Monday, February 26, 2007

Solid As A Rock

I wrote this piece on January, 20th, 1998 during my time at SUNY Old Westbury. It is dedicated to one of the most special people I have ever met in my lifetime...Alexandra Mane. Me and Alex ran the new student experience dorm (named after Martin Luther King Jr.) alone during a time when we were understaffed. The challenges we encountered individually and collectively that year inspired many writings...but none as special as this piece. Alex...I still remember many of our talks and our commitments to overcome them...and based on where we both are today...I can honestly say we succeeded.

You are far away but I keep you close to my heart always...
I miss you!

- The Jibaro formally known as Rico



Solid As A Rock

She is
Solid as a rock
She stands proudly
Like a sculptors raw material waiting to be shaped
her destiny has yet to unfold but destined for greatness


She is Solida
Solid as a rock...
She stood strong in the storm of spring 96 alongside 3 of her peers, struggling for excellence as they took womanhood to another level.

Solid as a rock...
Not like the type that gets cast to destroy
The kind that serves as a foundation
One that builds
She stands on a pedestal founded by her strong ancestry
Passed from genertation to generation

Solid as a rock...
Solid as in strength and courage

I know she would let me rest on her shoulders if troublked waters should overcome me
She would not let me drown

She is...
Solid as a rock...
And a monument to her family, friends, heritage and those she chose to bond with in Hermandad.
She has stayed strong although many have tried to chisel her to rubble, so that they can walk over her and celebrate her demise
But there is no chisel strong enough
She stills stands strong

Solida as a rock...
And she is only getting stronger.


George "Urban Jibaro" Torres
© All Rights Reserved
1998-2006Sofrito For Your Soul Media

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Latina Lista: Should Military Recruiters Target Gang-Risk Latino Teens?

Should Military Recruiters Target Gang-Risk Latino Teens?

The answer to the title of this post sounds like it should be a no-brainer but with the Army under pressure to meet its quota to help with the additional troops President Bush has decided is needed in Iraq, a second look must be given as to whether the Army, and possibly other branches of the military, are making promises to at-risk kids that either don't live up to the hype or are just not the only available option.

Read the complete post at
Latina Lista: Should Military Recruiters Target Gang-Risk Latino Teens?

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Sofrito is back baby!!!!

Ok...I finally put up the site with a few articles just to test it a lil bit...I have some close friends and supporters giving me feedback as to how it looks and all that good stuff. I still have to add in some advertisers and friends that have supported me throughout the 10 years of existence...all in good time.

Take a peek and let me know what you think....

As I am...
George Torres
The Urban Jibaro

Saturday, February 3, 2007

Season's Change, things change

So I woke up yesterday to the local news covering the annual Ground Hog Day event in Pennsylvania in which we await prediction from Punxsutawney Phil based on whether he sees his shadow or not. So he comes out and does not see his shadow, which means that we will have an early spring...and I am thinking to myself, Esta rata esta endrogao, winter just started last week in NY. Then later in the afternoon I see that Central Florida (not far from where my family lives) got hit by some major tornadoes that claimed over 19 lives...tornadoes in Florida? We are in for some big surprises in the near future...I gotta look a little deeper into this Global Warming Theory...anyone ready for a blizzard in July?

I say all that to say that things change...and that holds true to what is currently happening with SofritoForYourSoul.com. As you already know, I made a decision to take it down in January in order to make some enhancements. After much research and consulting with people who have followed the site over the years I have decided to take the website to Blog platform. One of the biggest sacrifices I had to make is the the way the site looks. I have enjoyed building and designing the site since day one because I believed that it enhanced the "sofrito experience". Although that may hold true for many people like Pvt. Gonzalez stationed out in the Middle East that uses the site to connect with his heritage, most people that visit the site decided that it was more important to get more information, faster and with RSS syndication, the possibilities are endless.

So, in a nutshell, the blog takes care of all the technology which in turn will free my time to be able to add more substance to the site. In addition, the RSS syndication will allow us to reach 5 to 10 times the people we have been able to reach in the past. I am currently in BLOG BOOTCAMP, training on how to use this new platform, getting everything ready for a February 14th launch date. And in case you were wondering I will be archiving a lot of the old stuff that was not time relevant. I am excited about these changes especially since they incorporate the platform needed for some new endeavours we will be exploring.

