1

Extended Essay
Research Question:
To what extent do the conflicts of assimilation in the states depicted in Miguel Piñero’s and Pedro Pietri’s
poems portray the struggle of identity for Nuyoricans during the Nuyorican Movement?
 2

Table of Content

1. Introduction: Historical Background .............................................................................................. 3

2. Discrimination ............................................................................................................................. 3-5
a. Industrialization of the Isla ............................................................................................. 5-6
b. Spanish Language .............................................................................................................. 6
3. Temptation and Sacrifice: American Dream ……………………............................................... 6-7
a. Religion ……………......................................................................................................... 7
4. Death ............................................................................................................................................... 8
5. Independence ............................................................................................................................... 8-9
6. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 9
7. Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 10
 3

Introduction: Historical Background

Literature became a platform for Puerto Rican immigrants to express how they felt while
adjusting to their new way of life. Due to the United States changing the economy on the island, there was
a large migration of Puerto Ricans, specifically to New York. Between the 1960s and 1970s, the
Nuyorican Movement emerged for Puerto Ricans. During the Nuyorican Movement, Nuyorican literature
drew upon their experience in the United States and the cultivation of a new identity of Nuyorican.
Of those literature works, many Nuyorican poets raised attention on the discrimination and
oppression Nuyoricans faced and expressed their dreams as being repressed. Of the prominent Nuyorican
poets were Miguel Piñero, who wrote “​This Is Not The Place Where I Was Born” and “A Lower Eastside
Poem,”​ and Pedro Pietri, who wrote “​Puerto Rican Obituary.” W ​ ithin Nuyorican poetry, like works of
Piñero and Pietri, the conflicts of assimilation for Nuyoricans portray a loss and a gain of cultural identity
for Nuyoricans. Piñero focuses on a loss of original cultural identity to gain a new, self-fabricated identity
while Pietri focuses on a loss of cultural identity but the certain destiny for Nuyoricans to lose their lives.
In analyzing the poems, the existence of discrimination and sacrifice is threaded into the poems, reflecting
the Nuyorican experience. The use of exaggeration of the colonization of the Puerto Rican culture and the
motif of death depicts on the development of cultural identity. In the end, while Piñero believes in an
independent life through salvation as a Nuyorican, Pietri believes that deviating from the cultural identity
of Puerto Rico is to become solely dependent on the American lifestyle.
As a reason for migrating to the United States, Puerto Ricans were hoping to gain more
opportunities and a better life style. When Puerto Rico became U.S. territory, there was a shift in the
island’s employment. After World War II, millions of Puerto Ricans traveled to the mainland. It was the
“Great Migration” for Puerto Ricans as they tried to escape economic hardship on the island. In the
history of the Caribbean, dominant cultures who had control over colonized nations belittled the people of
1
the colonized nation as just cheap labor since slavery was a strong drive in colonialism. Puerto Rican
immigrants repeated the history of colonialism as they did not prosper in the U.S. Facing oppression in
the states and from their island, Nuyoricans struggled to hold onto their cultural identity.
In the 1917, Puerto Ricans of the island were granted U.S. citizenship and later, the island
2
changed from agriculture to manufacturing and from rural to more urban population. Yet, Nuyoricans
were deemed as outsiders to Puerto Rico and the United States. People of the Puerto Rican diaspora
created communities, such as in the Lower East Side and East Harlem. The cultural term “Nuyorican”
was popularized by the Americans to discriminate against the immigrants. Through the Nuyorican
3
Movement, Puerto Ricans made the term their own.

