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Leading Children to Genealogy

January 6, 2012 By

Hola amigos: This article is about leading children to genealogy with fun ideas and games, the way they like to learn. It’s good for them to have pride in their family history, their heritage, and to know where they come from, their family legacy. They will grow closer to you, understanding and accepting themselves. ES

 

Climbing Your Family Tree Book Image

 

By Carol McWain

GoodenoughThe family legacy

http://www.petoskeynews.com/news/opinion/pnr-leading-children-to-genealogy-20111208,0,1351001.column

From Thanksgiving until New Year’s many families have opportunities to share the “family legacy” with those who mean so much to them — their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and others — at the family gatherings.

Children have a natural interest in family history but they might become true family genealogists if they are “led” into genealogy.

We as parents and grandparents can instill a pride in our family history. History can come alive for children and they can relate their own personal history to what they have learned in school. Our children learned about what their Goodenough ancestors might have endured when they crossed the ocean in 1638 when we visited Jamestown, Va. There, on the recreated ship Speedwell, they were able to walk around on a ship that was like a sister ship to the Confidence their ancestors sailed on. Our son, Scott, at that time was in junior high and getting tall. He remarked that “they must have been pretty short or bent over a lot.”

The mysteries of other cultures will be unlocked. Children will learn about cultural traditions while learning about their family history. Do you have a hidden pickle in your Christmas tree? That is a German tradition. Do you light a Menorah? That is a Jewish tradition. Do you hang a pinata? That is a Mexican tradition. Use those opportunities to explain to the children why it is important to their culture and what significance each has.

More importantly, children who spend time with parents and grandparents learning about family history, hearing the stories, looking at the pictures, will grow closer to those adults. Children like to hear their elders tell stories about what it was like when they were children. Show them pictures of the places you lived, the pictures of holidays past, and tell them what you most enjoyed about former holidays.

A child will gain pride in his or her heritage. Learning is the key to understanding and acceptance. You can help the children in your life understand their own unique background.

There are many activities that you can share with your family to “lead” them into genealogy. Try some or all of the following:

– Share your favorite childhood foods. Prepare a recipe your mother used to make and explain where it came from and why it is your favorite.

– Share photographs of your ancestors with your children and grandchildren. Find photos from when you were a small child. Identify older people in the photographs and give their relationship to you.

– On a map of the United States, place a sticker on each town or county where your ancestors lived.

– Borrow a travel video from the library about your ancestor’s homeland.

– Take a genealogy vacation. Retrace the migration route of your ancestors. Travel to the towns and homes where your ancestors lived.

– Purchase a beginning genealogy book written especially for children.

– Some children enjoy writing. Encourage them to begin recording family stories.

– Attend an historical reenactment if you live in a part of the country where these enactments are performed. They offer a wonderful visual opportunity for children to learn history.

– Celebrate an ancestor’s birthday. Learn all that you can about your ancestor and what life was like during the period of their life, and share it with your children while you celebrate.

– Create a new family tradition. Think of any activity, any season, or anything that is special to you and yours that you really enjoy. Make it a tradition. Do it each year and enjoy the time spent with your family. What you do may be passed down for many generations to come!

– Brighten someone’s day. In today’s busy world it’s hard to keep in touch with loved ones. Maybe you live near aunts, uncles, cousins or friends that you don’t see very much. Get your family together and make or buy a thoughtful, inexpensive gift. Bake cookies, pick something from the garden or make a homemade card. It doesn’t matter what the gift is. Just make sure that the whole family has a part in helping to make it or think about who to see and what to give.

Whatever activities you choose to interest your favorite children in genealogy will be appropriate. You will enjoy the time spent with the children and they will begin to cherish the time spent with you. I hope that you all have time over this busy holiday season to “lead” your family to genealogy.

Filed Under: Genealogy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Vieques y Santa Cruz – Segunda Parte

January 5, 2012 By

Hola amigos: Continuamos con el barrio de los puertorriqueños en Santa Cruz y las relaciones de  nuestra Isla Nena, Vieques  con esta isla cercana, Santa Cruz ( St. Croix). Es parte de “Voces” del Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños del Hunter College. Este  estudio es auspiciado por el Concilio de Humanidades de Islas Virgenes  y la Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH).   ES

 

Imagen Isla de Santa Cruz

 

Relaciones Históricas entre Vieques y Santa Cruz – II Parte

Roberto Rabin

 

Sobre el viaje entre Vieques y Santa Cruz, doña Guillermina ofreció los siguientes comentarios,

“el viaje fue en barco de vela. Duró muchísimo (se ríe), muchacho, como de un día para otro. Salimos de Morropó (Punta Mulas, Vieques) hasta Frederiksted. El viaje costaba unos cinco pesos en ese tiempo (se ríe). Viajé con mis dos hijos. Había tres barcos que llevaba la gente y las traía; después una lancha rápida de motor grande, y después el avión. El mar se ponía malo. La gente pasaron muchos problemas, pero yo no; pero mucha gente sí. Mucha gente pasaron sustos grandes; a mí no, siempre tuve buenos viajes, yo no me mareo”.

Y sobre Santa Cruz dijo, “bueno, es el mejor sitio del mundo. Yo he ido a los Estados Unidos, a la Isla Grande (Puerto Rico), y en ningún sitio encuentro un lugar como esto”.

Entre otros puntos interesantes doña Guillermina señaló que no sabía inglés, y que todavía habla inglés con señas. Hacía veinticinco años que murió su esposo al que enterraron en Santa Cruz. Al preguntarle de su identidad cultural dijo, con una sonrisa,

“yo soy puertorriqueña, y mis hijos también. No soy inglesa, yo no sé inglés, tantos años que vivo aquí (…)”.

Terminó diciendo, “me gusta Vieques (…) pero (…) me gusta más Santa Cruz”.

Otra entrevistada fue doña Marta Benítez de Suárez, nacida el 16 de abril de 1914, en Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Su mamá llevó a Marta, sus dos hermanas y un hermano a vivir en Vieques, donde estuvieron por quince años. Emigró hacia Santa Cruz el 14 de mayo de 1935, siguiendo a su hermana mayor, que era como su mamá. Fue en Santa Cruz que conoció a su esposo de cincuentaisiete años, Ángel Suárez Figueroa, otro viequense emigrado a Islas Vírgenes.