So mi gente...the news of our end were greatly exaggerated...we have only begun to feed your souls with the best of Latino culture.

Buen Provecho!!!!

As I am,
George Torres
The Urban Jibaro

Monday, January 29, 2007

The Jibarito Sandwich


Familia...

Last year I had an opportunity to go to Chicago on business and my friend Dulce Ramos...from the infamous Pump Room Boutique took me to lunch. She kept asking me if I ever had a Jibarito sandwich...and it was buggin me because I actually lived a great portion of my life in Puerto Rico...so with my head hung in embarrassment I said "no, what is that?". It turns out a restaurant called La Borinquena created this decious delicacy that is one of the most popular sandwiches in Chicago. Dulce explained that it was a chicken sandwich with lettuce tomato and cheese...with tostones instead of bread with a little garlic drizzed on the top.

I am hooked on them and now make them at home all the time so I thought that I would once again share this recipe for those of you that may have missed it last time around.

Buen Provecho... here is the recipe!!!!

BORINQUEN JIBARITO SANDWICH
Source: Julia

The Puerto Rican style jibarito (pronounced hee-bah-ree-to) sandwich was created at the Borinquen Restaurant in Chicago by owner Juan "Peter" Figueroa. Here's my take on making his famous jibarito at home. The plantain "bread slices" for this sandwich are most easily made if you have a large deep fryer, but it can also be done in a deep skillet with oil. I originally saw this made on FoodTV's "Roker on the Road" (episode "On a Roll"). According to the Borinquen website, these sandwiches are known as "emparedado de platano" in Puerto Rico.



1 large green plantain, peeled and sliced lengthwise and in half (4 pieces)
oil (for deep frying)
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1-2 pinch cayenne or dried chipotle powder, to taste
6 ounces shaved shoulder steak (or other tender cut such as flank, or thinly sliced chicken breast meat)
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 slices American cheese
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
romaine lettuce
thinly sliced tomatoes or roasted red peppers
1 teaspoon melted butter
1/4 teaspoon roasted minced garlic

2 servings 2 sandwiches

(Also, you will need 2 heavy cutting boards - rectangular ones work better with the shape of the plantain).

Heat oil, then fry the peeled and sliced plantain for 1 minute.

Remove plantain from oil, place on a heavy cutting board (if wooden, wrap board in plastic first, which will assist in the spreading of the softened plantain), top with another cutting board, and flatten the plantain between them.

Fry the now-flattened plantain in the oil again, until outside is golden and crispy; remove from oil, set aside on paper towels to blot oil, and keep warm.

Over medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil together, then sauté the onions until just becoming soft.

Add the garlic, cumin, and cayenne (to taste), stir well, then add the meat slices and sauté until browned; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread mayonnaise on bottom slice of flattened fried plantain, lay down 2 slices of American cheese, then the meat and onions. Top with lettuce and thinly sliced tomato (or roasted red pepper), then the remaining plantain top.
Combine 1 teaspoon melted butter with 1/4 teaspoon roasted minced garlic, then brush the top plantain slice with the butter garlic mixture.

Repeat steps to make another sandwich.

Serve completed sandwiches with Arroz Con Gandules (Yellow Rice With Pigeon Peas).

Jibaritos can also made with other combinations of roast pork, white or dark chicken meat, vegetables or ham - don't be afraid to experiment.


As I am,

George Torres

The UrbanJibaro

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Poem: Thinking in Espanglish

Reventando my words...
Pa que tu oigas in my idioma

Raising my bandera alto
Porque compai, this is no broma

I speak breathe and bleed boricua
And I stand tall despite mi altura

Mis ojos tu lo vez blue
pero gringo no soy
Mi soul es taino y pa' mi isla voy

I have viajado from brooklyn all the way to bayamon
Slammin mis palabras to hip hop or to a sweet isla son.

Y cuando I am done...quiero oir the dulce song of my coqui...
Porque pase lo que pase...
Yo vivo and I will die aqui!

As I am,

George Torres
The Urban Jibaro
© All Rights Reserved 1999-2007

Poem: Last night...


Last night I dreamt I was a reggaeton song...

And with every heartbeat was the thump of a drum beat...

It was'nt just any song...but the hottest song.

Mira como mi barrio se mueve...as I exhale rythm.

Last night I dreamt I was a reggaeton song...

