Madeline SchwartzLatinos in New York or New Yoricans
August 27th 2011 01:12
Latino is present in the unconfined energy and beat of "Latin" music, as it breaks out of windows and store fronts to induce the rhythmic swaying of hips and intricate dance steps. It is the beauty of Spanish, English and Spanglish that is molded in the imagination of our literature and drama. It is found in the street games and sports leagues of neighborhoods where softball, baseball and soccer reign supreme. These all are visible signs of being Latino in New York.
Latino is who goes out of his way to stop in the Bronx to pick up a jug of Mavi -- the ubiquitous drink made from the bark of the Mavi tree -- because it will remind me of my Puerto Rican roots, and a sugar cane stalk for the children so they can understand where they come from. Latino is when an esteemed friend and colleague pulls me aside at a party to explain the secret of making his Cuban black beans, a recipe that goes back several generations. And I attempt to duplicate it for my own family served alongside an American hamburger.
Latino is when our Puerto Rican Congressional representatives, citizens by birthright, take strong political stands to defend the Dream Act for all Latino and other immigrants. It is the camaraderie of dozens of Puerto Rican and Latin American organizations around New York gathering each year to celebrate their Latino pride in Heritage Day parades. Latino is when we use different names for the same thing, like Mexican salsa and Caribbean sofrito, or Puerto Rican mofongo, Dominican mangu and Cuban Foo-foo, showing both, our individuality and our commonality. And our delight when we discover the differences and similarities in the experience.
Latinos are not monolithic to appreciate the many sides of being Latino is to understand the many sides of being New Yorker.
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