Being Boricua is more than a word. It’s a connection to our ancestors, culture, and people. But you may have also heard debates about who can call themselves Boricua. I have seen people get angry and rude about this debate online, and it’s disturbing, considering how much destruction cultural division has caused throughout history. Some people say that only those who were born and raised in Puerto Rico can use that term, while others say anyone who has Puerto Rican parents and loves Puerto Rican culture is a Boricua, too. In this blog, I want to celebrate being Boricua and why we should be proud and inclusive of our diverse community.

I was born in NYC to parents born and raised in Puerto Rico and their parents before them. We then moved to the island when I was a child for a few years, so I know a little about living on the island, going to their schools and speaking both English and Spanish, playing in their streets, and learning all my relatives from many towns from San Juan to Bayamon, Orocovis, Morovis, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Rio Piedras, Vega Alta, Vega Baja and Ponce, and many more that right now, I can't remember. However, I was also first introduced to the negativity of those who said I was a fake Boricua, which left a deep hurt. I was teased and called Americana as if it was shameful. It wasn't very clear because we all had American citizenship, even those born on the island, so basically, so were they. That said, I also understand what it means to have the experience of living and growing up there, and I love and treasure it. Still, I equally loved the experience of partially growing up in NYC, too, where there was still a culture of Puerto Ricans who didn’t judge my authenticity. There were other Latin American children and those of non-Latino cultures, and they certainly saw me as Puerto Rican. So, I was and am 100% Puerto Rican.

As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, The word “Boricua” comes from the name the Taíno people, the original Boricuas gave to their island: Borikén. They also gave us traditions and languages that still exist today and that have been passed on to me. They are part of my ancestry and live in my DNA. Still, so do the Spanish, African, and other cultures who arrived in various ways (voluntarily and not), which all shaped our history and identity over centuries, so I see this debate as exhausting and pointless. Instead, inclusion makes more sense since those cultures are in my DNA and in those living on the island. Isn’t it more important to celebrate the rich culture that includes our language, music, food, and customs that we have learned and inherited from our families and ancestors?

Some people think that being Boricua means being born and raised in Puerto Rico, speaking Spanish, and knowing everything about the island’s culture and history is the only acceptable criteria. They think that if you live somewhere else, or if you speak English, or if you don’t know all the details of Puerto Rican history, you can’t be Boricua. But to me, that’s not true. The love and the pride of what being Boricua means is not about where you live, what language you speak, or how much you know of its history. It’s about what you’ve inherited from your parents as a Boricua, how you feel, what you value, and how you express yourself.

Many people were born to Puerto Rican parents and grew up in other places, like the US, Canada, Europe, or anywhere else in the world. They may not have lived in Puerto Rico, but they have lived with Puerto Rican culture and have Puerto Rican blood running through their veins. Their parents and communities have taught them about their heritage, traditions, and values. They strongly connect to Puerto Rican culture and are proud of their roots. They are part of the Puerto Rican diaspora, the people who have spread our culture and spirit worldwide, and that is powerful to me because it will live forever.

So, to me, it’s about recognizing and celebrating the diversity of our community and the different ways we express our identity. What matters is that you love and embrace Puerto Rican culture, respect and preserve our traditions, and have pride in your heritage.

We should not judge but support each other and celebrate our common bond as Boricuas. After all, simply being Boricua is one of the things we are known to be proud of.

Wepa!