La Borinqueña

Whose fault is it that I sometimes feel more interested (or intrigued) by Black History than I am by Latin American History?
And is this a bad thing?
Or better yet, is my wondering a waste of time?
Could it be said that Black History is MY history as well?
Or is it because as a child in the US, history classes consist of George Washington, the Boston Tea Party, the cotton gin (which is CRAZY glorified even though it REVIVED slavery), Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcolm X?
Nothing wrong with learning about the above, nothing at all- it IS the American history... But with Latinos being the largest minority in America, wouldn't it be right that we learn about Latinos as well?!
Did I ONCE learn about Jose Marti as a child? Once I once asked whether I thought PR should remain a commonwealth, gain independence, or become a state?

La Borinqueña
La tierra de Borinquen
donde he nacido yo
es un jardín florido
de mágico primor.

Un cielo siempre nítido
le sirve de dosel
y dan arrullos plácidos
las olas a sus pies.

Cuando a sus playas llegó Colón
Exclamó lleno de admiración:
"Oh!, oh!, oh!, esta es la linda tierra
que busco yo".

Es Borinquen la hija,
la hija del mar y el sol,
del mar y el sol,
del mar y el sol,
del mar y el sol,
del mar y el sol.

In elementary school, before each assembly, we sang the Star Spangled Banner, Lift Every Voice And Sing... and La Borinqueña. A song for each of us, right? Nobody knew the words to La Borinqueña. We were all under the age of 13, we didn't take Spanish, and everyone would look at me because I tried, and knew the words as best as I could. A fascination with Frances (and about 3 others) because she knew the lyrics to that song in her language. Then there was the time where I was chosen to conduct the entire auditorium in singing the song because Ms. Davies, the teacher who previously conducted, left the school.

Today in Latino/a Literature and Culture, we discussed nationalism, the struggles of Cuba and Puerto Rico, and Spain's image during the 19th century.
I love La Borinqueña... but I got upset. Why the HELL did they even have us sing that song? A mockery, really, the kids just making sounds that resembled what the song really said, laughing when we sang "OH!OH!OH!OH!"... but can you blame them? Why didn't anyone TEACH US WHAT THE SONG MEANT? WHAT THE SONG SAID? WHAT THE SONG WAS ABOUT? WHY WE SANG IT?

Exactly what was the purpose?

I know the world is big and you can't focus on EVERYTHING, but I feel like we enter college cheated. I clearly remember being TIRED OF LEARNING ABOUT MLK JR. AND ROSA PARKS. "Again!?!?!" I would whine, tired of coloring pictures of MLK JR's face in Social Studies. Where would we be without him, I understand, I get it and I love EVERYTHING he stood for- but is it cute that I can school a black person on his history- yet I find myself mouth closed and eager to hear about my OWN history? We should be taught a bit of everything, it's only fair.

I've said it before, and I'll definitely say it again: When I have kids, they're gonna know about themselves-EVERYTHING. They're gonna know about things I, sadly, don't even know about my history yet. They're gonna know who Christopher Columbus was- and how he brought disease to America, how he and his men raped the Native Americans. They're gonna know about Abraham Lincoln, how he was so great- but also how much he contradicted himself concerning slavery. They're gonna think the commercials advertising Puerto Rico are cool- but they'll also be aware of the people who fought on that island before the Starbucks and Targets sprouted up. They'll love everyone and know that Black History, in a way, is ours too. They'll pay extra attention when taught about slavery because I'll teach them at an early age (like I wasn't) that THOSE ARE OUR ANCESTORS too. Shit, they'll probably get scolded for not putting their right hand above their hearts during "The National Anthem"- but maybe I just got carried away, I don't know.

Whoo child.

I might struggle to stay awake in my History of Modern Latin America and Latino/a Literature and Culture classes, but I'm still learning. And if you wanna learn, or teach for that matter, then let's talk.

-franso