Ramón López in Chicago
Ramón López as designated Grand Marshall in the 1996 Puerto Rican People's Parade (desfile del Pueblo)
ESSAYS
Introduction by Ramón López
Ramón López
Now that the Puerto Rican people number seven million, the once-distant shores of the Island and the Mainland—the realms of the People and...
The Three Wise Men According to the Puerto Rican Youth of...
Ramón López
They come from distant lands to visit the Windy City. They come summoned by a people who insist on celebrating the Reyes despite...
Ethnography of the Milk Crate
Ramón López
For many years, as I’ve thrown threads to weave tapestries, I’ve longed for a magical object that would call me to hang my...
Meeting Points From Here and There
Ramón López
“Here” and “there” are the distant ends of a migratory journey that divides the Puerto Rican people. The diaspora is a mass migration...
Lirika Brilla Masta Mind
Ramón López
This text brims with “errors” because it thrives on altering the accepted word. Correct it, and you’ll end up with the standard vocabulary—but...
Doña Lula and the Madama Lulú
Ramón López
Doña Lula was born in Peñuelas on February 20, 1926. As a child, her godmother became her foster mother and, being a seamstress,...
Poetry in Rainbow Shoes
Ramón López
Eduardo Arocho was born and raised in Humboldt Park, wrapped in a Puerto Ricanness so constant and familiar that it stirred neither curiosity...
The Many Forms of a Flag
Ramón López
Nearly a decade ago, in Chicago’s Puerto Rican neighborhood, a new way of making and displaying the Puerto Rican flag emerged. It was...
The Other Bomba Dance
Text and art by Ramón López
“The most cherished entertainment for these Islanders is the dance; they hold them for no other reason than to...
The Largest Puerto Rican Flag in the World
Ramón López
Walking these streets on foot is both beautiful and dangerous. These rented streets, where we recognize ourselves, now carry the scent of Puerto...
Vague Instructions for Becoming a Vejigante
Ramón López
To be a vejigante is not the same as merely dressing up as one. Anyone can throw on the costume and revel in...