El viaje entre Vieques y Santa Cruz fue una experiencia “inolvidable” para doña Marta,

“Tuvimos un muy mal tiempo. Primero tuvimos una calma que nos cogió toda la noche sin casi el barco moverse. Era un barco de vela. Pasamos toda esa noche del catorce hasta el quince de mayo. Entonces, de pronto nos cogió un temporal. Por poco el barco se parte. Pasamos todo el resto del día en ese temporal. Llegamos al puerto aquí en Santa Cruz, en Frederiksted, ya de noche. Se ve’ian los marullos que se levantaban los buildings que est’an all’i en frente, la aduana, que estaba para ese tiempo, frente a los muelles.

No hubiéramos salido a tierra esa noche porque no se podía, pero que venía una familia de Vieques que venía mudándose para aquí, era de apellido Lanzó. Venían de mudanza; eran gente que se dedicaban a la pesca y traían un bote de ellos, una yolita.

El barco tuvo que bajar bien hacia abajo, no por el muelle (debido a la tormenta) y las personas que estaban en tierra esperando al barco, que se suponía que llegaba a tal hora y tardó casi dos días, ya la gente pensaba que el barco se hundió y que la gente perecieron.

Entonces esa gente que venían con esa yolita, la tiraron al agua y allí nos sacaban. Los que estabanen tierra, entre ellos un cuñado mío, entonces nos ayudaron a desembarcar.

Había un puertorriqueño aquí de nombre don Isaac González, que vivía frente al mar, era comerciante. Al regarse la voz desde temprano de que ese barco tenía que llegar y que no llegaba, ya todo el mundo estaba alarmado. Pues, ese señor, que Dios lo tenga en la gloria, abrió su casa para recibir a todo el mundo. Nos dio ropa seca… esa noche no pudimos pasar por aduana por el tiempo…”.

Doña Marta lleva cincuentaisiete años en Santa Cruz. Junto a su esposo establecieron un supermercado en queen street, Frederiksted. Va a Vieques solo de visita.

Don Basilio Félix Rodríguez habló con los estudiantes sobre su vida en Vieques, la emigración a Santa Cruz, y su amor por su tierra adoptada,

“nací el 5 de enero de 1927. Vivíamos en un sitio aislado, de mucho ganado, en Puerto Negro (…) había seis u ocho casas nada más. Ahora todo eso desapareció dentro de la base”.

Don Basilio entregó un manuscrito de sus memorias, que había preparado para nuestro proyecto. Comienza en la siguiente manera su escrito:

“Corría el año 1939. La marina de los EE.UU. compraba y expropiaba familias a su forma y antojo (…). La central Playa Grande expropiaba, su gente y propiedades, así los barrios de Resolución, Mosquito, La Miray, Ventana, Barrio Palma y así todo el oeste de Vieques (…). En 1943, mi padre se encuentra sin trabajo y cinco hijos que mantener, sabrá Dios qué pensaba. Un día nos dice que nos mudaríamos a Santa Cruz. Nuestras mentes no podían asimilar aquello. ¡Dejar a Vieques! Imposible. Nuestra escuela, nuestras amistades, nuestros vecinos y demás familias. Era algo así como cosa de loco.

Vimos en barco de vela. Nuestra partida a Santa Cruz fue un martes de septiembre (1943) como a la una de la tarde, bajo un sol candente y en un barco llamado El Arturo, capitaneado por su dueño, don Jorge Carrillo. Veníamos, aparte de muchos otros pasajeros, mi cuñada y mis dos hermanas. Mi papá y mi hermano menor se quedaban para unirse a nosotros un mes después. Ya a Santa Cruz habían llegado dos hermanos mayores que yo. Llegamos a Santa Cruz, al puerto de Christiansted, al otro día, miércoles, como a las dos de la tarde. De esto hace casi cincuenta años. Todo, gracias a Dios, nos ha ido bien en Santa Cruz, donde hemos crecido. Hoy en Santa Cruz, nuestra familia Félix es una de las familias hispanas más numerosas. Gracias a esa decisión de nuestro padre que a principio no aprobamos. Después de cincuenta años de haber dejado a Vieques no lo he podido olvidar a pesar de que no tengo nada que quejarme de Santa Cruz”.

Expulsados de Vieques por el fracaso de la industria azucarera y las expropiaciones militares de los 1940’s, los viequenses emigraron en grandes números a Santa Cruz, donde había trabajo disponible en las plantaciones azucareras, en una naciente industria turística y luego en las plantas petroquímicas. En las últimas décadas, personas de todas clases de la sociedad viequense han emigrado a Santa Cruz en busca de un mejor futuro. Mientras el número de puertorriqueños en Islas Vírgenes se estimó en 3,000 en 1950, 6,000 para 1960 y 9,700 en 1965, los estimados actuales son de 20,000.

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History of Puerto Rico – First Part – Chapter 9

December 28, 2011 By

Hola amigos: Today we will continue with The History of Puerto Rico by RA VanMiddeldyk, Chapter 9 – the return of  Ceron and Diaz and Juan Ponce de Leon first expedition to Florida, looking for the fountain of perennial youth (1511- 1515). ES

 

 

Juan Ponce de Leon Image

 

CHAPTER IX

THE RETURN OF CERON AND DIAZ–PONCE’S FIRST EXPEDITION TO FLORIDA

1511-1515

Ceron and Diaz returned to San Juan in November, 1511.

Before their departure from Seville they received sundry marks of
royal favor. Among these was permission to Diaz and his wife to wear
silken garments, and to transfer to San Juan the 40 Indians they
possessed in la Espanola.

We have seen that the first article of the king’s instructions to them
enjoins the maintenance of friendly relations with Ponce, and in the
distribution of Indians to favor those who had distinguished
themselves in the suppression of the revolt.

They did nothing of the kind.

Their first proceeding was to show their resentment at the summary
treatment they had received at the captain’s hands by depriving him of
the administration of the royal granges, the profits of which he
shared with King Ferdinand, because, as his Highness explained to
Pasamente in June, 1511, “Ponce received no salary as captain of the
island.”

They next sent a lengthy exposition to Madrid, accusing the captain of
maladministration of the royal domain, and, to judge by the tenor of
the king’s letter to Ponce, dated in Burgos on the 23d of February,
1512, they succeeded in influencing him to some extent against his
favorite, though not enough to deprive him of the royal patronage. “I
am surprised,” wrote the king, “at the small number of Indians and the
small quantity of gold from our mines. The fiscal will audit your
accounts, that you may be at liberty for the expedition to Bemini,
which some one else has already proposed to me; but I prefer you, as
I wish to recompense your services and because I believe that you will
serve us better there than in our grange in San Juan, in which you
have proceeded with some negligence.”

