others were wounded. The Guardian claims that the event "radicalized" Lebrón, but she never explicitly said that herself. Lebrón even claimed that she only ended up knowing about the massacre "because someone came to our house who had lost a relative in it. I had heard about a man named Pedro Albizu Campos but I never knew him personally."

The United States and Puerto Rico

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Before the Spanish colonized Puerto Rico, the island was inhabited by the Taíno, who were a subset of the Arawak people. But after the Spanish invaded in the 15th century, they ended up subjugating the island for almost 300 years. Then in the 1800s, according to National Geographic, the people of Puerto Rico started advocating for self-determination and self-governance.

Although the Spanish ended up allowing the island relatively more autonomy, the United States invaded Puerto Rico on July 25, 1898 during the Spanish-American War. And in the subsequent peace treaty, signed December 1898, the Spanish gave the colony to the United States. According to Boricua Power, almost as soon as the United States took control of Puerto Rico, they started encouraging people from the island to emigrate to the United States, Hawaii, Cuba, and Santo Domingo. The United States government pushed the perception that Puerto Ricans were "a good source of labor," though often the jobs that Puerto Ricans traveled to pursue "didn't live up to expectations and promises." 

Puerto Rican people who'd emigrated frequently protested their unjust working conditions and the devaluation of their labor. However, even cigar makers in New York City, which was an industry that was "the highest-paid, best organized, [and] most independent," found its work rendered "obsolete, unemployed, and poor" by the tobacco employers. During this entire time, Puerto Ricans continued to demand the right to self-governance.

The Gag Law and the Smith Act

Fox Photos/Getty Images

Meanwhile, on the island itself, the United States sought to suppress any and all nationalistic and pro-independence activity. On June 11, 1948, Jesús T. Piñero, a Puerto Rican man appointed governor by the United States, signed a bill into law that would become known as the Ley de la Mordaza, or the Gag Law.

According to War Against All Puerto Ricans, Law 53, as it was known in the legislation, was entirely intended to disrupt the Puerto Rican independence movement. It made it illegal to speak in favor of independence, write in favor of independence, sing a patriotic tune, or even display the Puerto Rican flag, per Mother Jones. The penalty for breaking this law was a fine of $10,000 and/or 10 years' imprisonment. And when the Puerto Rico colonial government adopted the pro-independence flag in 1952, they changed the blue color on the flag to make it more similar to the United States flag, nullifying the flag's symbolism, "whether intended or not."

Some also referred to the Gag Law as "the Little Smith Act" since it resembled the Smith Act from the mainland United States, which had been intended to suppress communist movements. A big component of both of these Acts made it a felony to "advocate for the violent overthrow of the government" or to be associated with such an organization.

The 1950 uprisings in Puerto Rico

Rosskam/Getty Images

Over the course of four days in 1950, there were several uprisings in Puerto Rico that were led and organized by Pedro Albizu Campos, the president of the Nationalist Party. Along with staging uprisings in eight different towns (Arecibo, Jayuya, Mayagüez, Naranjito, Peñuelas, Ponce, San Juan, and Utado), there were attempts to assassinate both Governor Luis Muñoz Marín of Puerto Rico and President Harry S. Truman of the United States.

According to Introduction to Latino Politics in the U.S., the nationalist groups carried the Puerto Rican flag around and in turn were "attacked by U.S. bomber planes from the air and by U.S. artillery on the ground." Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, who were living in the United States, made an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate President Truman at Blair House on November 1st, 1950. In response to the uprisings, President Truman allowed Puerto Rico to hold a referendum over the creation of a new constitution. After it passed, the new constitution was implemented by July 1952.

According to the Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice, Albizu Campos was caught and sentenced to 80 years imprisonment the following year. Although he was pardoned two years later by the governor he tried to assassinate, the pardon was revoked after Lolita Lebrón's attack on the U.S. House of Representatives in 1954.

Lolita Lebrón moves to New York City

Orlando/Getty Images

In the 1940s, Lolita Lebrón moved to New York City and found it difficult to find work. Although she was able to be hired as a seamstress several times, whenever she confronted the discrimination against Puerto Ricans, she was fired. According to Lebrón herself, "After three days of looking for work, getting lost in the trains, walking in the snow, without money for lunch or shelter, I had to deny that I was Puerto Rican in order to have a job."

In response to the prejudice and racism she experienced, Lebrón joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party in 1946 and started promoting both feminist and socialist values within the organization. According to Latina, she soon became incredibly influential in the organization and was promoted to top positions like executive delegate and vice president.

Albizu Campos was the party's president and Lebrón had learned everything she could about its founder. According to The Guardian, the two began to correspond as Lebrón took on more and more responsibility within the organization. And in 1954, Lebrón was asked by Albizu Campos to come up with "strategic targets" for an attack. Lebrón chose the United States Congress as their target.

Deciding to attack Washington, D.C.

Shutterstock

In the new constitution of Puerto Rico, the official name of the island was made Estado Libre Asociado, or Commonwealth of the United States. According to Women on the Edge: Ethnicity and Gender in Short Stories by American Women, although this allowed people in Puerto Rico to elect local political officials, the description of "commonwealth" was "an ambiguous political designation" that kept the island "situated within American politics."

According to CENTRO Journal, as with the Guyana Uprising, the attack on the United States government wasn't "so much an attempt to seize power as it was 'a supreme act of protest to attract the attention of the world to the cause of Puerto Rico's independence.'" The ultimate goal was always to throw off the colonialist yoke, but even the note found in Lolita Lebrón's purse after the attack stated that the attack was "aimed at making the Puerto Rican plea heard throughout the world, as no one seemed to pay attention to the sufferings of her people." She reiterated this statement years later from prison, stating, "Attacking the U.S. in its own heart, its own entrails, was Puerto Rico's last recourse... because the island could not arm itself... and confront the U.S. in a traditional war. We made our war the only way we're able to."

Lolita Lebrón recruited Irving Flores, Rafael Cancel Miranda, and Andres Figueroa Cordero for the mission and on March 1st, 1954, they set out for Washington, D.C.

'¡Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!'

Peter Keegan/Getty Images

On the day that Lebrón, Flores, Cancel Miranda, and Figueroa Cordero traveled from New York City to Washington, D.C. and entered the United States House of Representatives, there were two imperialist topics on the agenda. According to The Young Lords, Puerto Rico was one of the topics, and the other was the Chamizal district between Mexico and Texas, which the United States government didn't want to give back to the Mexican government.

The group waited in the visitor's gallery, and around noon, Lebrón shouted, "¡Que Viva Puerto Rico Libre!" and opened up the Puerto Rican nationalist flag. They all opened fire, firing both into the ceiling and the House floor. Five congressmen were wounded, although no one died in the attack. According to Latina, they had "no intentions of murdering anyone during their attack. Rather, they had prepared to die in their struggle for liberation."

When they were captured, Lolita Lebrón insisted that the men weren't responsible for the attack and that she was the sole instigator, but they were all given lengthy sentences.

And although The Guardian notes "Extraordinary as it seems today, the four Puerto Rican radicals had no difficulty in entering the visitors' gallery of the House of Representatives armed with their Lugers," it was revealed in the attempted coup of 2021 that maybe it's not actually that extraordinary.

Lolita Lebrón's capture and trial

Shutterstock

Lolita Lebrón and her fellow nationalists were captured almost immediately, although one was able to escape briefly before being apprehended. The trial started three months later, lasted 12 days, and on June 16th, 1954, they were all found guilty. According to The New York Times, while Cancel Miranda, Figueroa Cordero, and Flores were sentenced to 25 to 75 years in prison, Lebrón was sentenced to only 16 to 50 years. Since Lebrón had fired at the ceiling rather than the House floor, she was cleared of "assault with intent to kill," which is why she had a lesser sentence.

