I WAS BORN IN PUERTO RICO...A Play produce by Paul Simon (of Simon & Garfunkel) based on the true New York story back in the 1950's of a Street gang. This young man, who's sad and pitiful life is depicted in this Song/Play tells of his past~where he came from the beautiful tropical island of Puerto Rico~to the cold mean streets of N.Y....and how he dealth with adversity, racism and ask me if I care attitudes from the people in his neighborhood...been there experienced that, so I can relate and understand having seen many a guys in my old neighborhood in the Bronx, whose lives where destroyed by gangs and drugs. Gangs made him felt safe and needed...the scent of dinners...know one knows your heart like I do...I was born in Puerto Rico~my blood is the Taino~Spanish Caribbean in my soul. A True Story, for example, the famous handsome Actor Jimmy Smit tells of coming to the U.S. (mainland) from Puerto Rico wearing summer clothing in the middle of cold snow! imagine how he felt!. Renting apt. that the Irish had originally lived in small dark dirty tenements full of Rats & Roaches~Thank God in his goodness I was raised in the Projects in those days it was clean, safe, beautiful high rise apartments...the old tenements were dangerous to play in unsafe and scary in every way imaginable. He mentions the Pentecostal church~that was a way to socialize and feel safe in a Godly-bible based fellowship. When the young men mention their names it breaks my heart for some a minor infraction due to language barrier they were institutionalized and or worse put in jail young men with hardened criminals for up to 20 years...sometimes we wouldn't see a guy for a few years and my mother would ask them where they'd been they say, Puerto Rico and my mom would say 'Don't lie~you don't have a Tan~you were where you don't pay rent and eat for free-IN JAIL!' Sure enough, they had been...we were like stay clear of him. W:OW! These guys in the song were sent to places that were old decrepit and full of diseases where they use to send the Irish men centuries earlier for debts they couldn't pay and they'd die in prison...ugh. death traps. Unable to even read the charges against them...due to again 'language barrier'. Then one night one of these young men took 'The Capeman' for his name it was a 'Night' 'Vampire Gang'. It's so very sad, because the music (I was born in Puerto Rico) stirs the soul, but then again...consider the result of living life on the streets of NYC...The Capeman was accused of stabbing a young white guy thought to be of a rival gang, but he wasn't he was an innocent guy just minding his own business...growing up in the mean streets, yet innocent pure and a son of the family...that though many years later when the Play~I was brn in Puerto Rico was released on Broadway with financial $$$ backing of many a Latino Star...The Family of the Young White Innocent Guy...PROTESTED the Play and it went Bust/Belly up...not so proud now being born in Puerto Rico does not equate taking a young innocent life just because the mean streets have been hard for Capeman...all of NY Spanish community did not support this outrage. The family of the young innocent man was avenged in that the Capeman got 20 years...he got out on good behavior, he should have behaved well from the get-go...I love the song it touches my heart, but the moral is you live an let live and respect and decency comes in all language and dignity comes before disgrace...that's ll I'm gonna say about that...and like my Mami always said, 'Tell me who you hang out with and I'll tell you who you are. <3 2 <3 mami nana ana nov.26, 2019 AD~In the Year of Our Lord.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
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