In the redistribution of Indians which followed, Ceron and Diaz
ignored the orders of the sovereign and openly favored their own
followers to the neglect of the conquerors’, whose claims were prior,
and whose wounds and scars certainly entitled them to consideration.
This caused such a storm of protest and complaint against the doings
of his proteges that Diego Columbus was forced to suspend them and
appoint Commander Moscoso in their place.

This personage only made matters worse. The first thing he did was
to practise another redistribution of Indians. This exasperated
everybody to such an extent that the Admiral found it necessary to
come to San Juan himself. He came, accompanied by a numerous suite of
aspirants to different positions, among them Christopher Mendoza, the
successor of Moscoso (1514). After the restoration of Ceron and Diaz
in their offices, Ponce quietly retired to his residence in Caparra.
He was wealthy and could afford to bide his time, but the spirit of
unrest in him chafed under this forced inaction. The idea of
discovering the island, said to exist somewhere in the northwestern
part of these Indies, where wonderful waters flowed that restored old
age to youth and kept youth always young, occupied his mind more and
more persistently, until, having obtained the king’s sanction, he
fitted out an expedition of three ships and sailed from the port of
Aguada March 3, 1512.

Strange as it may seem, that men like Ponce, Zuniga, and the other
leading expeditionists should be glad of an opportunity to risk their
lives and fortunes in the pursuit of a chimera, it must be remembered
that the island of Bemini itself was not a chimera.

The followers of Columbus, the majority of them ignorant and
credulous, had seen a mysterious new world rise, as it were, from the
depths of the ocean. As the islands, one after the other, appeared
before their astonished eyes, they discovered real marvels each day.
The air, the land, the sea, were full of them. The natives pointed in
different directions and spoke of other islands, and the adventurers’
imaginations peopled them with fancied wonders. There was, according
to an old legend, a fountain of perennial youth somewhere in the
world, and where was it more likely to be found than in this hitherto
unknown part of it?

Ponce and his companions believed in its existence as firmly as, some
years later, Ferdinand Pizarro believed in the existence of El Dorado
and the golden lake of Parime.

The expedition touched at Guanakani on the 14th of March, and on the
27th discovered what Ponce believed to be the island of which he was
in search. On April 2d Ponce landed and took possession in the king’s
name. The native name of the island was Cansio or Cautix, but the
captain named it “la Florida,” some say because he found it covered
with the flowers of spring; others, because he had discovered it on
Resurrection day, called “Pascua Florida” by the Spanish Catholics.

The land was inhabited by a branch of the warlike Seminole Indians,
who disputed the Spaniards’ advance into the interior. No traces of
gold were found, nor did the invaders feel themselves rejuvenated,
when, after a wearisome march or fierce fight with the natives, they
bathed in, or drank of, the waters of some stream or spring. They had
come to a decidedly inhospitable shore, and Ponce, after exploring the
eastern and southern littoral, and discovering the Cayos group of
small islands, turned back to San Juan, where he arrived in the
beginning of October, “looking much older,” says the chronicler, “than
when he went in search of rejuvenation.”

Two years later he sailed for the Peninsula and anchored in Bayona in
April, 1514. King Ferdinand received him graciously and conferred on
him the titles of Adelantado of Bemini and la Florida, with civil and
criminal jurisdiction on land and sea. He also made him commander of
the fleet for the destruction of the Caribs, and perpetual “regidor”
(prefect) of San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico. This last surname
for the island began to be used in official documents about this time
(October, 1514).

The fleet for the destruction of the Caribs consisted of three
caravels. With these, Ponce sailed from Betis on May 14, 1515,[24] and
reached the Leeward Islands in due course. In Guadeloupe, one of the
Carib strongholds, he landed a number of men without due precaution.
They were attacked by the natives. Fifteen of them were wounded, four
of whom died. Some women who had been sent ashore to wash the soiled
linen were carried off. Ponce’s report of the event was laconic: “I
wrote from San Lucas and from la Palma,” he writes to the king (August
7th to 8th). “In Guadeloupe, while taking in water the Indians wounded
some of my men. They shall be chastised.” Haro, one of the crown
officers in San Juan, informed the king afterward of all the
circumstances of the affair, and added: “He (Ponce) left the (wounded)
men in a deserted island on this side, which is Santa Cruz, and now he
sends a captain, instead of going himself …”

Ponce’s third landing occurred June 15, 1515. He found the island in a
deplorable condition. Discontent and disorder were rampant. The king
had deprived Diego Columbus of the right to distribute Indians
(January 23, 1513), and had commissioned Pasamonte to make a new
distribution in San Juan. The treasurer had delegated the task to
licentiate Sancho Velasquez, who received at the same time power to
audit the accounts of all the crown officers. The redistribution was
practised in September, 1514, with no better result than the former
ones. It was impossible to satisfy the demands of all. The
discontented were mostly Ponce’s old companions, who overwhelmed the
king with protests, while Velasquez defended himself, accusing Ponce
and his friends of turbulence and exaggerated ambition.

As a consequence of all this strife and discord, the Indians were
turned over from one master to another, distributed like cattle over
different parts of the islands, and at each change their lot became
worse.

Still, there were large numbers of them that had never yet been
subjugated. Some, like the caciques of Humacao and Daguao, who
occupied the eastern and southeastern parts of the island, had agreed
to live on a peace footing with the Spaniards, but Ponce’s impolitic
proceeding in taking by force ten men from the village of the
first-named chief caused him and his neighbor of Daguao to burn their
villages and take to the mountains in revolt. Many other natives had
found a comparatively safe refuge in the islands along the coast, and
added largely to the precarious situation by pouncing on the Spanish
settlements along the coast when least expected. Governor Mendoza
undertook a punitive expedition to Vieques, in which the cacique
Yaureibo was killed; but the Indians had lost that superstitious dread
of the Spaniards and of their weapons that had made them submit at
first, and they continued their incursions, impeding the island’s
progress for more than a century.

 

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 24: Washington Irving says January.]

 

Filed Under: Puertorican Genealogy Tagged With: , , , , ,

“Arroz con Dulce” Puerto Rico Rice Pudding

December 24, 2011 By

Hola amigos: This is another of our Christmas “comfort foods”: arroz con dulce, our delicious coconut rice pudding. This recipe reminds me of my mother’s arroz con dulce – delicioso! ES

 

 

Arroz con Dulce Image

 

Ingredients:

4 cans of Goya coconut milk -we will need 5 1/2 cups of coconut milk so complete with water (leave 1 cup apart for later )

1 1/2  cups of small or medium rice – soak in water for at least 1 hour – then washed until the water is clean.

