My Second Conversion: Soy Boricua, pa’ que tú lo sepas

I can recall the sounds of the river streams and coquis calling out to one another; as I still imagine feeling the warm sun rays on my face, as I gazed across the patio into the lush, green mountain of trees across the El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico. Whether it was picking bananas from the banana tree in the yard, wrestling coconuts from trees, or eating a bag of freshly picked quenepas (Spanish Lime); the memories made on the island are still very vivid to me. It still feels like I’m there at times, and other times, I long to experience those memories yet again. I appreciate even the cultural aspect of just being in the island, where strangers passing by your table at a restaurant shares a “buen provecho” (Spanish for “bon appetit!” in French or “enjoy” in English) in hopes that you enjoy your meal; or when you enter a room and greet an elder, one would say “bendición” (which is a traditional greeting in Puerto Rican culture, inquiring the elders blessing), and thus you are then met with the reply “”que Dios te bendiga” (Spanish for May God bless you). The Puerto Rican Island and culture is incredible, and I have come to embrace it much more in my latter years of life than when I was a child. I hope to encourage my children and the generations after them to continually embrace their Puerto Rican heritage by how I instill its importance to them. I also hope to inspire others from diverse ethnic backgrounds to celebrate their ethnicity and their role within it – how it is part of who they are and the continued ancestral story they belong to.

La isla del Encanto; Puerto Rico is one of the most beautiful places in all the world. I am speaking biasedly as a Puerto Rican, but it has become far more attractive to me as I matured and learned to appreciate its beauty later in life because I did not embrace my the island much as child. Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island that is roughly larger than the state of Delaware, yet smaller than Connecticut. Rumor has it that you can drive around the island in a day non-stop; but to appreciate its beautiful landscape and attractions, that is a difficult task to accomplish. I am a 3^rd generation Puerto Rican, born on the “mainland.” My grandmother, our matriarch, migrated from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico at the age of 13 to pursue the “American dream.” She intended to enroll in school when she arrived, but during World War 2 she began working in military equipment producing factories to take care of herself financially. The rest is history from there; she is a large reason why our family exists and lives here in the states. I enjoy talking to my iita (short for Abuelita, Spanish for Grandmother) and asking her questions about her childhood, her family, and try to piece together narratives and experiences that has shaped our family system.

It was during my first trip to the island at 16 years old, along with my recent visits, that provoked me to curate this journey where I became more and more intrigued to uncover my family ancestry, genealogical records, and family tree. I was introduced to my late Father’s mother (my Abuela), my cousins, aunts, and uncles – and I desired to learn more about the stories that shaped my family and though unknowingly, shaped me. I sensed that I owed it to myself to learn more about my family origin, who I was in light of the history of the Puerto Rican Island and its people, and how I am interconnected to it – not only to my personal family story, but the overall story of the Island of Puerto Rico. I desired to know my family’s history, embrace our cultural and ethnic traditions, and be sure to pass them on to my children, so that they can do the same. Thus, why it became essential to take our family on a recent trip to the island, and not necessarily experience the “touristic” places, but to learn about the Puerto Rican history, visit archeological places filled with history of our ancestors, and introduce them to our family on the island to help bridge the gap toward their ethnic embrace (Cite 1). I became proud of my Puerto Rican heritage, and how it influences my identidad (identity), and enriches my Christian worldview. This was not always the case for me, as I operated from both a western and urban culture for most of my life, which neither made space for me to fully embrace my ethnic heritage as a Puerto Rican.

The late Rev. Dr. Orlando Enrique Costas, a former Baptist Pastor, missionary, contextual theologian, and educator raised in the Bronx, NY, described a “second conversion” he experienced, when he returned back to the Island of Puerto Rico; “for he came to understand that culturally he would never become an anglo North American but that he had a rich cultural history that he should accept with pride” (Cite 2). This resonated with me so much. It provided language for what I experienced internally, because I also sensed a new perspective of my puertoriqueño-ness and how it shapes and informs my Christianity; and gives it context relative to the Puerto Rican distinctive. The Taino natives of the island were known to be “very gentle and without knowledge of what is evil;” and how they were willing to “give all that they do possess for anything that is given to them” (Cite 3). The framework of hospitality, communidad (community), and cariño (Spanish for affection or care) has been so embedded in the islands inhabitants that it still rings true today among puertorriqueños; qualities that should be enacted upon with spiritual intention that bring glory to God.

 Being raised in the United States, there isn’t much direct connection to Puerto Rican tradition and culture; it’s viewed from afar and in my experience, competing with the mainstream culture here. As a child, I didn’t fully understand my cultural distinctives, thus I did not fully embrace it as I ought to have done. However, during my “second conversion” experience, I understood that we were not born into this world in a vacuum; completely disconnected from the historical and ethnic implications of our family’s legacy. I now embrace our cultural traditions such as Día de los Reyes (Epiphany), I am more adamant to listen to Christian reggaetón artists and regularly share about our family tree and Puerto Rican identity to my peers and family.  We are very much part of the ongoing story being told of our ethnic heritage that plays a part in the larger narrative that the LORD has authored, utilizing the Gospel within its context and culture for redemption. Our ethnicities should not be dismissed, treated as other or less than within a western lens, however celebrated on the LORD is rich to demonstrate Himself and His love throughout all cultural contexts and through them, we can get a glimpse of His divinity revealed to us in creation (Romans 1:20). It’s because of this that I strive to embrace my puertoriqueño-ness; even if I “sueno como un gringo,” I am a Christian Puerto Rican that is not only in a diaspora from the island of Puerto Rico, but also a sojourner whose citizenship is in heaven, and proud of my full identity (Cite 4). 

References

Clements R. Markham, ed. and trans., The Journal of Christopher Columbus (During His First Voyage), and Documents Relating to the Voyages of John Cabot and Gaspar Corte Real (London: Hakluyt Society, 1893).

Conde-Frazier, Rev. Dr. E. (n.d.). Orlando E. Costas. Biola University. https://www.biola.edu/talbot/ce20/database/orlando-e-costas 

Ramos, A. (n.d.). THE PUERTO RICAN 🇵🇷 IMMERSION (13 Pueblos in 10 Days) | A-Ram Vlogs Ep. 012. YouTube. https://youtu.be/BuEnnTYSeK0?si=NA0R1l2zn049N9gx 

Ramos, A. (n.d.-a). Anthony “A-Ram” Ramos on Instagram: “Yo soy boricua, pa que to Lo Sepas! 🇵🇷 my prayer/psalm for unity and solidarity among Puerto Ricans across generations and geographies. 🙏🏼 🕊️.” Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr1-Fv4uaHZ/?igsh=aHAzcHJ5b2c5bHRm