Puerto Rico News

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Orlando Cruz Wins First Boxing Match Post-Coming Out!

Written by Instinct Staff | Sunday, 21 October 2012

With the entire boxing world watching, Orlando Cruz was victorious on Friday in his first boxing match since coming out as a gay man!
He won the bout in a unanimous decision: 118-110, 116-111, 118-110
He reacts after the jump!
"That was my moment, my opportunity, my event. And I won." Cruz said Friday night according to The Associated Press.
Cruz received a lot of public support and it didn't go unnoticed by the boxer. He said, "I was very happy that they respect me. That's what I want -- them to see me as a boxer, as an athlete and as a man in every sense of the word."
His opponent, Jorge Pazos was also complimentary, saying: "He's a boxer who moves too much, he knows how to box and he has good legs. I couldn't get him."
Cruz has his sights set on the world championship. "This fight's going to open my door for a world title fight," he said. "That's my dream, my mom's dream, my community's dream and my team's."
Asked about his new position as a gay role model, Cruz said, "I'm only one person. I feel happy with where I am. I'm free. I'm more at peace."
Congrats on your victory, Orlando!

Image Source

http://instinctmagazine.com/blogs/blog/orlando-cruz-wins-first-boxing-match-post-coming-out?directory=100011

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Estadidad AHORA!!! | 8/29/2012: Puerto Ricans Increase Their Political Influence |

8/29/2012

Puerto Ricans Increase Their Political Influence - Latin American Herald Tribune - Monday, August 27, 2012 - (author unknown)

Puerto Ricans Increase Their Political Influence

WASHINGTON – Americans of Puerto Rican origin are the second-largest Hispanic group in the United States.

The number of Puerto Ricans living in the 50 states alone is 4.7 million, greater than the population of Puerto Rico itself, which is 3.7 million.

Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans are citizens by birth, and they are becoming an increasingly powerful voice in U.S. politics. In Florida, voter turnout by Puerto Ricans was 55 percent in 2008, up from 47 percent in 2004.

“Puerto Ricans are starting to become part of the national dialogue,” said Julius Melendez, a candidate in the 9th Congressional District in Osceola County, Florida.

“The days where a presidential candidate could afford to ignore the Puerto Rican community are long gone – respect and attention are the new normal,” said Andres W. Lopez, an attorney from the island and a campaign adviser to President Obama

José A. Cabrera · Subscribed

It's time to end Puerto Rico's colonial problem through statehood.

Reply · 2 · Like
· Follow Post · Monday at 11:39pm

Walter Caban · Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

Resolvamos esto de una vez y por todas, estadidad ahora!

Reply · 3 · Like
· Follow Post · Yesterday at 5:23am

Javier O. Rivera · Harvard Business and Economics School

Estadidad AHORA!!!

Reply · 1 · Like
· Follow Post · Monday at 10:59pm

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Puerto Ricans in the United States: A Statistical Profile - Monday, August 27, 2012 - KG

Monday, August 27, 2012

Is Puerto Rico your country or is it the USA?

Is Puerto Rico your country or is it the USA? - Monday, August 27, 2012 - (author unknown)

Answer: Oh, most definitely, the USA!!!

"¡Por favor. El amor y el interés fueron al campo un día y pudo más el interés que el amor que te tenía. Además, no todos los boricuas sonríen todo el tiempo!”

Memorias de un Gay Sesenton: the City College and 'la isla de la ... - Monday, August 27, 2012 - gerardo torres

lunes, 27 de agosto de 2012

the City College and ‘la isla de la simpatía”

Juan Ramón Jiménez was so impressed by a particular Puerto Rican quality, the smiles, that the Nobel laureate wrote a book, Isla de la Simpatía, dedicated to this marvelous and soothing quality. Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico smile when greeting you; and they do so whenever they encounter each other, unless they are in some kind of struggle, but other than that they smile. Though, most Puerto Ricans in New York have not lost this quality, not all have kept smiling when encoutering each other.