A song that takes the old and new...revolutionary thoughts that pay homage to the our raices indigenas...

That scream praises to our raices africanas to those who listen but simply want to be Hispanic...

but pana...spain can't jam like this.

Last night I dreamt I was a reggaeton song...

A song of truth...a song of hope...the youth is speaking...

The connections being made...

you can't change and still be the same.

As I am,
George Torres
The Urban Jibaro

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Who is ugly now?

I have been wondering how long it will be before I started blogging about one of my secret guilty pleasures...but based on last night's events I have no choice but to really delve in this topic...because it is what I do.


As many of you know Honduran-American actress America Ferrera recieved the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy...an amazing accomplishment for a Latina playing in a Prime Time Comedy in it's first season. The show, Ugly Betty is an adaptation of the infamous Colombian Tele-Novela "Yo Soy Betty La Fea". When she recieved the award she was a far cry from the character she plays on the show...but still not quite what society has established as the standard of what beauty is in Hollywood or even in this country. She looked amazing in a gown that showed off her curves and challenges traditional beliefs of how true beauty is defined.


The actress acknowledged The Golden Globes for recognizing that the show inspires many women who watch the show by conveying the message that "beauty lies deeper than what we see". Producers Salma Hayek and Silvia Horta have really shaped this project to be a show that represents latinos without having to be a Latino show. America is proud of what she represents...real girls that she meets everyday and she is aware that her portrayal really raises the bar as she assumes the role of a major player in prime time television. "for a Latina to be out there in a main stream way, without a banner on her head, is a true success and a step forward" Ferrera said.


I agree...and I will be checking for you and for the record...I will never call you the F word.


As I am,
George Torres
The Urban Jibaro



"America's Ferrera's fan since Real Women Have Curves!!!!"


Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Kids gone wild?

Mira Familia...

My cousin Jazzy just came back from Puerto Rico raving about the hottest new Reggaeton artist to hit the discotecas...and no it is not Archangel and Jowell or even Rakim and Ken Y. It is Miguelito...a kid who is clearly around 8 years old with grown scantily clad women doing the Iris Chacon (did I just show my age?) booty dance...and get this...he is talking about mami montala!!!

Now kids singing Reggaeton is not new...Urban Box Office has a project called Reggaeton Ninos in which the children performing hot songs (orginally sung by the likes of Daddy Yankee, Don Omar and others) are actually cleaned up and family friendly. As a Boricua raised in Puerto Rico knowing what a lot of the slang means (not to mention as a parent), I can really appreciate that because we do not need our young kids trying to "montar" each other...asi empezo mama y papa.

So I have included the video here and I really want to hear your feedback...hit me up at SofritoMediaGroup@gmail.com

For more info on the family friendly Reggaeton Ninos....click here

Monday, January 15, 2007

Que jodienda...se acabo la Parranda!



No more coquito?... Se jodio la parranda!

I am back...and the Parranda was great. What is better than a traditional Reyes celebration complete with great music, lots of family, coquito, pasteles and pernil?I dont know...pero si tu sabe me avisas.



The biggest gift I could have ever recieved was spending this Los Reyes with my family in Florida...I only wish we could have all been there at the same time.

Thank you Minnie and Tito for adding your voices to one of the most beautiful memories ever!!!





To Mama and Mommy, You guys keep giving me health advice...want me to drop a few pounds...so why do you keep feeding me that great food!!!?





Special Thanks...(in no particular order)


To my baby cousin Crystal (Tanto), Luis (Ta'To) Castillo, Anicia, Giselle, Titi Lissy (aka Bambi Dee), Steve, Anthony (yo...38, when is the album droppin?), Jannelle, Analyce, Titi Nanny, Cousin Tiffany, Cousin Jazzy, Titi Bibi, Cousin Boobie (have you heard about Rakim y Ken Y?), Uncle Paul, Uncle Reinaldo, Titi Luz, Cousin Ronny, Jose, Cousin Wendy, Danny, Xavier, Isabella and last but definately not least...




Last but not least, Luis Raul Ortiz...aka the infamous DJ Flip
for being the best baby brother a dude can have.



Shout out to Rumba 103 in Central Florida and all the folks at Salsa Latina down in Kissimmee for making a Jibaro feel at home!!!


To my dad Jorge Luis Torres Senior...I feel your hands on my shoulders and you have not been forgotten.