Discrimination
Throughout each poem, there is the imagery of discrimination Nuyoricans faced from people who
deemed them as outsiders. Pedro structures his poem with short, concise lines and varying short and long
stanzas, which symbolizes life as short. For example, the hyperbole of “union dues to dust,” (141)

1
Yun Li Alvarado, “Beyond nation: Caribbean poetics in Pedro Pietri's "Puerto Rican Obituary" and Kamau
Brathwaite's "Islands and Exiles," ​CENTRO Journal​ 22 (2010): 57.
2
“Puerto Rican Emigration: Why the 1950s?” Lehman College, accessed April 21, 2017.
http://lcw.lehman.edu/lehman/depts/latinampuertorican/latinoweb/PuertoRico/1950s.htm
3
“Nuyorican Literature,” Independent Lens, accessed April 7, 2017.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/everychildisbornapoet/nuyorican.html
 4

represents one reason why Nuyoricans lives didn’t last forever; they had scarce access to public services
4
therefore, their efforts were futile.
While “Puerto Rican Obituary” is an extensively long narrative poem, Pietri writes of the mental
pain endured by the five characters he creates. He tackles the issues of discrimination Nuyoricans had to
face through the examples of situations his characters were placed in. For example, he writes, “of
television programs/ about the ideal/ white american family/ with black maids/ and latino janitors,”
(116-120). As society became more invested in entertainment, television shows became a strong influence
in how to perceive the world. Pietri depicts on how television shows portrayed the white dominating the
people of color. This form of discrimination made everyone "laugh at them/ and the people they
represent,” (124-125). Using television shows to develop the motif of discrimination alludes to publicly
dehumanize Nuyoricans; the purpose of shows was to make people laugh at the Nuyoricans. Pietri
highlights how everyone is desensitized by this manner of thinking.
Similarly, “A Lower Eastside Poem​”​ uses short lines and stanzas, reflecting the short, quick
remarks Americans used to degrade Nuyoricans: “A thief, a junkie I've been/ committed every known
sin,” (29-30). Piñero uses ellipses to emphasize the extremely deprived environment Nuyoricans live in
and show Puerto Ricans as paralyzed in their progression in social status because of the discrimination:
Bums & Men
of style . . . run away child
police shooting wild . . .
mother's futile wails . . . pushers
making sales . . . dope wheelers
& cocaine dealers . . . smoking pot
streets are hot & feed off those who bleed to death . . . (31-37)
Nuyoricans are drawn as drug dealers and as part of the ‘ugly’ side of New York. They were confined to
only their own ghettos and isolated from other communities.
In contrast to Pietri’s, the structure of “This Is Not The Place Where I Was Born” contains dense
and on-going lines. The whole poem has no stanza breaks, paralleling to the idea that Nuyoricans never
received breaks in their lives in the states. “television cowboy law road models of new york city detective/
french connection/death wish instigation ku-klux-klan mind” (49-50). The run-on lines show a constant
presence of chaos and disorder that Nuyoricans couldn’t handle.
Within structure, the poets use different points of views to convey their perspective on the
development of the Nuyorican identity to their Nuyorican audience. Piñero takes the first point-of-view -
“So here I am, look at me,” (44) - to create a mood of restless and personally connect to his audience.
Pietri uses third person-of-view to resonate with the other Nuyoricans, which Victor Figueroa supports
5
with the idea that “many of Pietri’s poems were designed for public readings.” In starting the poem, the
first stanza starts with “They” in reference to Nuyoricans. This defiles them as generic, representing the
little respect Nuyoricans receive from the social standpoint of America. While Pietri also gives names to
five Nuyorican characters, – Juan, Miguel, Milagros, Olga, and Manuel- they only serve as archetypes for
all the Puerto Ricans in New York. He uses irony with the names because while a name gives
6
individuality, the generic Hispanic names generalizes them. He addresses that Nuyoricans are just part of