Although the defense counsel attempted to bring up the question of the nationalist's sanity, even claiming that the "appellants' adherence to an organized minority group in Puerto Rico is said to indicate irrationality," the defendants actively refused an insanity defense. Per the Washington Post, during her trial, Lebrón insisted that she was "being crucified for the freedom of my country." In another trial, an additional six years were added to all the shooters' sentences for "seditious conspiracy."

Lebrón also lost her 12-year-old son during the trial, although no one knew until she was testifying on the stand, and she recounted "what her life had been like with her child and the meaning of his loss."

Continuing to protest in prison

Shutterstock

Lolita Lebrón was imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution for Women in Alderson, West Virginia. According to Latinas in the United States, most of her time in prison was spent writing poetry, praying, sewing uniforms, and advocating for the rights of those imprisoned alongside her.

Helping organize a number of hunger strikes in the prison, Lebrón was furious that "women were intimidated and placed in isolation just to keep them in line." She also "refused to accept the validity of her conviction" and refused to apply for parole unless her fellow nationalists were also going to be freed. Insisting that she wouldn't leave prison for anything less than a presidential pardon, she devoted herself to her religion.

In 1978, Assata Shakur was transferred to Alderson and the two political prisoners crossed paths. They knew of the other's activism and admired one another, and at the moment they met there was an outburst of joy in a traditionally austere place. As their eyes recognized one another in the middle of prison, they called out the other's name in happiness and "hugged and kissed each other." It was an auspicious meeting, since the following year both Shakur and Lebrón left prison, one by escape and the other by pardon, respectively.

President Carter commutes Lolita Lebrón's sentence

Fox Photos/Getty Images

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter started reviewing the cases of the nationalists and pardoned Figueroa Cordero first since he had been diagnosed with cancer. The following year, President Carter also commuted the sentences of Lebrón, Flores, and Cancel Miranda after they had been imprisoned for 25 years.

Although some claim that this pardon came out of the pressure from political circles, academics, and the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico, the Washington Post claims that the pardon was "widely suspected to have been part of a prisoner swap to release CIA agents jailed in Cuba." However, according to Women of Color, in Solidarity, the governor of Puerto Rico at the time, Carlos Romero Barceló, was against the pardon because he claimed that it would "encourage terrorism and undermine public safety."

Although Lolita Lebrón was initially treated as a heroine when she was released from imprisonment, some of her followers abandoned her when they became aware of "her pacifist views and her devotion to the Catholic faith." In her autobiography, Shakur also notes how "anticommunist and antisocialist" Lebrón was at the time of their meeting.

Lolita Lebrón's continued activism

Gerald Lopez-cepero/Getty Images

Out of prison, Lolita Lebrón continued her activism for Puerto Rico's self-determination. According to The Guardian, although she recognized the economic benefits of living under American colonial rule, Lebrón "regarded freedom from foreign interference as more important than material well being."

In 2001, Lebrón was arrested twice during the struggle to remove the U.S. Navy from the island of Vieques, which it was using as a bombing range. She was 81-years-old at the time, and although she served 60 days at one point, their protests were ultimately successful.

According to Radical Women, on March 8th, 2008, she led a protest demanding for Puerto Rico's right to self-determination, saying, "We want everyone to know that in Puerto Rico, we women are fighting for our rights as workers, we are fighting for a healthy environment, for poor and marginalized communities, for the freedom of the political prisoners, the well-being of children, for peace, for the defense of our culture and all the rights they intend to take from us."

The end of Lolita Lebrón's life and her legacy

Kevin Hagen/Getty Images

On August 1st, 2010, Lolita Lebrón died as a result of a respiratory disease. But according to Latina, her legacy continues to be celebrated amongst Puerto Ricans. Her portrait is illustrated in murals across Puerto Rico as well as in neighborhoods in Chicago and New York. According to Maria de Lourdes Santiago, a member of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, Lebrón was "the mother of the independence movement."

Lebrón claimed that she had renounced violence due to her religious convictions, and she maintained the new pledge of nonviolence for the rest of her life. However, Lebrón stated that although she herself would not take up arms, "I acknowledge that the people have a right to use any means available to free themselves."

Although votes for independence in Puerto Rico typically garner up to 5 percent of the vote and statehood accounts for up to 50 percent of the vote, Puerto Rico remains a colony of the United States empire. And Lolita Lebrón never repented for her actions. When released, she said "We didn't do anything that we should regret. Everyone has the right to defend their right to freedom that God gave them."

[what-even-is-thiss]

Hey Roman, just wanted to give you some of the ways we us to talk about people from the US in Spanish. Context: I’m Puerto Rican so this can vary from country to country. Not only that a further disclaimer that I am a supporter of independence for my country and lean very much into some of our more extreme parties on that side so even other Puerto Ricans will have their own ways.

So, in the case of a lot of us who support independence there is a concerted effort to not say Americans or Americanos exactly for what you said, we are all of the Americas. In Spanish you can from estadounidense, to maybe using states (es newyorkino, es floridiano), to gringo which can be anything from a silly name to an insult depending on the tone and context, to yanqui (a Spanish spelling of Yankee) which almost always is said in a derogatory sense (yanqui go home is a big slogan here). In English we don’t have that level of variety, but we try. People will use states, gringo and yanqui in the same ways as Spanish, or will just outright say “people from the US” or similar long winded ways of saying it (US people, in the US, those from/in the US, etc) because its about the principle.

People in the circles I am in politically even say like its a pity that people from the US don’t have a way to talk about themselves and wonder if that plays a role in the identity issues there is of extremists in the US. Like maybe never having something to rally under like the rest of the countries has broken something and now they need to control all the Americas cause they see only themselves as American. It’s one of the best examples of how intricate language is to identity and why here in PR we refuse and have refused any tries to eliminate our Spanish.

Anyways, sorry for this long winded ask that feels like it says nothing. love seeing you work so hard on learning Spanish, it can be a hassle and I say that with all the love I have for it. I’ve been bilingual my whole life (you don’t really have a choice here in PR) and teach English so I know how hard it is to juggle those two particular languages! Sigue adelante y como decimos en Puerto Rico, pa’ atras ni pa’ coger impulso.

I appreciate all of this and I don’t wanna take away from the information that you’re kindly providing to me but I also find it so funny that some people think we don’t have a shared identity as a country just because we call ourselves Americans. That issue that they’re talking about just doesn’t exist in English.

Also personally I see Puerto Ricans as fellow Americans (as in the country) because they are legally so that’s good enough for me but I also understand that issues of identity can be complicated over there.

[bfpnola]

introductory excerpts on COINTELPRO

it came to my awareness that some folks don't know what COINTELPRO is still, so imma drop some excerpts from the wikipedia page. ofc there are a billion other resources you can check out, especially firsthand accounts, but this is always a good place to start! link attached below:

[Note that the embedded link above's photo has the following caption: "COINTELPRO memo proposing a plan to expose the pregnancy of actress Jean Seberg, a financial supporter of the Black Panther Party, hoping to "possibly cause her embarrassment or tarnish her image with the general public". Covert campaigns to publicly discredit activists and destroy their interpersonal relationships were a common tactic used by COINTELPRO agents."]

The Introduction:

COINTELPRO (syllabic abbreviation derived from Counter Intelligence Program; 1956–1971) was a series of covert and illegal[1][2] projects actively conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic American political organizations.[3][4] FBI records show COINTELPRO resources targeted groups and individuals the FBI[5] deemed subversive,[6] including feminist organizations,[7][8] the Communist Party USA,[9] anti–Vietnam War organizers, activists of the civil rights and Black power movements (e.g. Martin Luther King Jr., the Nation of Islam, and the Black Panther Party), environmentalist and animal rights organizations, the American Indian Movement (AIM), Chicano and Mexican-American groups like the Brown Berets and the United Farm Workers, independence movements (including Puerto Rican independence groups such as the Young Lords and the Puerto Rican Socialist Party), a variety of organizations that were part of the broader New Left, and white supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan[10][11] and the far-right group National States' Rights Party.[12]

Methods COINTELPRO Utilized

According to attorney Brian Glick in his book War at Home, the FBI used five main methods during COINTELPRO:

Infiltration: Agents and informers did not merely spy on political activists. Their main purpose was to discredit, disrupt and negatively redirect action. Their very presence served to undermine trust and scare off potential supporters. The FBI and police exploited this fear to smear genuine activists as agents.