To Papa...I look up at the stars every chance I get just to let you know that I am thinking of you.

To Carlos...Man you see it all...you know the struggle, I cant believe its been 2o years.


Gracias...
As I am,
George Luis Torres
"Hijo de Carmen, Nieto de Gloria"
You know me as the Urban Jibaro....



Tio...Don't go...relax...sit down!!!!

Thursday, January 4, 2007

El Día de los Reyes

Bueno familia...in a few short hours I will be jumping on a JetBlue flight from JFK to St. Cloud Florida to celebrate El Día de los Reyes the way it should be...with pernil, coquito, parrandas and most of my family.

I am looking so forward to this, even though I will miss the Museo De Barrio event that has kept this celebration in my heart since I left Bayamon...I will enjoy the opportunity to do it the way they do in Florida, from what I heard it is the closest you can get to a true boricua parranda.

I went to Wikipedia to get this information for those who are not familiar with Los Reyes and how it is celebrated in different countries...Buen Provecho....

and the painting depicting Gaspar, Melchor and Baltazar was painted by one of my favorite figurative artists Don Obed Gómez and you can see as well as purchase his artwork at his website obedart.

Although I will not do regular posts...I just may share some thoughts via blackberry as I enjoy mi Parranda....If you want to write me...do so at SofritoMediaGroup@gmail.com.

Feliz Día de los Reyes!

As I am,
George Torres
The Urban Jibaro


The History of Three Kings Day

In Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and some other Latin American countries Epiphany day is called El Día de los Reyes (The Day of the Kings). The day when a group of Kings or Magi of the Bible arrived to worship and bring three gifts to the baby Jesus after following a star in the heavens. This day is sometimes known as the Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (The day of the Three Magi) or La Pascua de los Negros (Holy Day of the Blackmen) in Chile, although the latter is rarely heard. In Spanish tradition, on the day of January 6th, three of the Kings: Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthazar, representing Europe, Arabia, and Africa, arrived on horse, camel and elephant, bringing respectively gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus.

In Spain, Argentina, and Uruguay, children (and many adults) polish and leave their shoes ready for the Kings' presents before they go to bed on 5 January. Sweet wine, nibbles, fruit and milk is left for the Kings and their camels. In Mexico, it is traditional for children to leave their shoes out on the evening of January 6, sometimes filling them with hay for the camels, so that the Kings will be generous with their gifts. In Puerto Rico, it is also a tradition for children to fill a box with grass or hay and put it underneath their bed, for the same reasons. This is analogous to children leaving mince pies or cookies and milk out for Father Christmas in Western Europe. In some parts of northern Mexico the shoes are left under the Christmas tree with a letter to the Three Kings. In the afternoon or evening of the same day the ritual of the Rosca de Reyes is shared with family and friends. The Rosca is a type of sweet-bread made with orange blossom, water, and butter; decorated with candied fruit. Baked inside is a small doll representing the baby Jesus. The person who finds the doll in his piece of rosca must throw a party on February 2nd, Candelaria Day, offering tamales and atole (a hot sweet drink thickened with corn flour) to the guests. Notably, in Spain, it is also known as Roscon; made with the same items, however, between the layers of bread, lies different flavoured whipped cream. The 'Jesus' doll evolved into a small toy similar to a Kinder Surprise. The person who gets the toy is then responsible for the purchase of the Roscon the following year.

El Cantante Movie Trailer

Besides my Mom, I do not think anybody is waiting to see this movie more than I am. I will keep it real and say that I did not think much of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony doing this movie together at first. After seeing the trailer...and really recognizing the talent behind my favorite Boricua power couple...I am confident that they will do this justice and the memory of my favorite salsero will be immortalized.

As I am....

Urban Jibaro

Sofrito For Your Soul Closed?

I am overwhelmed by the amount of emails and calls I have gotten over the last two days...NO, we are not closing the site down for good. Thank you so much for noticing...sometimes when you look at the web reports and see the traffic statistics you do not really see the publics appreciation for the website.

We are about to go into our tenth year as a website and it has grown so much that I had to take a step back to take inventory of both our success and our areas of opportunity.Our success is defined in how long we have been doing what we are doing. We went from being a local school poetry website to being a portal of latino cultural information enjoyed by over 25,000 people in more countries than I know existed.

