NO SECOND-CLASS BORICUAS ¡Boricua, Presente! Puerto Rican Heritage Month • This is for the boricua and American born boricua and supporters and alliances No colorism and no hatearade and no divisions Palante Siempre Palante [CINEMATIC OPENING — COMMUNITY ORGANIZER] MALE VOICE — spoken, firm and welcoming East Harlem, are you with us? Citizen Action of New York — East Harlem, let’s open the conversation. This is Puerto Rican Heritage Month. But heritage is more than a month. It’s the people, the language, the struggle, the service, the elders who laid the foundation and the young people who will decide what happens next. Muslim, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, Jehovah’s Witness, Lukumí, agnostic — you don’t have to share one religion to stand together for human dignity. FEMALE VOICE: No party owns our humanity. No faith owns our neighborhood. And no one should be treated like a second-class citizen. ALL: ¡Boricua, presente! [VERSE 1 — MALE RAP] I’m Boricua, New York raised, carrying history in my stride, From Loíza’s bomba rhythms to El Barrio’s neighborhood pride. Not superior, not inferior, let the truth be understood, We honor every culture when we work for the common good. The flag is more than fabric, it’s the people underneath, The grandmother raising children, the worker grinding through the week. The student with a vision, the neighbor volunteering time, The family fighting for a home, the elder holding every line. American-born Boricua, born and raised upon this land, U.S. citizen, full dignity — you should never have to beg to stand. No stereotype can tell us what our future has to be, We’re scholars, artists, organizers, building community. No second-class treatment, no closed door without a reason, We need more than heritage speeches once a year during the season. Bring the facts into the meeting, put the questions on display, Build a coalition strong enough to make a better way. [CHORUS — MALE + FEMALE + COMMUNITY CHOIR] ¡Boricua, presente! We are here, we belong! From the block to the campus, let the people raise the song. ¡Boricua, presente! No one’s dignity is small! Different faiths, one humanity — there’s room for one and all. Build the power, share the knowledge, Bring the elders, bring the youth. From the neighborhood to City Hall, Let our organizing speak the truth. No second-class citizens! ¡Respeto y dignidad! Heritage means we serve the people — every borough, every barrio, every family in the land. [VERSE 2 — FEMALE RAP, SPANISH + ENGLISH] ¡Holla a la gente que trabaja por justicia! Que el conocimiento se convierta en acción comunitaria. Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, Hunter College, presente, En la esquina de la 119, preservando nuestra historia y nuestra gente. LatinoJustice PRLDEF, defensa de derechos civiles, Que las leyes protejan a las familias y abran caminos útiles. Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, escuchen la conexión: La diáspora también necesita información, acceso y representación. No es solo mencionar nombres, hay trabajo que organizar: Investigar, llamar, reunirnos, documentar. Preguntar quién toma decisiones, qué recursos pueden llegar, Y convertir cada reunión en un paso para avanzar. From legal education to cultural preservation, From neighborhood meetings to federal representation, We can build a table where the community has a voice, Not a promise made for cameras — but a plan with public choice. [ORGANIZING BREAK — CALL AND RESPONSE] ORGANIZER: What do we bring to the meeting? CHOIR: Facts and solutions! ORGANIZER: What do we bring to the table? CHOIR: People and voices! ORGANIZER: What do we do after the speeches? CHOIR: Follow up and organize! ORGANIZER: Who belongs in the conversation? CHOIR: Everybody! ALL — rhythmic bomba chant: ¡Batey, barril, comunidad! ¡Con respeto y dignidad! ¡Batey, barril, comunidad! ¡Nuestra historia vivirá! [VERSE 3 — MANHATTAN NEWS NETWORK / COMMUNITY SPACE] MALE LEAD — reflective, then building in intensity What happened to the Manhattan News Network? Who remembers the stories, the voices, the work? If that space on 104th at Hope Community is vacant, Let’s ask what happened — let’s get the facts on the table. Could it serve community meetings? Could organizers gather there? Could volunteers, elected officials and residents Find a place to plan and share? We don’t assume the answer — we organize the inquiry, Find the owner, learn the status, ask about the possibility. What permissions would be needed? What costs and rules apply? Can the space support the neighborhood? Let’s put the question out to try. FEMALE LEAD — Spanish Un espacio para el pueblo, para hablar y colaborar, Para jóvenes
