WAR AGAINST ALL PUERTO RICANS
Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony
The Deep Secret, of the Puerto Rican Day Parade
The Puerto Rican Day Parade has a dark secret.
It has nothing to do with celebrities, rich corporations, or slick politicians.
It is a deep mystery, from the heart and history of Puerto Rico, which explains the whole parade…
Seventy years ago, Boricuas were given the worst jobs and housing in New York City. They were also beaten by their neighbors and the NYPD.
And yet in 1958, some brave Boricuas dared to hold a humble parade where they could march with pride, arm-in-arm, through the heart of Manhattan.
Mothers clapped their hands…to the bombas and plenas of their childhood.
Fathers schooled their children…explaining the floats dedicated to Puerto Rican towns known for sugar cane, tobacco, coffee, pineapples and plantains.
The Puerto Rican pride spread rapidly.
By 1966, the parade was already a “must do” event for politicians and celebrities.
Today, the parade is a celebrity spectacle with 2 million spectators, 100,000 marchers, and a stampede of corporate sponsors.
Rita Moreno, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Hillary Clinton and Mayor De Blasio have all “starred” in it.
But even as “The Parade” has become one of the nation’s largest outdoor celebrations, there is a secret that few people suspect…
A secret that reaches into the heart of every Puerto Rican, without their even knowing it.
It is the secret of the Puerto Rican flag.
AN INCREDIBLE DISPLAY
Have you ever noticed the wild, uncontrollable, impassioned display of flags at every Puerto Rican Day Parade?
No matter where you look…it is a tidal wave of flags!
Mile after mile, you see this:
And this:
And this:
And even this:
This is no coincidence.
There is a deep reason for this emotional attachment.
There is a reason why Que Bonita Bandera and Preciosa bring tears to our eyes…and sometimes we don’t even know why.
It is because this flag represents an ideal…the ideal of lost youth and forgotten illusions…just like last night’s dream, or tomorrow’s TV advertisement.
But there is one more reason, why this flag is the emotional heart of the parade.
It is the secret which explains everything.
We adore our flag because for many years, any Puerto Rican who owned one, would go to jail for ten years.
THEY TRIED TO CRUSH DON PEDRO
For many years, the United States wanted only one flag in Puerto Rico.
Here is that flag, in the inauguration of the first US Governor of Puerto Rico, in April 1900:
Pedro Albizu Campos refused to salute this flag.
In order to crush Don Pedro and the Nationalist movement, a law was passed in 1948, right after Don Pedro got out of jail.
It was called Public Law 53, and also known as La Ley de la Mordaza…the Gag Law.
Law 53 made it a felony to sing a song, whistle a tune, or utter one word against the US government, or in favor of Puerto Rican independence.
This included singing La Borinqueña, or owning a Puerto Rican flag.
Own a flag…ten years in jail.
Every day, the FBI and Insular Police raided people’s homes, searched for flags, and hauled Puerto Ricans off to jail.
They did it all over the island.
In November 1950, they arrested 3,000 Puerto Ricans within one week! Some of them were only eight years old.
In many cases the flag – all by itself – was the sole piece of evidence.
Own a flag…ten years in jail.
The Gag Law violated the US constitution. But it took nine years to repeal it, in 1957.
The very next year, in 1958, the first Puerto Rican Day Parade was held in New York City.
THE PARADE EXPLODES
The Puerto Rican flags and celebration were everywhere…the passion was astonishing…New York had never seen anything like it!
The Puerto Rican Day parade exploded into New York City, with the emotion and power of an entire people…that had finally found a voice…for one day…on Fifth Avenue.
The politicians couldn’t explain it, but they did know one thing…that they better get in front of this parade, and yell “¡Que viva Puerto Rico!”
That much they did understand.
THE DEEP SECRET OF OUR PARADE
The deep secret of the Puerto Rican Day Parade is this:
The parade was born in the hearts of an entire nation…where everyone was declared a criminal… if they dared to show their flag.
And now for one beautiful day, through the heart of New York City, we show that flag to the whole world.
Let them throw a Financial Control Board at us.
Let the US Supreme Court call us a “territorial possession.”
We all know what is in our hearts, and in our memory…
We will never give up our island…
And that is why we will win.