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 pound ginger

12 cloves

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tbsp butter

4 cinnamon sticks

 

Instructions

Bring to a boil 1/2 cup of water and  add half (or more) of  the ginger-crushed- and the cloves for about 10 minutes; taste and add more ginger and cloves if needed and back to a boil. If  OK, strain it and set it aside.

In a “caldero’ or small  dutch oven at medium heat for about 15 minutes , bring 4 1/2 cups (of the  5 1/2 cups of coconut milk you have) and   mix it with the  1 1/2 cups of rice already washed, and the strained ginger and cloves water.

Leave it for 15 minutes med-high without sugar and then 15 minutes more with the sugar, the raisins and 1/2 cup of the coconut milk. After those last 15 minutes , check the cooked rice and species  and add the last 1/2 cup of coconut milk and the butter ( and the coconut flakes if you want).  Mix  and put  on a  dish and refrigerate until serve.  Enjoy!



 

 




 

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Un Pasado Que Define Lo Que Somos Hoy…

December 23, 2011 By

De eso se trata la historia y la genealogía, de entender un pasado que define lo que somos hoy.

 

 

Libro Los Santiago - Evelyn Santiago

 

Lo que somos hoy se compone de lo que fueron los que caminaron esta   vida antes que nosotros:  nuestros padres, nuestros abuelos, nuestros bisabuelos, nuestros tatarabuelos … todos nuestros antepasados  y todo  lo que nos legaron.

Muchas  veces ese legado es imperfecto  porque imperfecto es el hombre, pero nos inquietamos pensando  y  culpando a otros de nuestras dificultades  ó  de nuestras limitaciones.

No es  fácil aceptar nuestra responsabilidad, pero como adultos nos damos cuenta de que tenemos que  dar gracias por  lo que se nos ha dado, perdonar por lo que no se nos pudo dar y buscar en otros lugares y en otras personas lo que nos falte para poder completarnos física, emocional y espiritualmente y ser felices.  La decisión es nuestra.

En mi caso, ya que no tuve hijos (y el que no tiene hijos tiene sobrinos y ahijados), no soy muy amante de los animales y no tengo alma de enfermera, he  dedicado parte de mi tiempo al cuidado de mi  jardín, que depende entre otras cosas de mi atención, para subsistir y florecer. En esos momentos, en esas horas  que le dedico, practico una forma de “meditación en movimiento” que me  mantiene en comunicación conmigo misma, con mi yo interior, con mi espiritualidad conectada a la  madre naturaleza; nutriendo lo que me nutre y me da vida.

Además, me  he dedicado a leer  mucho, a escribir y a estudiar para poder entenderme, conocerme y perdonarme; para  poder crecer como ser humano (ya que lo que no crece se muere, y en verdad, si voy a estar aquí, prefiero mantenerme lo más viva posible) y para poder entender, perdonar  y seguir… completando el ciclo de la vida.

He aprendido que uno no tiene que aceptar todo lo que se acepta como verdad en el mundo racional del pensamiento secular ó de hace siglos, que uno también puede respetar sus propios pensamientos, intuiciones y sentimientos.

Que uno tiene que encontrar y dar de lo que uno tiene dentro y que cuando la mente, el cuerpo y el espíritu se unen, el resultado es mágico, maravilloso.

En  nuestra familia, como en todas las  familias de este mundo imperfecto, ha habido momentos buenos y malos, muchas alegrías y muchas tristezas.

Contamos con anécdotas que nos llenan de orgullo y otras que  preferimos no recordar, pero siempre ha habido mucha unión y mucho cariño.

Y aunque muchos aprendemos a amar de forma  no muy saludable y a veces completamente “disfuncional”, de alguna manera nos logramos mantener “conectados” y en la búsqueda  de ese  ideal.

Y  aunque pase el tiempo que pase, cuando nos volvemos a encontrar es como si no hubiera pasado el tiempo.

Les invito a dar una vuelta por el pasado y escudriñar nuestras  raíces. Mantengan una actitud abierta  y un corazón compasivo y recuerden que la  verdad, como dice Harry Potter, es generalmente preferible a la mentira. Ignorar el pasado, negarlo, ó tratar de enterrarlo en los continuos detalles diarios, nunca funciona.

Recordemos que es una “cadena de aprendizaje lo que el ser humano transmite de generación en generación” (Los 4 Acuerdos) y no podemos culpar a los que nos enseñaron lo único que sabían. Hicieron lo mejor que pudieron con esa programación dada.

Sin recursos para la vida, muchos intentaron escapar de su impotencia de la única manera que sabían, “olvidando las penas”  en el alcohol.

El dolor profundo del hombre sólo lo conoce él mismo y si  no nos gusta nuestra vida ni como somos, nos herimos y herimos a los que amamos también, desafortunadamente.

Observemos nuestra historia sin pasar juicios, sin los opuestos de bueno ó  malo, justo ó injusto, moral ó inmoral, mejor ó peor.

Les invito a mirar y ver  y  a recordar que las realidades, situaciones y recursos de esos tiempos eran otros…

Que la vida era muy dura y la pobreza, extrema.

Que lo que damos hoy por sentado y no valoramos, como el tener agua potable, la electricidad, los automóviles, los aviones, la televisión, los artefactos eléctricos, las computadoras, las escuelas y la transportación pública, por ejemplo, son lujos que a los ojos de algunos de nuestros antepasados parecerían increíbles.

Que nuestros antepasados europeos llegaron a la isla de  Puerto Rico buscando libertad para creer en lo que creían (muchos perdiéndolo todo y volviendo a empezar), buscando nuevas oportunidades u obligados por la necesidad.

Que nuestros antepasados esclavos  llegaron  encadenados, separados a la fuerza de todo lo que amaban y conocían.

Y que nuestros antepasados los “indios” taínos que poblaban la isla, fueron aniquilados como pueblo, pero que gracias a los matrimonios con los europeos  y los negros, su herencia  racial continúa.

Y esa es la mezcla racial y cultural que heredamos, la sangre que compartimos. Los puertorriqueños somos una  mezcla de las tres razas del género humano: la raza mongoloide ó  china u oriental, la caucásica ó blanca y la negroide ó negra.

La mongoloide porque de ahí descienden los taínos y todos los indios americanos (The Races Of Mankind by Dr. H. Field), de la caucásica  por los europeos del “descubrimiento” y de la negroide, por los  africanos que vinieron a nuestra isla.

Así que aún siendo una isla tan pequeña, dio cabida a las tres razas del mundo!