One of the biggest opportunities was to organize the website in a way that would make it easier for users to navigate and find the information they are interested in. We also need to get volunteer editors and further develop our content exchange program with other websites.

Another opportunity was to find a way to offset the costs of the website which have grown considerably over the years. I have tried to keep advertising to a minimum to allow readers to focus on what is important (feeding your soul). I have decided to open to door to sponsorship with organizations that are relevant to our community. I will also be starting a donation drive for anyone who would like to support us via donation.

Thank you again for all of your support...it truly keeps me grounded.

I am heading out to Florida to visit my family and celebrate El Dia De Los Reyes and I promise you when I come back the site will be back up in no time and better than you can ever have imagined.

As I am...
George Torres
The Urban Jibaro

Monday, January 1, 2007

The Last Puerto Rican Indian






Mi Gente...





Para que si no lo sabia....The Last Puerto Rican has not been born. I am very proud to present one of our first supporters as he continues his mission on educating us about the legacy of the Natives of the Americas.





We met back in the mid 90's when I was doing a presentation for an organization I used to work with called Muevete. I was amazed at most of what Bobby was talking about in his presentation because a lot of what he was saying my grandmother "Mama" had already taught me. At the end of that day...I realized that I had met a new friend. When I started the website, Bobby was always there to help me personally in meeting other elders that would help me develop what you have here today in our website.

My most memorable of moments with Bobby is when we were finalizing the print for his second book "Song Of The American Holocaust" we had just heard that the World Trade Center had been attacked...a day that so many of us will never forget. I share all of this with you to say time is precious and you should always look to keep in touch with those who help you grow.
So now we are in El barrio, Bobby has teamed up with
Cemi Press, a subsidiary of GaleriaCemi.com and he has unveiled a brand new book. I am here with him in La Fonda Boricua having some great food and talking about his newest project. I hope you enjoy.
Buen Provecho!

As I am,
George Torres
The Urban Jibaro

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buy The Last Puerto Rican Indian Today Click Here

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UJ - Give us a brief overview of this book.

BG - This book is a collection of verse that reflects on 500 years of accomplishment and great sufferring of the aboriginal people of the Americas, both North and South. I begin with the Tainos but I also examine the histories and and achievements of what the indigenous people of the Americas have endured from 1492 until today...
My first Poem is called "Thank You, Mr. Columbus", my way of saying "some of your heroes are not heroes to us" and for that we must start with Columbus. He was a rapist, a murderer and a thief. Would you believe it if I told you there are more towns and cities named after him than George Washington and Abraham Lincoln? There are more statues of Columbus than of any other other individual in the United States. To Native people, erecting a statue of Columbus is like erecting a statue of Adolph Hitler in Israel.

UJ - Why was it so important to write this book?

BG- I think it is important for me personally, as a part of my mission to raise awareness about indigenous history from our perspective. There is so much misinformation put out there that it is hard for natives and non natives to know what really happenned as well as what is going on today. Many people say the Tainos are extinct, but we are very much alive and very active in the Native American community in NYC, the US and the caribbean. In the NY and Tri-State area most of the Pow Wow's are run by Tainos. I organized the only Native American Pow Wow in the Bronx for 7 years and I have been getting a lot of interest in reviving that project. Another example of misinformation about Native Americans is history books that claim that indigenour people originate from Asia and that we came via the being straits some 25,000 years ago. There are hundreds of tribal nations in the Americas and it is unanimous, they all say that we did not come from any place else...we emerged from this land. Using that as a springboard, I discuss illegal aliens, these "so called illegal aliens" are descendants of people that have been here since the beginning of time but are labeled illegal by folks that have been here less than 100 years.

UJ - Speaking of misconceptions, what do you think is the biggest misconception about Tainos?

BG - I think the biggest misconception is that we no longer exist. In the past few years, extensive
DNA tests have been carried out in Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. These tests indicated that at least 60% of Puerto Rican and Dominicans have Taino DNA. So it has been proven scientifically that we still exist. Our culture is still very much alive, we currently use several hundred Taino words in both everyday English and Spanish. Words like Tabaco, Huracan, Barbacoa and Manatee and I can go on and on. In our spiritual practices, Santeria and Espiritismo use many Taino rituals and customs such as the use of tabaco, spiritual cleansings or despojos and special healing baths like one that uses the crushed bones of a Manatee. In any of the caribbean islands, a lotof our customs are carried out in everyday activities. I understand that there is a film crew traveling the Dominican Republic in places like El Cibao that are documenting the preservation of Taino customes that have been passed down from their anscestors.

