\t http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/index.php Copyright 2008, Wanda Benvenutti wanda@americanboricua.com (Wanda Benvenutti) en-US SPHPBLOG 0.4.0 http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081109-200422
Now, no matter where you land on the political spectrum, last Tuesday was the kind of day your Grandchildren will ask you about. Kind of like when kids ask their parents about the 1960s!

It is a new day, and the morning of November 4, 2008 I climbed into my ugly-yet-reliable car and drove to Portland at 6:18 a.m. To be in I-5 South, with rain coming at you sideways in a truly Northwest Experience. NPR keeps you company but after the first hour it begins to repeat stories so I ended up searching for anything to keep me awake. As I got closer to the Obama campaign volunteer center on the corner of Killingsworth and 15th Avenue N.E., I started to hear what sounded like a party. Music blaring, people bustling about, volunteers arriving with homemade plates of food. I saw a Black man playing African drums by the entrance, an elderly White gentleman out on the street, megaphone in hand, chanting "Obama" over and over again. He said it with an enormous grin, and it sounded like an exclamation of joy. Never in my life could I have imagined seeing elderly Black women dancing, DANCING, to the ballot box. People were in tears, hugs were freely given and received. One volunteer, a retired Mexican-American woman, pulled me aside and said the volunteers had been working together for nearly a year. "We just don't show up to canvass." She said with a knowing nod. "We're like family now. We're going to stay in each other's lives."

A few people looked at me suspiciously as I began to load my camera and I smiled and do what I always do: patiently identify myself and explain that I am there waiting for someone to photograph for American Boricua. It always astonishes me when people ask questions and have such a sincere interest in our culture. People are much more open-hearted and curious than we give ourselves credit.

Finally, Nanci arrived on the scene with a friend that had come up from Northern California to work on the campaign. Nanci Luna Jimenez, originally from Detroit, Michigan, runs her own company that offers cultural diversity seminars and training. A dear friend of mine who lives in Portland insisted I meet her after hearing her keynote speech at a recent conference. He even called DURING the seminar. He's not even Latino but really appreciated her warmth, wisdom, and humor.

I spent the afternoon photographing and interview Nanci about her life and experience as a Boricua in the Northwest. She spoke to many voters, (one even invited us in for tea and offered her a jacket to keep warm as the day got cold and damp!) and explained why many people in her community have not felt like they are a part of the political process until now. Her articulate comments caught the ear of a local television reporter and before we left to canvass she was interviewed by him. Funny that this happened because when I was in Idaho spending the day with Yolanda Matos, she was interviewed by the local press as well. Must be something in the air, eh? Either that or its just plain power in the numbers. Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in the United States. More on Nanci and my Oregon experience soon.

Gracias to Eddie Resto in Los Angeles for this new Spanglish word: Obamanos.

Obamanos, indeed.

]]> http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/?entry=entry081109-200422 wanda@americanboricua.com Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:04:22 GMT http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry081024-165641
So the latest news about American Boricua include a couple of cool happenings. The Seattle PBS station, KCTS Channel 9, will have a feature on me and the project in a few weeks. Most likely we'll shoot it in December before the holidays, when I have a firm air date I will blog it down. (Can one blog something down rather than write or jot it down? Hum. Technology can create linguistic questions...) V-Me, if you haven't checked it out, is a really wonderful part of PBS that provides Latino themed programming in both Spanish and English and occasionally Spanglish, ha! Go watch some V-Me.

The other happening is that I'll be back in New York soon to meet some people who want to buy American Boricua, the book. I'm not a very superstitious person, but once in a while I have to keep mum on things so they'll flow naturally. No sense in becoming a total stress case about it. I have too many Boricuas all over this country to meet, interview, and photograph!! We're also starting to plan an exhibition of photographs that will travel nationally when the book comes out. God only knows exactly when that will be, but at least now I can look at a calendar and imagine it'll be sooner than later. This is truly a blessing. (And I thought when I climbed into my car that very first time that this would be done in a year. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, right.)

Books take time to create and develop, just like any large undertaking. Thank you for being patient, we're working very hard to make it happen, so just hang in there with us. Eventually we'll all get to see how Puerto Rican life in the United States is a really cool part of how we live as Americans.

