#tatolaviera

[boricuadiaspora]

Tato Laviera (1951-2013)

Tato Laviera was a Nuyorican poet and playwright and part of the Nuyorican Movement. Though born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, he moved to the Lower East Side of New York City with his family at ten years old. 

He began writing poems very young in multiple languages - Spanish, English, and Spanglish. He is well known for his excellent articulation in all three languages, as well as his use of metaphor and rhythm. In a 2012 interview, he “discussed the role linguistic innovation plays in his work, stating, ‘Puerto Rico in particular intertwines Caribbean Black Spanish. We dare to claim it. It is a source of pride and we are not linguistically crippled. My claim to fame is I can experiment, and sound intelligent with my linguistic experiments.’”

His poems addressed themes such as language, cultural identity, and race, particularly in relation to the transnational identities of Puerto Ricans living in the United States. All aspects of his writing were intentional and aided him in his mission to lift up fellow Latinos, particularly Afro-Latinos, with pride and dignity. This sense of Puerto Rican pride and its split sense of identity is seen as a positive in his poem “AmeRícan”. According to Laviera, the importance of his poems are found in the titles. The title of this poem is what he is calling Puerto Ricans living in America. He is choosing to depict this transnational identity which can be jarring and isolating, as something positive and beautiful. 

[spoke9]

my graduation speech | TATO LAVIERA

#TatoLaviera #hispanicheritagemonth2022

-Puerto Rican poet i think in spanish i write in english i want to go back to puerto rico, but i wonder if my kink could live in ponce, mayagüez and carolina tengo las venas aculturadas escribo en spanglish abraham in español abraham in english tato in spanish "taro" in english tonto in both languages how are you? ¿cómo estás? i don't know if i'm coming or si me fui ya si me dicen…

[larespuestamedia]

Tato Laviera 1950-2013 Nuyorican Poeta | Playwright --------------------------------------------- #larespuesta #larespuestamedia #boricua #diaspora #boricuadiaspora #boricuascape #remember #poeta #tatolaviera #playwright #love #respect #neverforget

[boricuadiaspora]

AmeRícan by Tato Laviera

we gave birth to a new generation, AmeRícan, broader than lost gold never touched, hidden inside the puerto rican mountains. we gave birth to a new generation AmeRícan, it includes everything imaginable you-name-it-we-got-it society. we gave birth to a new generation, AmeRícan salutes all folklores, european, indian, black, spanish and anything else compatible: AmeRícan,       singing to composer pedro flores' palm                           trees up high in the universal sky! AmeRícan,       sweet soft spanish danzas gypsies                           moving lyrics la española cascabelling                           presence always singing at our side! AmeRícan,       beating jíbaro modern troubadours                           crying guitars romantic continental                           bolero love songs! AmeRícan,       across forth and across back                           back across and forth back                           forth across and back and forth                           our trips are walking bridges!                           it all dissolved into itself, an attempt                           was truly made, the attempt was truly                           absorbed, digested, we spit out                           the poison, we spit out in malice,                           we stand, affirmative in action,                           to reproduce a broader answer to the                           marginality that gobbled us up abruptly! AmeRícan,       walking plena-rhythms in new york,                           strutting beautifully alert, alive                           many turning eyes wondering,                           admiring! AmeRícan,       defining myself my own way any way many                           many ways Am e Rícan, with the big R and the                           accent on the í! AmeRícan,       like the soul gliding talk of gospel                           boogie music! AmeRícan,       speaking new words in spanglish tenements,                           fast tongue moving street corner "que                           corta" talk being invented at the insistence                           of a smile! AmeRícan,       abounding inside so many ethnic english                           people, and out of humanity, we blend                           and mix all that is good! AmeRícan,       integrating in new york and defining our                           own destino, our own way of life, AmeRícan,       defining the new america, humane america,                           admired america, loved america, harmonious                           america, the world in peace, our energies                           collectively invested to find other civili-                           zations, to touch God, further and further,                           to dwell in the spirit of divinity! AmeRícan,       yes, for now, for i love this, my second                           land, and i dream to take the accent from                           the altercation, and be proud to call                           myself american, in the u.s. sense of the                           word, AmeRícan, America!