UJ - What other books do you recommend for someone looking to find out more about Taino's?

BG - A good book was written by Irving Rouse called "The Tainos : Rise And Decline Of The People Who Greeted Columbus". there is also which was written by a priest of the Dominican Order Bartolome De Las Casas. His book documented many atrocities that were committed a"The Devastation Of The Indies" gainst Tainos. This interview is being conducted at La Fonda Boricua which is only a few short blocks away from El Museo Del Barrio here in NYC and they also have several publications on Tainos that are very useful. be careful when you research Tainos online, you must carefully cross reference to get factual information. If you are from the islands, talk to your parents, grandparents or other elders.

UJ - Touching on the importance of the oral tradition of storytelling, who are the elders you seek out for guidance and knowledge?

BG - When I go to the Pow Wow I always shoot straight to the elders, whether they are Taino or not. I have gotten some great stories from about Borinquen from Cherokee and Seminole elders. A Cherokee elder once told me that Borinquen, before the arrival of Columbus was a spiritual center for Natives throughout the Americas. I also spoke to a Seminole elder that told me when Columbus invaded the islands, many Taino settled in Florida and intermarried with tribes there. So I when I travel the Pow Wow circuit or lecturing at Universities, many natives approach me and relate stories about Tainos. The Last time I visited Puerto Rico, I ventured to the countryside by the mountains I was told many stories by the old folks there. What is important to me is whenever I speak to an elder, to follow the tradition of asking permission to relate and share therse stories. I do this because at times it is important for certain stories to remain amongst ourselves so that the words are not distorted.

UJ - Are there any conferences that explore topics relevent to today's Native American?
BG - There are a number of conferences and organizations. The National Congress of American Indians is probably the most prominent. However, many of these conferences and meetings are not open to the public. We are in a time that Natives from North, Central and South America are getting together to explore these topics and some feel that those in power are afraid of them organizing. So the answer is yes...there are meetings, but some may be private based on the subject matter being discussed. It is really a matter of survival, most Natives are against policies like free trade agreements because they feel that they exploit poor indigenous folks and deprive them of a decent working wage. Also, keep in mind that Native folks are very traditional and do not practice christianity, which has been percieved as a threat to the insitution of Christianity. Even the page on this book stating that it is condemed by the US Department Of Homeland Security has had it's ramifications. I approached someone at the Museum of the American Indian about carrying the book and they said to me "who do you think runs this place?". I have an issue with Homeland Security, when I was in South Dakota, I was told that under the guise of Homeland Security, sacred bundles and medicine pipes are confiscated in raids. There is a lot you wont read in the newspapers or see on CNN.

UJ - Have you heard the conspiracy about Mexicans trying to reconquer the US to reclaim their stolen land?

BG - Racisim is coming to the surface now, Some people are afraid that that the United States will lose their Anglo Protestant ethic. Times change, countries change... A Navajo elder once told me " Bobby, we were here a thousand years before there was a United States, and we will be here a thousand years after it's gone."

UJ - How do you want to be remembered?

BG - I want to be remembered as the native Johnny Appleseed, traveling all over the world dropping seeds of knowledge. That would be my reward for doing my part in raising awareness and empowering people with the pride of knowing who they are and where they come from. I just started realizing how long I have been doing this when a young lady approached me at Syracuse University to compliment the lecture and then told me her mother had seen me when she was in college. Time flys but the journey has been gratifying.

UJ - What exactly is your repetoire of lectures and workshops?
BG - I speak on various themes, there are just a few...
Red, Black and Brown: The Native American,African and Latino Connection.
Columbus, The Pilgrims and Other Terrorists.
The Native American Heritage of Latinos,
Exploring Cultural Diversity in Native America
The Taino: the Native Americans Who Discovered Columbus
The Indigenous History of Latin America,
The American Holocaust: Columbus to Chiapas
Poetry Readings and Children Storytelling

UJ - Any last words for the the person out there right now curious about their heritage?

BG - Guakia Taino, Guakia Yahabo (We are Taino, we are still here)


The Last Puerto Rican IndianBy Bobby Gonzalez
A collection of Dangerous Poetry that pays homage to our Taino ancestors and our living brothers and sisters....