One last thing. I received my absentee ballot in the mail last week and am starting to read up on all of my local issues before I vote. Please vote, not only does it make you an engaged citizen, it is a very important way to make your voice heard! We're all in this together, so you might as well join in and cast that ballot. ]]> http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/?entry=entry081024-165641 wanda@americanboricua.com Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:56:41 GMT http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry070329-145732
Of the total population of 27,509 in the 2000 Census, 46 hardy souls claimed a Puerto Rican identity in a place where winters are often 30 below zero. This is .17% of the total population. Thankfully I found some of the tribe, but had to do some digging in a town three hours away (Missoula, another lovely college town nestled in spectacular natural beauty) to find them. Cada dia estoy buscando Boricuas, its a funny life.

The Bozman Daily Chronicle, the local newspaper, has a daily Police Reports section. The March 26, 2007 edition, (section A, page 6) included:


"The Bozeman Police Reports for Saturday included the following:

A motorcyclist was arrested for drunken driving on West Babcock Street.

A worker on West Babcock Street said a stranger came up to him, took off his shirt and challenged him to a fight.

A man at a West Main Street bar got into a fight with two other men over who could hang drywall best."


Now, despite the reputation as a redneck frontier town, time passes at a soft pace here and it is a rare person who locks their car doors. Some even leave the engine running to grab some milk at the store. This must be what the United States was like before nasty little modern inventions like carjacking.

Luckily I connected with Montana State University Latin American
Literature and Latino Studies Professor Bridget Kevane. She is from the island and was careful to introduce herself as being from Puerto Rico. Bridget calls herself a "gringarican". "I don't say that I'm Puerto Rican, I don't claim that identity. One parent is Irish and the other is Catholic!" There are many ways to be Boricua.
She met me for lunch with Silddy Atilano and her son Diego. He is an eight year old ray of sunshine. The three women talked of life and shared funny stories. Like all three have been told that they don't look Puerto Rican. Then the inevitable question arose: What the hell does that MEAN anyway? There is always a green eyed cousin with black skin, or a niece with delicate features and an afro.

We look like everyone because we ARE everyone.

Getting back to Montana...everyone I've seen here looks rugged and robustly healthy. These people spend serious time outside, even in subzero temperatures during the winter. There are 3 men for every 1 woman here in town and frankly that can be a little distracting. I'm told Alaska is similar. Hum.

So I went to a party with Silddy and her boyfriend Saturday night, which we left because the DJ confused samba music with salsa music (odd, I know) and went to a bar to talk.

Silddy got off a plane from the tropical island of Puerto Rico and landed in Bozman, Montana as a 17 year old college freshman. She loved it so much she's lived here for 13 years. More on her life soon.

]]> http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/?entry=entry070329-145732 wanda@americanboricua.com Thu, 29 Mar 2007 21:57:32 GMT http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry070323-131215 According to the U.S. Census, there are only 46 Boricuas here in Missoula. I have called three and maybe we'll connect on my way back from Bozeman. This is a city three hours east of here and I have been told I must drive over two more mountain passes. I am really glad winter is over.
When I arrive later today I will connect with a Boricua who is a Professor at Montana State. She's been working on a great project about Latinos in Montana and I can't wait to hear about it.
Its been over ten years since I've spent time in Montana and I forgot just how beautiful the sky really is here. It must make people naturally friendly. They wave at you when you are at a red light. Seriously. ]]> http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/?entry=entry070323-131215 wanda@americanboricua.com Fri, 23 Mar 2007 20:12:15 GMT http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry060718-111030
The word is that Aubrey, the gallina in the city, has passed on to greener pastures. God Bless you Aubrey, you were the coolest chicken I ever met. When I have photos of her back from the lab I will post a few here on the blog. Everyone should see that yes, a chicken can indeed have a personality.

Her owner and friend for the past 11 years is mourning her loss, and oddly, I felt a little twinge of regret at not spending more time with her. But then I get to tell stories of how a chicken in Las Vegas allowed me to photograph her all day, even ride in my lap in the car as we drove down the Strip, and had a good time.

Rest in Peace Aubrey, we'll miss you.
]]> http://www.americanboricua.com/blog/?entry=entry060718-111030 wanda@americanboricua.com Tue, 18 Jul 2006 18:10:30 GMT