Psychological warfare: The FBI and police used a myriad of "dirty tricks" to undermine movements. They planted false media stories and published bogus leaflets and other publications in the name of targeted groups. They forged correspondence, sent anonymous letters, and made anonymous telephone calls. They spread misinformation about meetings and events, set up pseudo movement groups run by government agents, and manipulated or strong-armed parents, employers, landlords, school officials, and others to cause trouble for activists. They used bad-jacketing to create suspicion about targeted activists, sometimes with lethal consequences.[74]

Harassment via the legal system: The FBI and police abused the legal system to harass dissidents and make them appear to be criminals. Officers of the law gave perjured testimony and presented fabricated evidence as a pretext for false arrests and wrongful imprisonment. They discriminatorily enforced tax laws and other government regulations and used conspicuous surveillance, "investigative" interviews, and grand jury subpoenas in an effort to intimidate activists and silence their supporters.[73][75]

Illegal force: The FBI conspired with local police departments to threaten dissidents; to conduct illegal break-ins in order to search dissident homes; and to commit vandalism, assaults, beatings and assassinations.[73] The objective was to frighten or eliminate dissidents and disrupt their movements.

Undermine public opinion: One of the primary ways the FBI targeted organizations was by challenging their reputations in the community and denying them a platform to gain legitimacy. Hoover specifically designed programs to block leaders from "spreading their philosophy publicly or through the communications media". Furthermore, the organization created and controlled negative media meant to undermine black power organizations. For instance, they oversaw the creation of "documentaries" skillfully edited to paint the Black Panther Party as aggressive, and false newspapers that spread misinformation about party members. The ability of the FBI to create distrust within and between revolutionary organizations tainted their public image and weakened chances at unity and public support.[49]

The FBI specifically developed tactics intended to heighten tension and hostility between various factions in the black power movement, for example between the Black Panthers and the US Organization. For instance, the FBI sent a fake letter to the US Organization exposing a supposed Black Panther plot to murder the head of the US Organization, Ron Karenga. They then intensified this by spreading falsely attributed cartoons in the black communities pitting the Black Panther Party against the US Organization.[49] This resulted in numerous deaths, among which were San Diego Black Panther Party members John Huggins, Bunchy Carter and Sylvester Bell.[73] Another example of the FBI's anonymous letter writing campaign is how they turned the Blackstone Rangers head, Jeff Fort, against former ally Fred Hampton, by stating that Hampton had a hit on Fort.[49] They also were instrumental in developing the rift between Black Panther Party leaders Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton, as executed through false letters inciting the two leaders of the Black Panther Party.[49]

...

In order to eliminate black militant leaders whom they considered dangerous, the FBI is believed to have worked with local police departments to target specific individuals,[78] accuse them of crimes they did not commit, suppress exculpatory evidence and falsely incarcerate them. Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, a Black Panther Party leader, was incarcerated for 27 years before a California Superior Court vacated his murder conviction, ultimately freeing him. Appearing before the court, an FBI agent testified that he believed Pratt had been framed, because both the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department knew he had not been in the area at the time the murder occurred.[79][80]

...

In 1969 the FBI special agent in San Francisco wrote Hoover that his investigation of the Black Panther Party had concluded that in his city, at least, the Panthers were primarily engaged in feeding breakfast to children. Hoover fired back a memo implying the agent's career goals would be directly affected by his supplying evidence to support Hoover's view that the Black Panther Party was "a violence-prone organization seeking to overthrow the Government by revolutionary means".[84]

Hoover supported using false claims to attack his political enemies. In one memo he wrote: "Purpose of counterintelligence action is to disrupt the Black Panther Party and it is immaterial whether facts exist to substantiate the charge."[85]

Intended Effects of COINTELPRO

The intended effect of the FBI's COINTELPRO was to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, or otherwise neutralize" groups that the FBI officials believed were "subversive"[58] by instructing FBI field operatives to:[59] 1. Create a negative public image for target groups (for example through surveilling activists and then releasing negative personal information to the public) 2. Break down internal organization by creating conflicts (for example, by having agents exacerbate racial tensions, or send anonymous letters to try to create conflicts) 3. Create dissension between groups (for example, by spreading rumors that other groups were stealing money) 4. Restrict access to public resources (for example, by pressuring non-profit organizations to cut off funding or material support) 5. Restrict the ability to organize protest (for example, through agents promoting violence against police during planning and at protests) 6. Restrict the ability of individuals to participate in group activities (for example, by character assassinations, false arrests, surveillance)

When did they start?

Centralized operations under COINTELPRO officially began in August 1956 with a program designed to "increase factionalism, cause disruption and win defections" inside the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). Tactics included anonymous phone calls, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits, and the creation of documents that would divide the American communist organization internally.[9] An October 1956 memo from Hoover reclassified the FBI's ongoing surveillance of black leaders, including it within COINTELPRO, with the justification that the movement was infiltrated by communists.[31] In 1956, Hoover sent an open letter denouncing Dr. T. R. M. Howard, a civil rights leader, surgeon, and wealthy entrepreneur in Mississippi who had criticized FBI inaction in solving recent murders of George W. Lee, Emmett Till, and other African Americans in the South.[32] When the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an African-American civil rights organization, was founded in 1957, the FBI began to monitor and target the group almost immediately, focusing particularly on Bayard Rustin, Stanley Levison, and eventually Martin Luther King Jr.[33]

How did the news get out about COINTELPRO?

The program was secret until March 8, 1971, when the Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI burgled an FBI field office in Media, Pennsylvania, took several dossiers, and exposed the program by passing this material to news agencies.[1][54] The boxing match known as the Fight of the Century between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in March 1971 provided cover for the activist group to successfully pull off the burglary. Muhammad Ali was a COINTELPRO target because he had joined the Nation of Islam and the anti-war movement.[55] Many news organizations initially refused to immediately publish the information, with the notable exception of The Washington Post. After affirming the reliability of the documents, it published them on the front page (in defiance of the Attorney General's request), prompting other organizations to follow suit. Within the year, Director J. Edgar Hoover declared that the centralized COINTELPRO was over, and that all future counterintelligence operations would be handled case by case.[56][57]

[ruggiezz]

soy yo de nuevo 😎😎 digamos que yo soy una persona muy apegada a su cultura y me encanta el baile y la comida tradicional de mi país: la bomba puertorriqueña y los pasteles puertorriqueños. now, it doesn't have to be puerto rican culture (puede ser de cualquier cultura de latam), that's just an example. but, how would the housewardens react to the reader's culture? maybe they see how much the latino! reader loves their culture and they ask to know more about it ((p.d. i know you don't write for some of the housewardens, so exclude those lol))

— LATINO READER THAT LOVES THEIR CULTURE : twisted wonderland

[synopsis] dormleaders with a latino! reader that loves their culture

[characters] dormleaders (except for vil)

[extra] GRACIAS TUVISTE LA MEJOR IDEA EXISTENTE, also, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina and Peru celebrate their independence this month, so this is perfect for the occasion

★ RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS

You two had private study sessions in his room every week, where he would help you with some lessons you couldn't understand, and in return, you would buy him a slice of a strawberry dessert you found at Sam's. (He didn't really need anything in return, but he wasn't going to say no to a dessert, even if he wasn't meant to eat sweets.)

During one of the study sessions, he noticed you were in a gloomy mood and asked what was the matter.

"Today is my country's independence day, and I haven't done anything to celebrate it."