When I started to work at the College, there were seven Puerto Ricans working at the School of Education. By the end of the seventies, most of them were either not given tenure, or, for obvious reasons others decided to leave. It was the seventies and all of these faculty members integrated the political situation of these unique colonials with the content and process of educational programs. The very progressive school did not seem to be very interested in identifying and hiring members of this ethnic group. It is easier to discuss and study Dewey and Piaget without having to face issues of colonialism in your backyard, linguistic and political oppression.

Not until the late eighties and nineties, when it was convenient for the School to bring Puerto Ricans into the faculty, my own sense of loneliness and defensiveness began to fade away. Other than two or three colleagues, the rest was simply a bunch of dishonest characters dressed up as progressives; pleasant but “hipócritas a la máxima potencia.” Thus, when Puerto Ricans were brought to work in a place where my accent and educational ideas were continuously under criticism, it was great once more to be surrounded by people I thought would understand where I was coming from and support me. And to some extent they did, until the Puerto Rican “sonrisa” showed me how naïve I was.

When coming across one of the new employees, I gave her a big smile. She looked at me and continued walking as if I did not exist. I shared my bewilderment with another colleague who most probably told the “seriota” (this is the term PRs use to refer to people who do not smile); and suddenly, whenever I went into the office of the “seriota” everyone in the office where the “seriota” worked was smiling at me and sarcastically saying, “Hello, Gerardo”. I went from cultural solidario to a payaso.

It was very naïve on my part to think that simply because someone was a PR I was going to be greeted with courtesy and cultural understanding. Luckily I had my friends with whom I shared everything that happened at the very progressive school, and while smiling they answered, “¡Por favor. El amor y el interés fueron al campo un día y pudo más el interés que el amor que te tenía. Además, no todos los boricuas sonríen todo el tiempo!”

Publicado por gerardo torres en 04:14

http://memoriasdeungaysesenton.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-city-college-and-la-isla-de-la.html

Friday, August 24, 2012

Drug cartels are increasingly using Puerto Rico as a conduit to transport cocaine and other illicit drugs to the U.S. mainland

Miami Herald Aug. 23, 2012

by Kenneth D. McClintock on Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 4:39pm ·

THE READERS’ FORUM
Puerto Rico is committed to safer neighborhoods

Angel Castillo’s Aug. 16 Other Views column, Puerto Rico: Visions of a police state, mischaracterizes a necessary new law in Puerto Rico that will keep violent criminals off our streets and make our communities safer.

Drug cartels are increasingly using Puerto Rico as a conduit to transport cocaine and other illicit drugs to the U.S. mainland, which has led to an increase in violent crimes in our neighborhoods. This new law cracks down on violent criminals and drug traffickers by increasing prison sentences for second-degree homicide to 50 years, and negligent homicide to 15 years. The sentence for first-degree homicide remains 99 years. Additionally, the law increases prison sentences for kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault and the production of child pornography.

A provision of the law would also keep violent criminals and drug lords from intimidating and threatening Puerto Rico’s elected leaders, a dangerous practice that cartels have successfully employed in Mexico. It is most definitely not intended to prevent peaceful demonstrations where U.S. citizens freely exercise their First Amendment rights, as the American Civil Liberties Union erroneously claims.
In addition to supporting tough new anti-crime measures, Gov. Luis Fortuño has made comprehensive reforms to modernize the Puerto Rico police and has sought more federal assistance to fight drug trafficking. This includes proposing a Caribbean Border Initiative that would ensure Puerto Rico receives federal resources to secure America’s Caribbean border similar to those provided to states that border Mexico.

The government of Puerto Rico is committed to making our neighborhoods safer and preventing drug cartels from gaining a foothold on our island.

Kenneth D. McClintock
Secretary of State
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/22/2963768/puerto-rico-is-committed-to-safer.html#storylink=cpy