Que bonita bandera
Que bonita bandera
Que bonita bandera es la bandera Puertorriqueña
¡ QUE VIVA PUERTO RICO !
WAR AGAINST ALL PUERTO RICANS 
Que viva nuestra bandera. Si no nos ponemos listo nos van a quitar nuestra Isla, lenguaje, cultura y todo lo que nosotros amamos de Puerto Rico. Los Americanos ya se estan filtrando y comprando todo lo que esta para sacarnos de nuestra Isla..Avispencen y no suelten la Isla.. Porque nunca seremos reconocidos como Americanos. Nos despojaran de nuestra cultura e idioma y perderiamos todo nuestros ideales y orgullo..Esta es mi opinion personal. Ala edad de 8 anos vine a vivir a New York pues era una criatura y mis padres decidieron eso, pero nunca deje mi idioma, cultura y amor por 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico. Hoy tengo 77 anos de edad.
La Isla del Cordero..Dios nos bendiga a todos.
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I congratulate everyone for their bravery in commenting. Now, we need to turn those comments into action. In 2018 our island nation isn’t the only thing we, Boricuas, risk losing. “La Cuna”, the cradle of the Boricua community and the achievements shown in the establishment of many organizations and institutions that bear the name of Puerto Rico and/or Boricua are also at risk. El Barrio/Spanish Harlem and other communities like it are being eradicated and not only by “gringos”. We have a cadre of supposed Puertorriquenos who pose an equal threat to the continuance of our culture and, nationality,and ethnicity. They espouse support for popular topics of mutual concern but, plot, scheme, and plan to enrich themselves through the bureaucracy and “pursuit” of happiness”. We need to rise up and defend ourselves against all enemies “both foreign and domestic”.
The long standing issue of status is a (perdone la palabra) “trump card up the sleeves” of every lender and vulture capitalist waiting for an appropriate time to strike. That moment arrived with Hurricane Maria and the devastation it left behind that we’ll be dealing with for a long time. Added to the history of status is the $72 billion debt which is a calculate move against a country that lenders knew Puerto Rico wouldn’t be able to re-pay. Anyone read “Diary of An Economic Hitman” by John Perkins? He describes his job as being that of convincing Third World leaders into a debt for development loans they also wouldn’t be able to re-pay and fall into default and arrears at which point Perkin’s company, together with the U.S. Government, would come in with “assistance”. Neither the debt, less its interest, would be forgiven. Instead, there would be a”plan” put into place that will help those countries, now including PR, find other means of payment, say allowing a military base to be constructed or selling off real estate to private investors. All of this was underhanded as well as being illegal but it was permitted due to mutual interests of private industry wanting profit, its officers looking for personal wealth, and government seeking an excuse to put “boots on the ground”.
El Museo Del Barrio now fights to retain “Del Barrio” as part of its name. Its directors have become people other than Puerto RIcans and its emphasis on showcasing Puerto Rican artists has taken a back seat, more like being locked in the trunk, to a pan-Latin American identity.
Here is a case in point of having an “enemy from within”. Former NYC Councilwoman and Speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito together with three members of the local community planning board joined in by the Hispanic Federation, with the “Man in the High Castle”, Luis Miranda and his Mirram Lobby group, have corrupted a selection process to take manage the Julia de Burgos Latino Cultural Center’s theater and multi-cultural spaces. According to MMV, the publicly stated plan was to rid mismanagement and under utilization of the spaces. Under the Hispanic Federation, that hasn’t changed. Gone is the weekly “Salsa Wednesdays” that continued the mid-week tradition of salsa performances and dances at the mid town restaurant, La Maganette and for those who goes so far in its history, the “Julia’s Jams”.
As with the island, this is a land grab putting up for sale, the cultural institution to private developers after the alternative school, the Heritage School, closes or can be moved to a new location making it easier to displace both Los Pleneros de la 21 and El Taller Boricua/The Puerto Rican Workshop (MMV’s arch nemesis).
Reading your comments to Nelson’s post is encouraging but insufficient in resolving the problems we face as a people, particularly from within. We need to show that we’re aware of what is happening and the willingness to do something about it. I for one will not show the Common Wealth Flag with the Navy Blue triangle and will display either or both the original “Bandera del Grito de Lares” or the Sky Blue triangle and a display of disgust, resentment, and call to action.