And with that, it somehow went from a study session where he was teaching you about ancient magic to a study session where you were teaching him about your country's history and how it became independent. It was very 'educational', Riddle would say. You also spoke about how they would celebrate in your country, about the festivals and parties they would hold, and most importantly, about the food. Good, now Riddle was hungry.

He offers to celebrate with you in Ramshackle; he and Trey can help you cook some national desserts if you want, and you can tell them and your friends more about your culture and how they do things where you come from. Just don't make him dance; he'll get embarrassed because he doesn't know the steps (and because Ace will make fun of him), and he is good with just watching you dance. But maybe someday you can both dance alone, together.

★ LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

"Herbivore, what pride flag is that?" He said, pointing at a pin you had of your country's flag that you had attached to your backpack.

This probably went two ways: either you almost died of laughter at his question while he looked extremely confused, or you looked at him dead in the eye with the most serious face ever. Whichever option you chose, you both ended up lying on the bed while you told him stories of your country. You told him about how people back in your world celebrated their independence every year, about the dances, the festivals, and how colorful everything was.

If you didn't know Leona well, you would have thought he was uninterested and was falling asleep, but he was listening. Everything you said was important to him; it didn't matter if it was a small thing, like the fact you found a nickel while walking to the store, or if it was a big thing, like an important achievement, he would remember it. And you talking about your culture wasn't the exception. He hummed in agreement while you talked about this one thing you did back in your country to celebrate your country's independence.

Tell him more—about the food, the celebrations, the music—it doesn't matter; he will listen. Tell him about this really popular artist who's also Latino; tell him more about this 'Chayanne' and his achievements. Even if he doesn't completely understand, he can understand the feeling of being proud of where he comes from.

★ AZUL ASHENGROTTO

Azul invited you to Mostro Lounge with the intention of getting innovative material for a new event that will attract more customers out of the kindness of his heart. He sat you down on a couch in his office and offered you a cup of tea.

"Say, prefect, could you tell me more about your country? Is there any food you particularly like? Something we can make here?"

You see, Azul was expecting this meeting to go like this: He asked. You told him about the food. He wrote it down. Everyone was happy.

What he didn't expect was sitting there two hours later and hearing you ramble about your country's food and the history of it. And he was ACTUALLY INVESTED. This wasn't part of the plan at all.

He wrote down a lot on his notepad; every detail you told him was important for him to "use in Mostro Lounge's new event", but he was just really impressed by how rich your country's culture was.

Weeks later, Azul summoned you to Mostro Lounge, surprising you with dishes you told him about. Jade brought a lot of plates with some desserts, and Floyd brought some mocktails. You were so happy, you even felt like hugging Azul, but ended up being squeezed by Floyd (affectionately), who was also happy to be able to taste new food.

The event was a success, with students praising the new dishes, and Azul decided to keep some of the popular dishes on the menu. But if your favorite one didn't make the cut, he will remember the recipe, and will make it for you from time to time, just don't tell anyone about your 'special treatment'.

"This will be our little secret, okay, prefect?"

★ KALIM AL-ASIM

Not surprisingly, Kalim got sick after taking you on a carpet ride with wet hair. Nights at Scarabia are particularly cold, and even when Jamil warned him not to forget to dry his hair when he showered at night, he ignored it that day out of excitement to see you. He just didn't have enough time to dry it, okay?

His throat ached, and he was sneezing a lot. Jamil was in a bad mood that day, and he had a lot to get done, so he left Kalim in your care on the condition that you both didn't do anything stupid.

You brought a small container to Scarabia that had ointment inside. You had it in the backpack you brought from your world; it was small enough to fit in your palm. Kalim looked in curiosity while you approached his bed and opened it to apply it to him.

"What ointment are you applying to me? It smells like mint." Kalim asked while you rubbed some of the ointment on his chest and neck.

"It's 'Vick Vaporub'; it will make you feel better; this thing can even heal a broken leg."

"FOR REAL??"

You had to explain to him what it was and how your family used it on you when you got sick. Sadly, it couldn't cure a broken leg, but it could alleviate colds. And it did work; Kalim felt better the next day, to Jamil's surprise (and relief).

Kalim ran to Ramshackle after you nursed him back to health with the help of 'Vick', asking more about how people did things back in your country. He was fascinated by your stories, and the way you described the food made him want to taste it so badly. Maybe you two could try and make the food in Scarabia's kitchen? Please teach him! If the food from your country makes you happy, then he wants to try and learn how to make it for you!

★ IDIA SHROUD

You and Idia had this routine where you both always spent the afternoon in his room, either playing videogames, doing homework, or just doing whatever in silence. But on this particular day, Idia was playing this one single-player game while you lay on his bed scrolling through your phone.

Suddenly, an idea popped into your mind. A few months ago, Idia repaired your old phone as a birthday gift, and you had a few episodes of this particular show saved on your phone. You started watching, but you had forgotten your earphones back in Ramshackle, so Idia could hear it too.

"What are you watching? It's so loud..."

"I'm watching 'Caso Cerrado'/'Caso Encerrado'. It's the English dub."

"Why is everyone yelling..? What even is that?"

You explained to Idia how it was this show where a lawyer called Ana María Polo sat in a court and heard cases, where she ended up dictating whether they were guilty or not. Idia disregarded it as a 'normie show' and continued what he was doing, but he ended up hearing the whole episode while playing. It was actually very entertaining to hear while playing.

"Wait, SHE'S PREGNANT with her boyfriend's father? WTF???"

He ended up binge-listening to the whole season while playing. Did your world always make such interesting shows? Tell him more.

Even if history was never his favorite subject, you talking about it was just like listening to a podcast—a very interesting one at least. Your routine now is to go to his room and play some video games while you talk about your country, and Idia occasionally makes a comment. And then repeat it daily.

If you couldn't come to Ignihyde, then you both could have a call, and you could talk while Idia played. Wasn't that a good relationship dynamic? You talked while Idia listened. And you were always so excited to talk to him about you where you and where you came from that he just couldn't help himself but smile (just a little) while hearing you.

★ MALLEUS DRACONIA

"This is for you, Malleus." You said as you pulled one of those blankets you used in the winter. You had found one extremely similar to the ones in your world, and you had bought two. Lately, the weather in Twisted Wonderland has been extremely cold, and Diasomnia wasn't any different.

"Thank you, Child of Man; I will treasure it."

The blanket in question:

AND HE DID TREASURE IT, using it as a blanket on his bed for a week and washing it afterwards to continue using it. It was a gift from his partner after all, much to Sebek's dismay. Silver said it looked really comfy, and he wanted one now too, while Lilia just found it amusing how attached Malleus was to a blanket.

The next day after, you gifted it to him, he appeared on your doorstep with the blanket on his hands, asking to sleep over in Ramshackle with both of your blankets. You told him more about your country and the customs over a cup of hot tea, and he listened attentively to every single thing you said. There was a dessert you liked from your country that you couldn't recreate yourself? Don't worry; he will make sure his private chef back in Briar Valley makes it for you. There's this traditional clothing from your country you want? His tailor will get it done; you don't even have to move a finger, just say the word, and he will have it done.

Hearing you talk about how proud you were of your heritage made him giddy inside over the fact that he had such a passionate partner. Tell him more; he's so invested, especially in the history. The history is the best part.

"I only have one question, child of man. Who is this 'Shakira' you talk so highly about?"

[silent-raven13]

P FKN R!!! 🇵🇷 (Warning Harsh Language!)

Miles is always proud of his Puerto Rican side. Hell, he's the first one in Spider Society to burst out his Boricua music out loud. He wears his flag on his back when there's any Puerto Rican holidays or parades. Hell, he made a special suit with the Puerto Rican flag on it when he felt like showing off his culture, his Pride!

Yet today a racist asshole test him! Miles flew in the air using his venom strike, absorbing energy to give him a boost to do a flip before launching his webs to swing! The 19 year old wore his black, and red suit with the Puerto Rican flag on his chest to his torso.