 

Filed Under: Genealogia Boricua Tagged With: , , , , , ,

My Posts

December 23, 2011 By

Some of my posts in my Blog are taking part in a long line of moral and ethical issues:  slavery, family sensitivities, identity, immigration, touchy issues, minorities, mankind origins, DNA testing, heritage, races, mixing cultures …

Most of the people who are reading them are responding in a very positive way…

When I first began writing my Blog I had the intention of using my work and the work of others as a springboard for “conversation” about moral and ethical issues, when possible.

Star Wars LegacyImage

 

I started gravitating toward that niche of moral and ethical issues  as I kept researching and writing. I have always written about subjects that engage me – questions and answers for a better world and better human beings.

Before I was a writer I was a teacher and a tutor, since I can remember, and still am. My first classroom was our “little” doll’s house where I had my siblings as my students.  My classroom just gotten a little bigger and my students a lot wiser…

I’m navigating a world of critical thinking and thinkers. We want to know and be aware of what’s right – to  guide us on all we do and  help us grow.

My books and my poetry are a reflection of that:  my quest for knowledge and wisdom, my love  and passion for excellence and the sharing of what is  right.

“May the force be with you”! ES

Filed Under: Genealogy Tagged With: , , ,

The Irish Slave Trade – The Forgotten “White” Slaves

December 18, 2011 By

Hola amigos: Today we will keep reading about the white slaves brought to America. This time we will learn about the Irish Slave Trade:  The Slaves That Time Forgot. This article is written by John Martin, an Irish American, a Celt, very proud of his ancestry. He tells us how the people of Ireland & Scotland, the Celtics, spent hundreds of years fighting English oppression and how they were shipped to America as slave cargo in  British ships… ES

 

Ireland Slavery Book Image

Dr. Nini Rodgers’s Ireland, Slavery and Anti-Slavery 1612-1865 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007) compares slavery in Africa with slavery in early Ireland, discussing the Irish connections of famous ex-slaves Olaudah Equiano and Frederick Douglass and finishing with an assessment of the relationship between slaves and Irish immigrants in the US.  Presented in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame. Co-sponsored by the NYU’s Atlantic History Seminar.

 

The Slaves That Time Forgot

By  John Martin

They came as slaves; vast human cargo transported on tall British ships bound for the Americas. They were shipped by the hundreds of thousands and included men, women, and even the youngest of children.

Whenever they rebelled or even disobeyed an order, they were punished in the harshest ways. Slave owners would hang their human property by their hands and set their hands or feet on fire as one form of punishment. They were burned alive and had their heads placed on pikes in the marketplace as a warning to other captives.

We don’t really need to go through all of the gory details, do we? After all, we know all too well the atrocities of the African slave trade. But, are we talking about African slavery?

King James II and Charles I led a continued effort to enslave the Irish. Britain’s famed Oliver Cromwell furthered this practice of dehumanizing one’s next door neighbor.

The Irish slave trade began when James II sold 30,000 Irish prisoners as slaves to the New World. His Proclamation of 1625 required Irish political prisoners be sent overseas and sold to English settlers in the West Indies. By the mid 1600s, the Irish were the main slaves sold to Antigua and Montserrat. At that time, 70% of the total population of Montserrat were Irish slaves.

Ireland quickly became the biggest source of human livestock for English merchants. The majority of the early slaves to the New World were actually white.

From 1641 to 1652, over 500,000 Irish were killed by the English and another 300,000 were sold as slaves. Ireland’s population fell from about 1,500,000 to 600,000 in one single decade. Families were ripped apart as the British did not allow Irish dads to take their wives and children with them across the Atlantic. This led to a helpless population of homeless women and children. Britain’s solution was to auction them off as well.

During the 1650s, over 100,000 Irish children between the ages of 10 and 14 were taken from their parents and sold as slaves in the West Indies, Virginia and New England. In this decade, 52,000 Irish (mostly women and children) were sold to Barbados and Virginia. Another 30,000 Irish men and women were also transported and sold to the highest bidder. In 1656, Cromwell ordered that 2000 Irish children be taken to Jamaica and sold as slaves to English settlers.

Many people today will avoid calling the Irish slaves what they truly were: Slaves. They’ll come up with terms like “Indentured Servants” to describe what occurred to the Irish. However, in most cases from the 17th and 18th centuries, Irish slaves were nothing more than human cattle.

As an example, the African slave trade was just beginning during this same period. It is well recorded that African slaves, not tainted with the stain of the hated Catholic theology and more expensive to purchase, were often treated far better than their Irish counterparts.

African slaves were very expensive during the late 1600s (50 Sterling). Irish slaves came cheap (no more than 5 Sterling). If a planter whipped or branded or beat an Irish slave to death, it was never a crime. A death was a monetary setback, but far cheaper than killing a more expensive African.

The English masters quickly began breeding the Irish women for both their own personal pleasure and for greater profit. Children of slaves were themselves slaves, which increased the size of the master’s free workforce. Even if an Irish woman somehow obtained her freedom, her kids would remain slaves of her master. Thus, Irish moms, even with this new found emancipation, would seldom abandon their kids and would remain in servitude.

In time, the English thought of a better way to use these women (in many cases, girls as young as 12) to increase their market share: The settlers began to breed Irish women and girls with African men to produce slaves with a distinct complexion. These new “mulatto” slaves brought a higher price than Irish livestock and, likewise, enabled the settlers to save money rather than purchase new African slaves.

This practice of interbreeding Irish females with African men went on for several decades and was so widespread that, in 1681, legislation was passed “forbidding the practice of mating Irish slave women toAfrican slave men for the purpose of producing slaves for sale.” In short, it was stopped only because it interfered with the profits of a large slave transport company.

England continued to ship tens of thousands of Irish slaves for more than a century. Records state that, after the 1798 Irish Rebellion, thousands of Irish slaves were sold to both America and Australia.

There were horrible abuses of both African and Irish captives. One British ship even dumped 1,302 slaves into the Atlantic Ocean so that the crew would have plenty of food to eat.

There is little question that the Irish experienced the horrors of slavery as much (if not more in the 17th Century) as the Africans did. There is, also, very little question that those brown, tanned faces you witness in your travels to the West Indies are very likely a combination of African and Irish ancestry.

In 1839, Britain finally decided on it’s own to end it’s participation in Satan’s highway to hell and stopped transporting slaves. While their decision did not stop pirates from doing what they desired, the new law slowly concluded THIS chapter of nightmarish Irish misery.

But, if anyone, black or white, believes that slavery was only an African experience, then they’ve got it completely wrong.