Y tu, que vas hacer?
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So SADD yet we are still squaters on our own island. Yes, today we are able to show our flag which I identity with along with La Bandera Nuestra: La Bandera De Lares. However, we have become Americanized. It saddens me every time I see a child, speak to them only to hear their parents tell me “oh he/she don’t speak Spanish. Our right to show our flag is still not understood by many of our Puerto Ricans and Puerto Rican Americans. The ways in which I was acustomed to are slowly but surely diminishing.
We have a long way to go..
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Thank you my brother for all you do. May God richly bless you and your loved ones. Que viva Puerto Rico para siempre en nuestros corazones. Mi hermanito cubanito, thatâs our secret. Love you.
Respectfully yours,
Edwin Padilla
Cell# – 4076247005
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I live in Orlando, and with all the Puerto Rinquenos moving in we’ve now celebrated our 2nd Puerto Rican Day Parade. How amazing to relive this amazing experience you so eloquently describe but now even closer to La Isla, Las Floridas.
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Does anyone want the Puerto Rican vote then gives use Statehood and respect the Democratic System 95% of Puerto Ricans voted for Statehood in 2016 Statehood does come with a Flag and a Constitution. Wake up you protest for others to be a part of the United States and you wont claim your rights for a greater Stake in the United States It make no sense. Without a vision the people perish
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Es una pena y ademas una muestra de hipocrecia en que haiga tanta gente, oficiales elegido especialmente, quien rechazaron a Oscar Lopez Rivera despues de tantos anos de encarcerimiento por, no solo defender a Puerto Rico pero tambien a su pueblo, por levantarnos la consencia de que los EE. UU. piensan y como tratan a gente que no sean ellos mismo.
It’s a shame and a show of hypocrisy for there to have been so many people, especially elected officials, who turned their backs on Oscar Lopez Rivera after spending so many years of incarceration for lifting our conscientiousness to what the U.S. thinks and treats people other than themselves.
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Well said. It’s a shame despite the one day of the year that makes everyone Puerto Rican and allows people to get together … however the rest of the time we seem to be at odds with each other it’s too bad we cannot rally around the one thing that draws us all together
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Very nice write!
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Que viva Puerto Rico LIBRE!
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Que Puerto Rico LIBRE!
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For those who ask themselves that why are there so few independentistas in PR this is the answer. The oppression and encarcelation of thr people who lovef their country. USA oppressed and still oppresses those puertorricans who are independentistas , but the independentintas in USA were the ones that created the great nation USA.
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Thank you Nelson. I needed that!