Miles blasting Bad Bunny song "P FKN R" as he sings out loud as he swings from building to building: Si no sabes de dónde soy, no me ronquen, no -getting pump as he fight a rodder trying to steal from an elderly woman- Si no sabes de dónde soy, eh-eh, (ey) eh-eh, (ey, ey, ey)! -he beats up the robber as he give the purse back to the older woman before going up in the air to look for more crimes-

He sings along to his music: Yo soy de P fuckin' R (hoo)! -bangs his head as he swings- WHOA! Bad Bunny, you know me so well! -he chuckles as he went on a building keeping watch on the City's mainstream. The roads were closed off for Puerto Rican Day parade, he knew he needs to be home early to celebrate with his family. His mom took the day off for this occasion. Little Billie is probably wearing a cute dress with the Puerto Rican flag and her hair with ribbons matching the flag's colors- I should get a closer look to see if everything is good! -he saw the parade is about to start, so he should make sure no hate crimes were gonna be committed-

A familiar voice: Luv, what are you wearing? -Miles turns around to find Hobie standing behind him-

Miles happily smiles underneath his mask to find his boyfriend: OH hey, bae! -he went to hold his partner's hand- I'm glad you came! I thought you would miss today!

Hobie arched his eyebrow being masked: I never missed anything you invited me to. Now, what is this? -he eyes on the flag- A bit too Patriotic?

Miles chuckles giving him a kiss on the cheek with his mask on: Mi amor, it's my Puerto Rican pride.

Hobie: Isn't it a bit much?

Miles pouts: No! I think it's cool! -sounding a bit upset- You don't like it?

Hobie quickly change his statement: I meant, to be devoted to a country... the government, I meant. You know, how I feel about it. -he looks down at the parade seeing massive crowds- Isn't America's way to manipulate Puerto Ricans to appreciate being part of America? When they colonize your country and set up a military base! -he did a quick research on his partner's country and it's history-

Miles understood what he meant: Well, that may be true, but! -he hugs his partner's arm- Look, mi amor! You see how everyone is excited to celebrate being Puerto Rican! It runs in our blood, our pride, our culture is who we are! We may lost too much, hell Puerto Rico never had independence, but we're still here. Still Boricua! Still proud of our flag! It's who we are, and we throw the craziest parties, baby.

Hobie hears the loud music and many families gathering around to celebrate: I guess so.. you know how I am.

Miles: Hey, you're here so you're gonna get the full effect! Come on, let's check around. I know, you may judge America for their crazy ass colonization, but remember, you love protecting POC! There might be racists trying to commit hate crime!

Hobie became alert: Oh! I have no problem beating up a racist! -he grins under his mask, he follows his partner. As they got lower to the parade. The crowds cheers as they saw their Spiderman swinging by-

A random woman: Look! Mira! Mira! Es Spiderman! Boricua Spiderman!

The crowd in the parade cheers playing louder music and getting hype: Spiderman! Spiderman! Te amo!

One guy shouted: He's Puerto Rican?

Miles laughs: Por supuesto que soy puertorriqueño! -as he got low taking a balloon to give a little boy being carried by his mother-

Hobie saw the crowd wearing their flags in outfits, makeup, all sorts to show their pride. He follows Miles through the parade seeing no crime, yet. The music plays outlaid from the parade: Yo soy de P fuckin' R (P fuckin' R) Eh-eh-eh-eh-eh (ah)!

Miles turns around swinging backwards to look at his partner while singing along: Los maliante' con la' R! Prr-prr-prr-prr-prr -he chuckles- Come on, bae! Mejor que la boca cierre, ey Ah-ah-ah-ah

Some of the crowd started to sing or dance getting hype for their parade: Antes que los mío' te entierren (oye) Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh (yeh)

Hobie chuckles: You know what, I get it.

Miles smiles under his mask: I'm glad. You know, my mom made a lot of food so you can try.

Hobie: Yum, I didn't eat just to be prepare. -The two swing side by side-

Miles laughs: She made a lot of food! So you better eat like five plates! Also everyone is coming by for the roof top party! Isn't it exciting! -The loud Bomba music plays as they watch the parade starting having the female dancers following the rhythm of the music. Everyone enjoying the large floats, organizations, and other groups walking as they wave their flags.- Wow, it's bigger than last time!

Hobie saw a small group of men looking a bit suspicious: Aye, luv. Looks like we found a couple of muppets...

Miles looks over seeing them holding up microphones: Huh oh! Let's check it out! -being quick to get over the group-

The hate group had a leader preaching out about God and shouting at the Puerto Ricans: GO back to your countries! This a hate on America! You don't belong here -causing the crowd around to get upset-

A woman speaking in Spanish: No tienes derecho a estar aquí! ¡Estás arruinando el desfile! Déjanos en paz, Puñetas! Pendejos! Mama a tu culos! -some of the other crowd tried to held her back seeing they didn't want the cops to come in or worst stop the parade-

Miles flew down seeing the group of men: Hey fellas, what's going on here?

The hate group scowls at Spiderman's outfit with disgust. The leader had his microphone on: You are an American! You are disrespecting our country's belief! USA! USA!

Miles could only scowl under his mask: Hey man, people are allowed to celebrate where they come from!

The leader kept over talking Spiderman: Your just Spiderman 2! You're not even the real Spiderman! WE WANT SPIDERMAN!

Hobie crosses his arms getting super pissed off. Miles stops him: I got this. -he turns to the group- I kinda suggest you all to leave! Your ruining-

The leader of the hate group: FUCK YOU! GO BACK TO MEXICO! -the crowd behind Miles started to get super mad, almost riling up with anger. The racist insult was enough to cause them to shout back. MEXICO? Miles got mad too. This group is testing him- You and all your Mexican, pals should go back to your country! USA! USA! -the hate group chanted wearing their American flags-

Miles: I'm giving you one chance to apologize to me and my people! Before-

The leader over talks him: Or WHAT? You're gonna hit me? I'm using my first amendment! FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUDDY! YOUR NOT EVEN A REAL SPIDERMAN WITH THAT TACKY FLAG YOU HAVE ON! -The older leader grins widely to pissed off Spiderman-

Hobie took out his guitar: That's it. I'ma beat this bloke! -the crowd behind him agrees-

Miles push him back: NO! We are better than them! -He turns to the group- you left me no choice!

The leader said: Oh yeah! You're nothing but a dirty sp- -Miles quickly uses his webs to shut up the leader then quickly uses his webs to tied the group, then he swing them high on the building-

Miles smiling happily: Ah-ah-Ah! Tsk. Tsk. I give you a chance to apologize and to go home, but since you want to harass me and everyone here. I think I have the right to shut you up! -the crowd cheers out loud as they saw the hate group being web against the building up high. Some took photos and laugh out loud-

Hobie grins widely seeing one of the dumbass racist pissing himself crying about his fear of heights: Wonderful, luv! -He slouches on Miles being a bit handsy with him-

The leader of the group shouted spotting the two Spidermen being a bit too close for his liking: UGH! YOUR NOTHING BUT A FUCKING FAGGOT! UGH, DISGUSTING! YOUR GOING TO HELL TOO!

Miles arched his eyebrow under his mask: Oh yeah? Well -He lift Hobie's mask to reveal his lips, then he lift his own mask to show his lips. A bit of his nose showing his pierced Septum. Then his lips pressed against Hobie's without a care who was watching. When he pulled his lips away then to hide his lower mouth- I RATHER BE A FAGGOT THAN A FUCKING RACIST!

Hobie froze being too in shock by his partner's action, he felt Miles' hand pulling down his mask to hide his mouth. He could've never love any more than he already did- No, he's falling in love with Miles all over again! Miles grab the Pride flag from one of the civilians having to tie it around his neck, flaunting it. Hobie could only awe at his boyfriend.