Irish slavery is a subject worth remembering, not erasing from our memories. But, where are our public (and PRIVATE) schools???? Where are the history books? Why is it so seldom discussed?

Do the memories of hundreds of thousands of Irish victims merit more than a mention from an unknown writer? Or is their story to be one that their English pirates intended: To (unlike the African book) have the Irish story utterly and completely disappear as if it never happened.

None of the Irish victims ever made it back to their homeland to describe their ordeal. These are the lost slaves; the ones that time and biased history books conveniently forgot.

 

Filed Under: Genealogy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies 38 Years Later

December 18, 2011 By

Hola amigos: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro de Estudios Puertorrriquenos ) of the Hunter College, celebrates their 38 year of opening  it’s doors. It’s a wonderful resource that I always recommend and use. Happy 38 years, Centro! ES

 

 

Centro de Estudios Parade Image

 

By Sandra E. Garcia

Fox News Latino
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/community/2011/12/12/inside-el-centro-for-puerto-rican-studies/#ixzz1gW9XMrFf

Founded in 1973, El Centro for Puerto Rican Studies in New York City has become more than an archive. It’s more than a library. The center has become a reference point for the heart of Puerto Rican culture.

El Centro holds some of Puerto Rico‘s most prized historical literature and references in an attempt to answer some of people’s most introspective questions, including: What does it mean to be Puerto Rican?

“We are in charge of conserving that heritage, that legacy,” said Edwin Meléndez, El Center’s director.

El Centro is trying to make sure that everyone with an affinity for the culture has a destination where they can go and study its history, the merging of two ancestries. It holds over 250 collections from some of the top names in Puerto Rico’s American history. Its archives are donated by the authors of the work.

“These are one-of-a-kind pieces that you can’t find anywhere else in the world,” said Meléndez. “These archives document the cultural mix of Puerto Ricans and American culture.”

Many of these pieces surround the history of New York City, which has the largest population of Puerto Ricans outside of Puerto Rico. According to the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey, the city is home to some 800,000 Puerto Ricans.

Pieces include Oscar García Rivera’s political artifacts. García Rivera ran for New York State Assemblyman as a Republican in 1937, and was the first Puerto Rican to be hold political office in the US. El Centro has everything from pamphlets to posters of the campaign.

Meléndez says among his favorites are the first Puerto Rican librarian, Pura Belpre’s puppets and the Presidential Medals awarded to Tony Pantojas and Helen Rodríguez. Or maybe a hat signed by Pedro Pietri, a Nuyorican poet and playwright.

“There are many candidates for the best,” he said.

The archive contains collections from people like Olga Méndez – the first Puerto Rican woman elected to a state legislature in the US. Her memorabilia includes plaques, files from her time in office and correspondence. Mendez represented the 28th District in New York City for 28 years, until she was defeated by José Serrano in 2004.

“I think that New York City holds a special place in the history of the Puerto Rican community in the United States,” Meléndez said. “New York City has been the birth place of the Puerto Rican Diaspora. To date, Puerto Ricans are the footing of Latino culture in the city.”

These collections share a grand gray area with the history of New York City. It’s what makes El Centro an important historical place for the city.

Funded by the State of New York, The City University of New York, and Hunter College, El Centro grew as an idea from CUNY students in the late 60s and early 70s who were fighting for a tuition-free public college.

El Centro does not stop at collecting and archiving original works – it also operates educational programs for students who want to learn about their Puerto Rican heritage and people who want to teach Puerto Rican studies.

“Having the collection is just the first start,” Meléndez said. “We are trying to help people find answers to guide them to better understand the Puerto Rican community.”

Housed in Hunter College, Meléndez said students and researchers are welcome at El Centro to “promote cultural continuity.”

“We often work together,” Meléndez said. “We have students here with an affinity for the Puerto Rican history. They want to know about the roots of their parents and grandparents.”

He said what he wants is to start conversation. To try and answer the question that people keep asking.

“What defines us as Puerto Ricans has evolved over time and has increased in complexity. What does it mean to be Puerto Rican? It’s an evolving question that we may never have a response to,” he said. “This never ending, revolving question is what the center is all about. All of this translates into how people can become leaders and make a difference in their community.”

Filed Under: Puerto Rico Roots Tagged With: , , , , ,

Vieques y Santa Cruz – Primera Parte

December 8, 2011 By

Hola amigos: Continuamos con el barrio de los puertorriqueños en Santa Cruz y las relaciones de  nuestra Isla Nena, Vieques, con esta isla cercana, Santa Cruz ( St. Croix). Es parte de “Voces” del Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños del Hunter College. Este  estudio es auspiciado   por el Concilio de Humanidades de Islas Virgenes  y la Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH).   ES

 

Santa Cruz Image

Relaciones Históricas entre Vieques y Santa Cruz

by Roberto Rabin

Archivo Histórico de Vieques

“De Papa dem (puertorriqueños) son nuestros hermanos.
Somos del mismo árbol. Sus raíces son nuestras raíces.
Se extienden cientos de años hacia atrás, hasta África.”
Del libro Kallaloo de Richard A. Schrader, Sr.

Introducción:

Esta publicación es parte de un programa de investigación y divulgación sobre las relaciones históricas entre las islas de Vieques (Puerto Rico) y Santa Cruz (Islas Virgenes de Estados Unidos),  auspiciado por el Concilio de Humanidades de Islas Virgenes (VIHC, por sus siglas en inglés) y la fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH).

Durante el año académico 1992-93, el historiador residente en Vieques, Robert Rabin, con fondos del VIHC, ofreció una serie de conferencias en las escuelas de Santa Cruz y para la comunidad en general sobre el proceso centenario de migraciones entre nuestras islas.

Otro aspecto importante del proyecto fue la participación de estudiantes de la Central High School(CHS) en una serie de talleres sobre las relaciones históricas entre Vieques y Santa Cruz. Los participantes aprendieron también sobre el proyecto de entrevistar a personas mayores (Historia Oral) para “rescatar” información importante sobre nuestro pasado colectivo. Los estudiantes de la CHS incluyeron a Maribel Chaparro, María Charriez, Merari Cordero, Glendalee Cruz, Jay Cruz, Kareem Francis, Marisol Ramos, Flordaliza Reyes, Dayanara Rivera, Celinés Rodriguez y Alex Romero. Las profesoras Leonor Gillete y Luz Hyfield de la CHS ayudaron con la coordinación de los talleres.