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AMIGO NELSON DENIS SALUDO BORICUA.TE FELICITO POR ESA RESENA HISTORICA.GRACIAS POR TU APORTACION DE MUCHOS ANOS POR MANTENER VIVA NUESTRA HONROSA HISTORIA TAN OCULTADA Y NEGADA SIEMPRE. TUVE LA DICHA DE CONOCERTE Y COMPARTIR CONTIGO CUANDO VIAJASTE A PUERTORICO A PRESENTAR TU VALIOSO LIBRO GUERRA CONTRA LOS PUERTORRIQUENOS ME HA SERVIDO DE REPASO A LA VEZ QUE DE APRENDISAJE ES UN TESORO APROVECHO PARA HACER UN RECORDATORIO HISTORICO FUE EN NUEVA YORK UN 11 DE JUNIO DE 1892 QUE ANTONIO VELEZ ALVARADO INDEPENDENTISTA EXILIADO COMO TANTOS EN NUEVA YORK QUE CREO LA BANDERA PUERTORRIQUENA NOS CUENTA QUE ESTANDO EN SU HABITACION FIJO SU MIRADA EN LA BANDERA CUBANA Y AL CAMBIAR LA VISTA EN SU MENTE SE INVIRTIERON LOS COLORES AZUL EN ROJO EN LAS FRANJAS Y ROJO EN AZUL CIELO EN EL TRIANGULO PRECISAMENTE ESTE LUNES 11 DE JUNIO CELEBRAMOS EN MANATI (VELEZ ALVARADO.ERA MANATIENO) EL 120 ANIVERSARIO DE ESTE HECHO HISTORICO SERIA UN HONOR QUE EN ALGUNA OCASION UN 11 DE JUNIO PODER CONTAR CON TU PRESENCIATRES ANOS MS TARDE EL 22 DE DICIEMBRE DE 1895 EN NUEVA YORK UN GRUPO DE 59 PUERTORRIQUENOS INDEPENDENTISTAS EXILIADOS REUNIDOS EN ASAMBLEA ADOPTAN POR UNANIMIDAD LA BANDERA IDEADA POR VELEZ ALVARADO Y LA CONVIERTEN EN EL PABELLON NACIONAL DE LA FUTURA REPUBLICA DE PUERTO RICO EL HONOR DE PRESENTAR LA BANDERA A LA ASAMBLEA DE PATRIOTAS LE CORRESPONDIO AL REVOLUCIONARIO SOBREVIVIENTE DEL GRITO DE LARES JUAN DE MATTA TERREFORTE DESDE ENTONCES NUESTRA BANDERA HA TENIDO GRAN SIGNIFICACION HISTORICA NOS IDENTIFICA COMO PUEBLO COMO NACION CON NUESTRA HISTORIA Y CULTURA PROPIA PERO A LA VEZ TIENE OTRA SIGNIFICACION QUE VA LIGADA A SU IDENTIDAD ESA HERMOSA BANDERA HA SIDO DESDE SU ORIGEN CREADA Y ADOPTADA POR INDEPENDENTISTAS Y SEGUIRA SIENDO SIMBOLO DE LUCHA POR LA INDEPENDENCIA DE NUESTRA PATRIA COMO TU BIEN AFIRMAS SU DEFENSA HA COSTADO PERSECUCION ,CARCEL Y MUERTES A MILES DE PATRIOTAS PUETORRIQUENOS ESA ES LA VERDAD HISTORICA QUE DEBEMOS DIVULGAR PARA QUE NUESTRO PUEBO SE LIBERE DE MIEDOS Y COMPLEJOS COLONIALES.TERMINO CON UN PENSAMIENTO DE NUESTRO QUERIDO MAESTRO EUGENIO M.DE HOSTOS.”MATAREIS EL DIOS DELMIEDO Y SOLO ENTONCES SEREIS LIBRES MIENTRAS TANTO ACA EN NUESTRA TIERR SEGUIMOS LUCHANDO Y COMBATIENDO LA JUNTA OPERSORA IMPERIALISTA LADRONA Y CORRUPTA.
ABRAZO PATRIOTICO A MI AMIGO NELSON DENIS
VIVA PUERTO RICO LIBRE.
JOAQUIN G.CHEVERE RIVERA
MAESTRO DE HISTORIA DE PUERTORICO
9 DE JUNIO DE 2018
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¡Que viva!
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Hi, Nelson!! That above comment was meant to be in the reblog!! LOL … hi, from Florida!!
Always remember you and miss your frequent postsing!! Here’s wishing you the best today and alway!!
Que bonita bandera!!! Siempre …
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
Back in 1948, it was unlawful to have a Puerto Rican flag in your possession!! Did you know that?
“It was called Public Law 53, and also known as La Ley de la Mordaza … the Gag Law. Law 53 made it a felony to sing a song, whistle a tune, or utter one word against the US government, or in favor of Puerto Rican independence. This included singing La Borinqueña, or owning a Puerto Rican flag. Own a flag … ten years in jail. We all know what is in our hearts, and in our memory … We will never give up our island!! … And that is why we will win.’
NEVER, EVER AGAIN!!
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Back in 1948, it was unlawful to have a Puerto Rican flag in your possession!! Did you know that?
“It was called Public Law 53, and also known as La Ley de la Mordaza … the Gag Law. Law 53 made it a felony to sing a song, whistle a tune, or utter one word against the US government, or in favor of Puerto Rican independence. This included singing La Borinqueña, or owning a Puerto Rican flag. Own a flag … ten years in jail. We all know what is in our hearts, and in our memory … We will never give up our island!! … And that is why we will win.’
NEVER, EVER AGAIN!!
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And I lived through every day of it with
aunt Luz between Barrio Obrero and Manhattan from 1962 to today. Every page of War Against all Puerto Ricans is still in my memory.
FHC
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