The crowd cheers having mix reactions from being shock to joy about the scene. Hell, most of their reactions were positive. The hate group were making loud taunts, until Hobie shut their mouths up with his webbing. Then he got close to the leader: Aye, mate. You're lucky if it wasn't me! I would've throw you in the Hudson River and let you all drown! -his voice low and menacing- I'll left you off with a warning, mate. Start another racist shit, and I will fucking kill you myself, huh? -the men looked horrified.- So you will stop this crap and not bother my darling, do you hear? -they all nodded- Good! -he harshly patted the leader's cheek almost slapping him-

Miles shouted: Come on, we gotta patrol some more, bae! -he launched his web shooter causing the to swing as he wave at the crowd-

Hobie follows him seeing the crowd being so happy, they can have a peaceful parade. The hate group being stuck on the building to be made an example of. As they made their rounds, the two got up on a building to watch one last time. Miles being happy by the parade, then he heard Hobie being breathless: I love you, Miles.

Miles being surprised: Huh, what made you say that? -he giggles being so bashful-

Hobie pulls Miles close to him for a close hug: You were amazing! No Spiderman would've done what you did!

Miles: Hahaha are you implying not even you would've stop them racist assholes?

Hobie shook his head: You know, what I mean. You kissing me in front of the crowd? Heh, New York City is gonna go crazy for you being bisexual, Sunflower.

Miles snorted: Pfft, good! Let them know that this bisexual boy issuing their asses! AND HE'S PUERTO RICAN! DOUBLE PUNCHES! -he chuckles- I love you, too Hobie.

Hobie: Can I get another kiss, Brooklyn?

Miles chuckles: Do you have to ask?

Hobie holding his love: Consent is important, luv.

Miles smiles widely: Sure, baby! -The two lift their mask to reveal their lips to kiss again. This time Hobie holds Miles like his special gem, being oh so gentle. The parade being loud and proud as the crowd celebrates their Puerto Rican Day while Yo Soy Boricua, Pa'Que Tu Lo Sepas by Taino plays in the background.-

(Sorry for the harsh language! Was listening to Bad Bunny and saw a post that made me inspired @babyhellboy post and comic photo also another comic post of Hobie Brown saying he rather be a F-word than a Fascist. Hehe, you know his Sunflower is heavily inspired by him😉.)

[clonerightsagenda]

In honor of my nth W359 relisten, here is the breakdown of how I accidentally independently headcanoned most of the characters as Catholic:

Eiffel: He was born in Boston, where Catholics are the largest religious population. I've been told the Lord's Prayer he mumbles is the Protestant version, but that prayer is used a lot in Alcoholics Anonymous, which is probably where he's remembering it from. Perhaps his issues with authority stem in part from having to go to Catholic school.

Minkowski: Her father's surname is Jewish, while her mother is French, where the dominant religion is Catholicism. I envision her as growing up in a mixed household (which I believe is also the case for her VA) but she leans harder into celebrating Christian holidays on the station as part of her attempt to assimilate into white bread apple pie Americanism. After the events of the show I like to think she reconnects more with her Jewish heritage, especially as she could relate to the theme of so many holidays being 'they tried to kill us, they failed, let's eat'.

Hera: Hera quotes St. Augustine, quotes the Bible to Maxwell in Memoria, and says "amen" during the funeral despite never being exposed to religious services. Conclusion? She had Catholicism installed in her to nerf her. Why? Because Pryce is also Catholic. More on that later.

Lovelace: I hc Lovelace as having a Puerto Rican mom. Puerto Rico is heavily Catholic. (Her dad is probably Protestant, but when it came to parents from different denominations choosing which to raise their kid(s) in, my mom won for us, so I shall assume her mom won as well. It's possible she also went to a private Catholic school. She may not have considered herself very religious at the start of her mission, but I think about her leaning on hopes of an afterlife when her crewmates start dying as a scrap of comfort.... only to be forced to contemplate the state of her soul later.

Cutter: It was at this point that I realized I was hcing a whole bunch of the characters as Catholic and decided to lean into it. Luckily for me, he's from Carmel-by-the-sea, which is in fact fairly Catholic due to the presence of a historic Catholic mission. (Did I know this because of a probably Buffy-inspired YA paranormal series I read in high school? Maybe.)

Pryce: Again, was leaning into it at this point, but also it makes sense. She was raised in an orphanage, and a lot of those institutions were run by religious organizations. How many of her problems can be traced back to being raised by nuns. She quotes the Bible to position herself as divine. Why Catholicism specifically? The cannibalism. It's all coming together.

Non-Catholics (Hilbert + the Midwestern Corporate Hit Squad):

Hilbert: Grew up in the USSR. Likely not religious.

Maxwell: Her father was a pastor in Montana, where the biggest Christian denomination is Evangelical. Likely ex-Evangelical. Sorry that happened to you Alana.

Jacobi: His name is Jewish, which is supported by his disdain for office holiday parties and ordering Chinese food on Christmas. Catholics are the dominant religious group in Milwaukee though so he gets to the station and goes ah not this shit again.

Kepler: I do not care about him and thus have not spent much time thinking about him, but probably not religious. When he is trying to turn everyone against Lovelace, he doesn't appeal to religious language while dehumanizing her. There are quite a lot of Catholics in Chicago though so he is also used to them.

What's funny about this is I'm not even Catholic. I did not start out doing this on purpose. Somehow Wolf 359 is a more Catholic podcast than Greater Boston, set in Boston, where the character who talks about religion the most is a Protestant.

[radiofreederry]

Happy birthday, Vito Marcantonio! (December 10, 1902)

A onetime progressive Republican and supporter of New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, Vito Marcantonio represented East Harlem for 14 years in the United States House of Representatives, elected on the ticket of the American Labor Party. Marcantonio rejected both the Democratic and Republican Parties, believing that neither represented the interests of the working class. Supported by the Communist Party as well as organized labor, Marcantonio made the most of his independence within Congress, campaigning fiercely for civil rights and the rights of Puerto Ricans. Broadly popular within his district, Marcantonio frequently ran unopposed due to also winning the Democratic and Republican primaries. It took both parties uniting under a single candidate, as well as the overbearing anticommunist nationalism of the Cold War to finally dislodge Marcantonio in 1950. Investigated by the FBI while a sitting Congressman, Marcantonio was openly sympathetic to the Communist and Socialist Parties and pursued many of their policies while in office. After losing reelection in 1950, he returned to his law practice and died of a heart attack in 1954.

"If it is true that government is of the people and for the people, then it is the duty of government to provide for those, who, through no fault of their own, have been unable to provide for themselves."

[importantwomensbirthdays]

Julia de Burgos

Julia de Burgos was born in 1914 in Carolina, Puerto Rico. In 1938, at the age of 24, de Burgos published her first poetry collection, Poem in Twenty Furrows. She was a supporter of Puerto Rican independence and a member of Puerto Rico's Nationalist Party. Her poetry dealt with colonial violence in her homeland. In 1939, de Burgos published another poetry collection, Song of the Simple Truth, for which she won the Puerto Rican Institute of Literature Award. In 1940, de Burgos left Puerto Rico. She ultimately settled in New York, where she worked as an art and culture editor for Pueblos Hispanos, a progressive newspaper.

Julia de Burgos died in 1953 at the age of 39. Another collection of her poems, The Sea and You, was published posthumously. Today, many cultural centers, parks, and schools are named for her.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that would allow Puerto Rico to hold the first-ever binding referendum on whether to become a state or gain some sort of independence, in a last-ditch effort that stands little chance of passing the Senate.

The bill, which passed 233-191 with some Republican support, would offer voters in the U.S. territory three options: statehood, independence or independence with free association.

“It is crucial to me that any proposal in Congress to decolonize Puerto Rico be informed and led by Puerto Ricans,” said Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which oversees affairs in U.S. territories.

The proposal would commit Congress to accept Puerto Rico into the United States as the 51st state if voters on the island approved it. Voters also could choose outright independence or independence with free association, whose terms would be defined following negotiations over foreign affairs, U.S. citizenship and use of the U.S. dollar.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who has worked on the issue throughout his career, said it was “a long and torturous path” to get the proposal to the House floor.

