Preserving El Barrio: Marina Ortiz

Anyone who is in NYC's El Barrio, probably knows Marina Ortiz, an independent journalist, local community activist and resident.
She is usually armed with a camera, shooting and documenting many of the people, stories and events in East Harlem.
This boricua is founder of East Harlem Preservation, a community advocacy group that monitors large-scale development, supports preservation, and fights privatization of public parkland. Ortiz is a watchdog of the rapid changes going on in El Barrio because of gentrification. The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently interviewed Ortiz on her push to save El Barrio, the so-called crown jewel of Puerto Rican and Latino culture in New York City.
"I was inspired to begin efforts to preserve the rich history, culture and architecture of Spanish Harlem and the greater East Harlem when the inevitable footprint of gentrification began to take its hold on our community," Ortiz was quoted as saying.
To read the article published in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Spring 2008 Diversity Scholarship Program Alumni Newsletter,
http://www.eastharlempreservation.org/docs/DSPAlumni_mjo08.pdf
To learn more about her work with the East Harlem Preservation, check out her site at www.eastharlempreservation.org.
Meanwhile, Ortiz also runs another important community project: Virtual Boricua. This is a website that focuses on Puerto Rican news, issues, culture, events and activism. To visit, go to www.virtualboricua.org. It is a must see site for anyone interested in Puerto Rican culture, especially boricua New York. -- Clarisel Gonzalez

Colonialismo / Colonialism

Colonialismo / Colonialism
Originally uploaded by Moliniano.

New Social Networking Space for Boricuas

In the Mailbox

Saludos!

Boricuation Cultural Foundation (BCF) spearheads a Boricua social network named Boricuation Cultural Space (BCS). Created to introduce and unite Puerto Ricans from all over the world. To bring them closer via the internet, for them to express themselves on a forum created for them by Puerto Ricans. The focus is not to exclude ourselves from other Latin nations, but to unite ourselves and express our struggles in identifying our own issues through communications and expressions on BCS, therefore educating ourselves and other nations on Puerto Rican history and culture.

We encourage everyone to join this special website, but remember to focus on educating and empowering each other so we can better understand ourselves. Bring your own taste of Boricua culture. Share and relate stories, photos, videos, comments, ideals and everything Boricua. We are all making history here and our history is vast and diverse, so let's get together and vibe on the real issues affecting our present day accomplishments and struggles. Let's address and document this special time in our history. At the same time we learn to progress, to move forward with the enlightenment of our history and culture together, united.

Thank you all in advance in joining us!

Visit http://boricuationcs.neeetz.com/ to check it out.

Thanks to neeetz.com for providing this forum.

Abrazos!

--
Jose Medina
Boricuation Cultural Foundation
Boricuation.com
e-Mail: Boricuation@gmail.com

Defending Cultura

Featured story

Simpsonville resident speaks out on burned Puerto Rican flag

Lisa Rodriguez says she doesn’t know of anyone having a problem with her heritage, so she was surprised to learn that someone had set fire to the Puerto Rican flag hanging on the side of her parents’ Simpsonville (South Carolina) home.
"We’re just representing who we are," she said Wednesday. "We’re not trying to harm anyone."
For more, go to http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/NEWS01/80625011/1004

EDITOR'S NOTE: I had not heard about this until I read this report today. I am saddened and annoyed that someone would burn the Puerto Rican flag. Boricua and proud in Simpsonville y donde sea.

Calle Fortaleza-Viejo San Juan P.R.

Calle Fortaleza-Viejo San Juan P.R.
Originally uploaded by haymaco.