Con la ayuda de Vanesa Ayala Berg, humanista residente del VIHC en Santa Cruz y consejera de la Universidad de Islas Vírgenes (UVI, por sus siglas en inglés), se logró la participación de los siguientes estudiantes de la UVI: Rudolph Albert, Clint D. Ferris, Glendina Mathew, Armando Muñoz, Paulina Ramos, Aymee Santana y Luz Rivera.

Los estudiantes grabaron las historias de sus padres, abuelos y vecinos ancianos relacionadas con la migración viequense a Santa Cruz. Se entrevistaron a veinticinco personas durante el proyecto de cuatro meses. Las grabaciones, notas y otros documentos recopilados están disponibles para los investigadores y otros interesados, en el Archivo Histórico de Vieques.

Parte1:

    • Apuntes sobre las relaciones históricas entre Santa Cruz y ViequesLas relaciones históricas entre las Islas Vírgenes y el archipiélago puertorriqueño son abarcadoras. Puerto Rico y las islas de Santa Cruz, St. John y St. Thomas comparten muchas similitudes en sus procesos de desarrollo y transformaciones socioculturales: población indígena de raíz araucana; destrucción de las culturas autóctonas con la llegada de los europeos hace cinco siglos; la esclavitud como la base del sistema de plantaciones azucareras; resistencia contra la opresión y los abusos de amos y gobernantes coloniales; continuo movimiento migratorio intraisleño y relaciones coloniales con potencias metropolitanas europeas y, en nuestro siglo, norteamericana.Es la relación entre Vieques y Santa Cruz, sin embargo, que representa la máxima expresión de la conexión histórica entre Puerto Rico e Islas Vírgenes. Desde temprano en el siglo pasado, existe un movimiento migratorio entre Vieques y Santa Cruz que ha creado fuertes enlaces entre ambos pueblos. Estos nexos no se limitan a lo económico y político, sino que se extienden a las relaciones culturales y sociales. Un alto nivel de relación familiar se ha generado entre viequenses y cruzanos. Existe entre la población de ascendencia puertorriqueña residente en Santa Cruz, estimada en unas 20,000 personas, un notable sentido de identidad “cruzana”.Durante el siglo XIX y a principios del siglo XX, Vieques proveyó trabajo y un nuevo hogar para un gran número de personas de las Islas Vírgenes. Miles de hombres, mujeres y niños emigraron a Vieques desde las colonias danesas e inglesas del Caribe a trabajar en los cañaverales, ingenios y puertos en aquella época cuando el azúcar era “reina” en esta región. Aunque muchos de estos inmigrantes eran naturales de Tórtola, Antigua, Anguilla, Virgen Gorda, St. Kitts y Nevis, la proximidad entre Vieques e Islas Vírgenes convirtió a estas últimas en el puente que unía a Vieques con el resto de las Antillas Menores.A principios del siglo XX, obreros de Islas Vírgenes representaban una parte sustancial de la población de Vieques. El censo poblacional de Vieques para 1910 provee información sobre cientos de personas naturales de Islas Vírgenes residentes en Vieques. Emilia Crahmar, de Santa Cruz, entró a Vieques en 1866 y trabajó como labradora, según el censo. En 1867, Samuel Williams salió de Santa Cruz para Vieques donde trabajó en uno de los muchos ingenios en la isla. Carlos Charles, carpintero de 29 años para el 1910, llegó a Vieques desde Santa Cruz en 1891. Otros artesanos emigrados de Santa Cruz a Vieques fueron George Onfri, herrero, quien vino en 1878 y Joseph Anduce, hojalatero de 45 años de edad en 1910, quien se había mudado a Vieques en 1868. Abraham Emery y John Fermin llegarón a Vieques de St. Thomas en 1879 y 1898 respectivamente y trabajaron como labradores, según el censo.también de St. Thomas fue AgustinaGatlif, residente en Vieques desde 1872, donde vivió como dulcera.La dirección del flujo de gente entre nuestras islas cambió marcadamente a finales de la segunda década de nuestro siglo. Ya para 1927 habían cerrado operaciones las centrales de Vieques La Arkadia, La Esperanza, y La Santa María. Había sido la prosperidad de estas operaciones azucareras el principal atractivo para los muchos “peones extranjeros” de las cercanas colonias británicas y danesas que emigraron a Vieques y la fuente de trabajo para la población nativa viequense. La grave crisis en la economía mundial que comenzó en 1929 y que continuó hasta el inicio de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, tuvo serias repercusiones en Vieques. Una situación de pobreza y desesperación empujó a miles de viequenses a buscar oportunidades en otros lares.Varios acontecimientos en el primer tercio del siglo facilitaron y promovieron la migración de viequenses a Santa Cruz. La compra de las Islas Vírgenes danesas por parte de Estados Unidos en 1917 y la aprobación del acta Jones otorgándoles la ciudadanía estadounidense a los puertorriqueños en ese mismo año, eliminarón las barreras legales al movimiento de gente entre estos territorios norteamericanos. La aplicación a las Islas Vírgenes estadounidenses de las leyes de inmigración norteamericanas en 1927 también tuvo un fuerte impacto en este proceso. Anterior a esta fecha los agricultores daneses importaban obreros para la industria de la caña de las cercanas islas británicas. Las nuevas leyes paralizaron esta práctica y obligó a los azucareros a buscar en otros lugares para su mano de obra.En la cercana isla de Vieques encontraron una situación ideal: condiciones deprimentes de la industria azucarera viequense empeoradas con la Gran Depresión de los años ’30, obligaban a los trabajadores de Vieques a emigrar en busca de empleo. Agentes de las compañías azucareras de Islas Vírgenes reclutaron gangas de obreros en Vieques para transportarlos a Santa Cruz. Muchos de estos trabajadores “temporeros” se quedaron, trajeron sus familiares de Vieques y se establecieron en Santa Cruz permanentemente.La situación crítica de Vieques llegó a su auge a finales de los 1930’s. Un artículo del periódico, El mundo, del martes, 6 de junio de 1939 lleva como título, La isla de Vieques se está quedando desierta. El subtítulo lee: “las familias emigran por centenares rumbo a Santa Cruz huyéndose de la espantosa situación de miseria que allí (en Vieques) prevalece”.Un miembro de una comisión viequense que había viajado a San Juan en busca de ayuda del gobierno central, declaró lo siguiente a la prensa,”ahora mismo debe estar el nene llorando por hambre. Hay veces que, por no dejar de ser honrao’, me tengo que contener pa’ no llevar a mis hijos alguna de las reses que tiene la central por allí cerca”. Ante la “pavorosa situación de miseria” que afligía la isla, la emigración fue una de pocas alternativas. El artículo de El Mundo señala que más de tres mil personas ya habían emigrado a Santa Cruz. Los miembros de la Comisión preguntaban a los representantes del gobierno: “…que piensan hacer de nuestras esposas y de nuestras madres, de nuestros hijos y de nuestras hermanas. Estamos dispuestos a liar los trapos y marcharnos también para Santa Cruz, dejando desierta a Vieques”.En 1941, comenzaron en Vieques las expropiaciones de la marina de guerra de Estados Unidos que terminaron a finales de esa década restando de manos viequenses el 72% del territorio de la isla. Desaparecida la última central, la Playa Grande, como consecuencia de la llegada de la marina, la situación socioeconómica empeoró. Doña Guillermina Nieves Nieves, nacida en Vieques el 8 de julio de 1913, relató a las estudiantes de la Central High School, Marisol Ramos y Maribel Chaparro, sobre su decisión de emigrar a Santa Cruz.