“For far too long, the people of Puerto Rico have been excluded from the full promise of American democracy and self-determination that our nation has always championed,” the Maryland Democrat said.

After passing the Democrat-controlled House, the bill now goes to a split Senate where it faces a ticking clock before the end of the year and Republican lawmakers who have long opposed statehood.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, traveled to Washington for the vote. “It’s going to be a historic day because it’s going to create a precedent that we hadn’t had until now,” he said.

Members of his party, including Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González, cheered the expected approval of the bill, although reaction in the U.S. territory was largely muted and tinged with frustration since it is expected to be voted down in the Senate.

The proposal of a binding referendum has exasperated many on an island that already has held seven nonbinding referendums on its political status, with no overwhelming majority emerging. The last referendum was held in November 2020, with 53% of votes for statehood and 47% against, with only a little more than half of registered voters participating.

The proposed binding referendum would be the first time that Puerto Rico’s current status as a U.S. commonwealth is not included as an option, a blow to the main opposition Popular Democratic Party, which upholds the status quo.

Pablo José Hernández Rivera, an attorney in Puerto Rico, said approval of the bill by the House would be “inconsequential” like the approval of previous bills in 1998 and 2010.

“We Puerto Ricans are tired of the fact that the New Progressive Party has spent 28 years in Washington spending resources on sterile and undemocratic status projects,” he said.

González, Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress, praised the bill and said it would provide the island with the self-determination it deserves.

“Many of us are not in agreement about how that future should be, but we all accept that the decision should belong to the people of Puerto Rico,” she said.

[gwendolynlerman]

Separatist and irredentist movements in the world

Puerto Rico

Proposed state: Puerto Rico

Region: Puerto Rico, United States

Ethnic group: Puerto Ricans

Goal: independence

Date: 1904

Political parties: Puerto Rican Independence Party

Militant organizations/advocacy groups: Boricua Popular Army, Hostosian National Independence Movement, Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Social Front

Current status: inactive

History

7th-11th centuries - Taíno culture

1493 - arrival of Columbus

1868 - Grito de Lares

1873 - abolishment of slavery

1898 - U.S. invasion

1900 - Foraker Act

1914 - independence vote

1917 - Jones-Shafroth Act

1922 - foundation of the Nationalist Party of Puerto

1946 - creation of the Puerto Rican Independence Party

1952 - Puerto Rico becomes a free associated state

1976 - formation of the Boricua Popular Army

1990 - launch of the Socialist Front

2004 - creation of the Hostosian National Independence Movement

2012 - status referendum

2020 - statehood referendum

Rebellions and revolts in Puerto Rico were already present during the Spanish colonization. The most important one was the Grito de Lares or Lares uprising as a result of an economic crisis. It led to the adoption of the first Puerto Rican flag.

After the 1898 Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico became a U.S. possession as an unincorporated organized territory. Soon after, the Foraker Act allowed some measure of civilian popular government. The 1917 Jones-Shafroth Act granted citizenship to Puerto Ricans born after 1898.

The 2012 referendum posed three alternatives: statehood, independence, or free association. Almost two-thirds voted for statehood, a decision that was confirmed by the 2020 referendum.

Puerto Ricans

There are around 9 million Puerto Ricans, of which only 3.2 million live in Puerto Rico. 6 million additional Puerto Ricans live in the diaspora.

They speak English and Spanish, the two official languages of Puerto Rico. The main religion is Catholicism, but there are Protestant groups as well.

Vocabulary

Ejército Popular Boricua - Boricua Popular Army

Frente Socialista - Socialist Front

Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano - Hostosian National Independence Movement

Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño - Puerto Rican Independence Party

Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico - Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico

puertorriqueño/-a - Puerto Rican

[revolutionarymaoistschicago]

Revolutionary Maoist Coalition of Chicago – Points of Unity

Wordpress | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Linktree

We are an anti-capitalist, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist organization. It is the capitalist system which creates the exploitation, oppression, starvation, and systematic killing of the global working classes. Capitalism has exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic; capitalism keeps people from acquiring adequate healthcare; capitalism creates houselessness; capitalism creates police terror. Maoism is the only revolutionary ideology equipped to dismantle and replace the exploitative system of capitalism.

We are inspired by – and learn from – the concrete experiences of the three world-historic revolutions: the Paris Commune, the Bolshevik Revolution, and the Chinese Revolution; as well as domestic organizations such as the Black Panther Party and the Young Lords Party. In addition to these, we strive to learn lessons from the contemporary Peoples’ Wars and national liberation struggles such as those in the Philippines, India, Peru, Nepal, Turkey, Bangladesh, Palestine, Ireland, and Swaziland to name a few.

We are firmly dedicated to serving our communities and neighborhoods across Chicago by means of free food programs, combating police violence, organizing the masses into tenant unions or neighborhood committees, community gardens, political education, clothing drives, or any other means that match the needs of the oppressed masses.

We are firmly dedicated to the labor struggle and building working class power by means of unionizing our workplaces, as well as aiding and providing solidarity to our fellow workers in their struggles for unionization.

We follow and uphold the mass line. We understand that the masses – and the masses alone – are the makers of history. This means that we must be sure to learn the needs of the masses, and we must organize and mobilize the most advanced sections of them around those needs. Our leaders must come from the masses, and we must be sure to never think we know better than the masses. This principle may be briefly summed up in the formulation of “from the people, to the people”.

We are dedicated to anti-imperialism and revolutionary internationalism. We stand with all people who struggle against neo-colonialism, settler-colonialism, and imperialist domination.

We recognize the struggle of all oppressed nationalities in the United States including the Black/New Afrikan nation, the Chicano nation and other Latinos, Asian Americans, the Hawaiian peoples, Puerto Ricans, Pacic Islanders, Arab Americans, and all indigenous nations on whose land we occupy, with a particular focus on the indigenous nations which continue to live on the land called Chicago which includes the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, and Illinois Nations. We recognize the United States as a settler-colonial project and view the country as a prison house of nations. RMC-CHI recognizes and is rmly committed to the national self-determination of these peoples and their liberation from settler-colonial capitalist oppression including through return of occupied land, national independence and land back. This must be achieved by organizing the nationally oppressed masses into revolutionary multinational organizations as well as the formation of revolutionary national liberation organizations which will allow for the oppressed nations to simultaneously organize in their own self-interest and self-defense.

We embrace revolutionary proletarian feminism. We are dedicated to the liberation of working and oppressed women – socially, politically, and economically – from patriarchy and capitalism. RMC-CHI emphatically rejects any and all manifestations of male chauvinism. The liberation of women must be achieved by organizing working class and oppressed women into broad revolutionary communist organizations as well as the formation of women’s organizations/committees which will allow for women to simultaneously organize in their own self-interest and self-defense.

We are dedicated to the liberation of all LGBTQ2S people from patriarchal cisgender-heterosexual power structures. We must unite the struggle for queer liberation with the struggle for national self-determination, women’s liberation, and communism. This must be achieved by organizing working class and oppressed queer people into broad revolutionary communist organizations as well as the formation of queer organizations/committees which will allow for the LGBTQ2S community to simultaneously organize in their own self-interest and self-defense.

We are dedicated to the liberation of all disabled and neurodivergent people from oppressive power structures. Neurodivergent and disabled people make many valuable contributions to our society and are cherished members of our class. The struggle for disabled and neurodivergent people must be linked with the struggles for national self-determination and socialism. The liberation of disabled and neurodivergent people must be achieved by organizing disabled and neurodivergent people into broad revolutionary communist organizations as well as the formation of organizations specifically for disabled and neurodivergent people which will allow them to simultaneously organize in their own self-interest and self-defense.