      “La situación en el ’44 estaba mala. Yo tenía cinco hijos, se había terminado la construcción en la base naval y no había trabajo en Vieques. Cuando quitaron la central Playa Grande, entonces, ¿dónde había trabajo y dónde había dinero? Qué íbamos a comer con cinco muchachos y nosotros dos, ¿qué comeríamos? Por eso la gente emigraron. Fuimos buscando ambiente. Uno tiene que ir donde haiga (…) donde no haiga, ¿por qué? Aquí (en Santa Cruz) habían muchos puertorriqueños. La familia de mi esposo ya estaba aquí (…) después yo vine. Yo fui la primera y detrás de mí se vinieron todos, mi mamá, mi papá y todo el mundo (…) era bueno porque había trabajo (…) se trabajaba (…) vinieron muchos puertorriqueños (…) casi todos los puertorriqueños que hay aquí, los mayores, casi todos eran de Vieques (…) todavía hay muchos viviendo aquí (…) muchos han muerto”.

      Nota: Expulsados de Vieques por el fracaso de la industria azucarera y las expropiaciones militares de los 1940’s, los viequenses emigraron en grandes números a Santa Cruz, donde había trabajo disponible en las plantaciones azucareras, en una naciente industria turística y luego en las plantas petroquímicas. En las últimas décadas, personas de todas clases de la sociedad viequense han emigrado a Santa Cruz en busca de un mejor futuro. Mientras el número de puertorriqueños en Islas Vírgenes se estimó en 3,000 en 1950, 6,000 para 1960 y 9,700 en 1965, los estimados actuales son de 20,000.

Filed Under: Genealogia Boricua Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Puerto Rico’s “Baseball Royalty” To Be Honored

December 8, 2011 By

Hola amigos: The Hall of Fame is honoring one of our baseball heroes: Roberto Clemente. He was a great athlete and human being and not only is honored by the Hall Of Fame but by Broadway. His life  is being celebrated in an Off-Broadway musical: “DC-7, the Roberto Clemente Story.” Clemente died in a plane crash while trying to deliver aid to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua on New Year’s Eve 1972.

Roberto Clemente Image

 

By James Gauger

Philadelphia Sports Examiner

 

http://www.examiner.com/sports-in-philadelphia/puerto-rico-s-baseball-royalty-to-be-honored

The Hall of Fame pays homage to the homeland of four of it’s beloved heroes. The Hall of Fame calls Roberto Clemente, Roberto Alomar, Orlando Cepeda  and Tony Perez, Puerto Rico’s Baseball royalty.”Philadelphia Sports Examiner

The right field wall at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, stands 21 feet tall in honor of Roberto Clemente.

Clemente, the Bucs’ legendary right fielder who wore No. 21, died in a New Year‘s Eve plane crash in 1972. As baseball fans know, Clemente was on a mission of mercy that night, delivering supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

The Baseball Writers Association of America waived its five-year rule and voted Clemente into the Hall of Fame the next year. In an 18-year career with the Pirates, he batted .317 and finished with exactly 3,000 hits. He was an All-Star, a Gold Glover and the first Hispanic player to be voted into the Hall.

Clemente was born in Carolina, 12 miles southeast of the capital city of Puerto Rico, San Juan, on August 18, 1934.

Clemente was a man of charisma and wonderful athletic ability. This week, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown  announced a unique honor for Clemente and three other Major League players from Puerto Rico. The Hall of Fame calls Clemente, Roberto Alomar, Orlando Cepeda and Tony Perez “Puerto Rico’s baseball royalty.”

According to a press release, the players’ “Hall of Fame plaques will leave their home in Cooperstown to travel to Puerto Rico, from December 16-19, as the Hall of Fame pays homage to the homeland of four of its beloved heroes.”

The four-day visit to cities across the commonwealth of Puerto Rico will mark the first time in the 73-year history of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum that more than two Hall of Fame plaques have traveled simultaneously.

The Museum is expanding its outreach in Latin America “by providing an exclusive opportunity to the fans of Puerto Rico in the year in which Alomar was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame.”

Hosted in conjunction with Museo del Deporte de Puerto Rico in Guaynabo, the visit of the four Hall of Fame plaques will include public showings in Guaynabo, Guayama, Salinas and Ponce.

“The baseball fans of Puerto Rico are among the best in the world,” said Jeff Idelson, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in the press release. “In celebrating the induction of one of their heroes this summer, Roberto Alomar, we are honored to share some of Cooperstown with the passionate baseball fans of Puerto Rico. The love they have for their game and their stars is truly unmatched. We are very appreciative to our friends at Museo del Deporte de Puerto Rico for making our visit possible.”

A private event and unveiling of the plaques will take place at the Museo del Deporte de Puerto Rico on Friday, December 16, at 5 p.m. and will feature a special evening hosted by the Museo featuring Puerto Rican dignitaries, former and current players.

“The contributions of Puerto Ricans to the game of baseball are seen all around the world, but no more so than at the home of baseball in Cooperstown,” said Rafi Serrano, Executive Director of Museo del Deporte de Puerto Rico. “For generations, Puerto Rican influence has touched the Hall of Fame. Now, a part of the Hall of Fame is coming to Puerto Rico. We are thrilled to honor these native sons who have left an indelible mark on the game.”

According to the press release, this marks only the third time a Hall of Fame plaque has traveled outside the continental U.S. The Hall of Fame previously traveled Roberto Clemente’s plaque in 2000 to Puerto Rico and Juan Marichal’s plaque to the Dominican Republic in 2008.

For more information about the Hall of Fame, go to baseballhall.org. David Maraniss’ 2006 book, “Clemente, The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero” is a recommended read.

 

 

 

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