We recognize the need for revolutionary self-defense. The settler-colonial capitalist system reinforces itself by means of violence using the pig police and their fascistic brown-shirt enforcers (the Klan, Proud Boys, and other reactionary organizations/individuals). Colonized, patriarchy-affected, disabled, and poor people are particularly subject to the horric violence of the capitalist-imperialist system. It is necessary to defend ourselves and our communities against this violence, by any means necessary. In this vein, we encourage our members and the masses to train in both unarmed and armed self-defense, and to utilize such training in the defense of oppressed people whenever necessary.

We recognize the revolutionary potential of the lumpen/proletariat. We reject the notion that this strata of the popular masses do not have a strong vested class-interest in proletarian socialism and that they will not play a major part in a revolution in this country. Much like the Bolshevik and Chinese Red Armies had to win the peasantry of their countries to the side of revolutionary socialism, so do we have to form a close class alliance with the lumpen/proletariat in order to make revolution here.

We recognize the revolutionary potential of the so-called United States. We believe that revolution for the working and oppressed masses can be fought and won, and that the imperialist, settler-colonial project of the US can be entirely dismantled. All of our political education, agitation, and organization are means to this end.

We recognize the need for the formation of a Maoist Communist Party. Although we are not a party formation, we understand that no revolution can be won without the leadership of a vanguard party armed with the ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. It is our hope that through the experience and theories learned from work within our revolutionary mass organization that the most politically advanced members among us will develop further and eventually be able to constitute a Maoist Party which is capable of toppling the capitalist-imperialist system.

[trascapades]

📷📚 #ArtIsAWeapon Reposted from @schomburgcenter #HappyHeavenlyBirthday to our founder #ArturoSchomburg who was born #onthisday, January 24 [in 1874]. To join us for our annual lecture and conversation at 6:30 PM this evening, click on the link in our bio. We will have a pop-up display starting at 12 noon. #Didyouknow Mr. Schomburg is widely associated with the word Afroborinqueño—a person who is Black and Puerto Rican. Mr. Schomburg celebrated both of his heritages and frequently used the word to describe himself. Journalist Gustavo E. Urrutia used the term in a 1936 column about Mr. Schomburg for El Diario De la Marina. Researchers can read the column from the newspaper on microfilm. Our Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division holds the Arthur Alfonso Schomburg Papers. Our Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division has the correspondence on microfilm. • Reposted from @nmaahc #OnThisDay in 1874, #ArturoAlfonsoSchomburg was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Inspired by Latino revolutionaries, Schomburg became an influential an advocate for #PuertoRicanindependence and #Blackliberation. After arriving in New York in 1891, he joined Los Independientes, an organization dedicated to advocating for Puerto Rican independence. Schomburg's interests shifted during the 1890s amid rising racial tension and the disbanding of the Cuban Revolutionary Party. After visiting the South and being confronted for the first time with the inequalities of our nation’s Jim Crow society, Schomburg took an interest in learning more about U.S. history. He collected and read books and manuscripts, co-founded the “Negro Society for Historical Research,” and joined the #AmericanNegroAcademy. Throughout the years, Schomburg amassed a personal collection of over 10,000 books, manuscripts, artifacts, and pamphlets. The New York Public Library purchased Schomburg's collection in 1926, forming the core of what is today known as the @schomburgcenter for Research in Black Culture, a division of the New York Public Library. #Afroborinqueño #NYPublicLibrary #SchomburgCenter #HarlemRenaissance #APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory (at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzdjNlObUT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lboogie1906]

Lolita Lebrón (born Dolores Lebrón Sotomayor on November 19, 1919 – August 1, 2010) was a Puerto Rican nationalist who was convicted of attempted murder and other crimes after carrying out an armed attack on the US Capitol in 1954, which resulted in the wounding of five members of Congress. She was released from prison in 1979 after being granted clemency by President Jimmy Carter. She was born and raised in Lares, Puerto Rico, where she joined the Puerto Rican Liberal Party. In 1941, she migrated to New York City, where she joined the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, gaining influence within the party's leadership. In the early 1950s, the Nationalist Party began a series of revolutionary actions, including the 1950 Jayuya Uprising against American presence on the island. They conducted these attacks to protest the false and misleading claims by the US government and Luis Muñoz Marín that Puerto Rico would no longer be dominated by the US. As part of this initiative, Pedro Albizu Campos ordered her to organize attacks in the US, focusing on locations that were "the most strategic to the enemy." She led a group of nationalists that attacked the House of Representatives in 1954. She was convicted, found guilty, and incarcerated as a result. She remained imprisoned for 25 years, until 1979 when Jimmy Carter issued commutations to the group involved in the attack. After their release in 1979, the group returned to Puerto Rico, where supporters of Puerto Rican independence received them warmly. She continued her involvement in pro-independence activities, including protesting the existence of a US Navy base at Vieques. Her life would be detailed in books and a documentary. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/ClJXkBqr9jf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[novumtimes]

Puerto Rico Governor Loses Primary to Former Ally

Gov. Pedro R. Pierluisi of Puerto Rico lost his bid for a second term on Sunday, suffering a rare defeat by a sitting governor on the island after a rancorous primary. Mr. Pierluisi was defeated by Representative Jenniffer González-Colón, Puerto Rico’s nonvoting member of Congress, in the primary for the governing New Progressive Party, which supports Puerto Rican statehood, The Associated Press reported. Four years ago, Mr. Pierluisi and Ms. González-Colón ran as allies on the same ticket, promising unity after a tumultuous period that included the resignation of a former New Progressive governor. But in challenging Mr. Pierluisi, her former ally, Ms. González-Colón cast his administration as out of touch and ineffective. Puerto Rican politics do not neatly align with partisan politics in the mainland. While Mr. Pierluisi and Ms. González-Colón both belong to the pro-statehood party, Mr. Pierluisi is a Democrat and Ms. González-Colón is a Republican. In the other primary held on Sunday, for the Popular Democratic Party, which supports the island’s existing status as a U.S. territory, State Representative Jesús Manuel Ortiz defeated State Senator Juan Zaragoza by a wide margin. The general election will be held Nov. 5. Puerto Rico has been rebuilding its tenuous economy after the severe blows caused by a financial crisis, a bankruptcy, Hurricane Maria and the coronavirus pandemic. But many Puerto Ricans remain deeply frustrated by power outages, a housing crisis and the high cost of living — as well as by the slow pace of reconstruction after Maria, a Category 4 storm that devastated the Caribbean island in 2017. In the wake of so much upheaval, Puerto Rico’s politics have started to shift, with the island’s long-dominant New Progressive and Popular Democratic parties facing growing support for newer, smaller parties that are less concerned with the defining question of Puerto Rico’s political status. In Puerto Rico’s last election, in 2020, one of those newer parties, the Citizen Victory Movement, whose leaders pledged to focus on solving economic and social problems, drew many younger voters. Another newer party, Project Dignity, whose candidates ran on right-wing social issues, attracted Christian conservatives. Before this year’s election, the Citizen Victory Movement formed an alliance with the Puerto Rican Independence Party, one of the island’s smaller parties. Their candidate for governor is Juan Dalmau, a former state senator. Mr. Pierluisi was elected in 2020, having defeated his successor, Gov. Wanda Vázquez, also a New Progressive, in a primary that year. Ms. Vázquez had become governor under unusual circumstances, after former Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló, a New Progressive, resigned after huge protests in 2019. The demonstrations began after the leaking of private messages in which Mr. Rosselló and his closest aides insulted Puerto Ricans. Mr. Rosselló chose Mr. Pierluisi to succeed him, but the Puerto Rico Supreme Court ruled that the appointment was improper. In the interim, Mr. Pierluisi was the de facto governor for five days. During the campaign this year, Mr. Pierluisi pointed to achievements from his first term, such as economic improvements and projects that were completed or now underway. Ms. González-Colón, however, condemned public corruption, which has long plagued Puerto Rican governments, and harnessed people’s anger over day-to-day pocketbook issues. Source link via The Novum Times