4
Clara E. Rodriguez, ​The Puerto Rican Struggle: Essays on Survival in the U.S., ​(New York: Waterfront Press,
1984), 13-14.
5
Yun Li Alvarado, “Beyond nation: Caribbean poetics in Pedro Pietri's "Puerto Rican Obituary" and Kamau
Brathwaite's "Islands and Exiles," ​CENTRO Journal​ 22 (2010): 68.
6
Yun Li Alvarado, “Beyond nation: Caribbean poetics in Pedro Pietri's "Puerto Rican Obituary" and Kamau
Brathwaite's "Islands and Exiles," ​CENTRO Journal​ 22 (2010): 122.
 5

the general population that’s ignored by the majority. Puerto Ricans are then losing their individual
identity.
The two poets also write of discrimination at different angles. Piñero focuses on the drug and dirt
of the ghetto and the discriminating labeling. For example, in the Lower East Side “the faggots & freaks
will all get/ high,” (16-17). On the other hand, Pietri focuses on waiting to be given the opportunity to
achieve things they’ll never receive. He draws Nuyoricans waiting “for the welfare check […] for a five
dollar raise […] his supervisor to drop dead [to get a promotion],” (66-75). The average income of a
7
Puerto Rican college graduate equivalated to that of a white non-Puerto Rican high school graduate. As
they’re being discriminated, they’re in a paralysis of trying to achieve a higher social status.

Industrialization
The industrialization of Puerto Rico was the point when Nuyoricans started losing their past
cultural identity, adding confliction of assimilation since the islanders viewed Nuyorican as a
‘contaminated’ identity.​ ​Discrimination not only comes from the United States, but also from the roots of
the Nuyoricans. In establishing themselves in a new setting, the people of the island perceive Nuyoricans
8
as distancing themselves from their culture.
It’s most evident when Nuyoricans attempt to return to the island. “This Is Not The Place Where I
9
Was Born” is centered on the idea of returning home, but it’s in the form of Miguel’s angry diatribe.
Nuyoricans are “greeted with profanity,” (45), characterizing the islanders as degrading their own people.
There’s also the influence of tourism that makes the islanders lose respect for their culture.
“puertorriqueños were not the/ minority,” (24-25). The past tense demonstrates that during this time, on
the island, Puerto Ricans weren’t socially praised as first. This leads to the perception of the U.S. and the
island juxtaposing Nuyoricans against Puerto Ricans. Piñero remarks “puerto ricans were first, none were
second,” (26). The ranking of Puerto Ricans comes to exist after Puerto Ricans try to assimilate to the
United States. Nuyoricans were then characterized as ‘lower-ranked’ compared to the islanders.
Continuing, Piñero comments, “no, i was not born here . . .” (27). Using ellipsis, he omits the
name of the island, which reflects Piñero’s distaste of his own island losing its culture to industrialization.
The repetition of this phrase shows the first development of Nuyoricans accepting their loss of cultural
identity from the island and becoming more isolated due to the discrimination. The oxymoron of “this
slave blessed land” (31) shows of the control of colonialism on the island. The islanders don’t consider
the fact that they are controlled by a higher-powered nation. Adding on, he describes the island “where
the caribbean seas pound angrily on the shores/ of pre-fabricated house/hotel redcap hustling people
gypsy taxi cab,” (32-33). The personification of the seas is Piñero perceiving the industrialization of the
island as a violent change to the culture. The visual imagery of the industrialization of the island shows of
the culture changing, therefore Puerto Ricans are losing their cultural identity. He also notes the island
where “foreigners scream that puertorriqueños are foreigners/ & have no right to claim any benefit on
the birthport,” (39-40). The change to industrialization is so much that tourists believe that Puerto Ricans
can’t claim to be U.S. citizens as the island is only U.S. territory. Then, the cultural identity of Puerto
Rico is practically lost to industrialization.

7
Clara E. Rodriguez, ​The Puerto Rican Struggle: Essays on Survival in the U.S., ​(New York: Waterfront Press,
1984), 14.
8
Carmen Haydee Rivera and Jose L. Torres-Padilla, ​Writing Off the Hyphen: New Critical Perspectives on the
Literature of the Puerto Rican Diaspora,​ (Maryland: University of Washington Press, 2008), 82-83.
9
Ibid., 83.
 6

“A Lower Eastside Poem” depicts on the aftermath of the realization of the decaying Puerto
Rican identity. Piñero is proud to be “a street fighting man,” (47), representing a strong cultural
symbolism of Puerto Rico and confidence in his cultural identity as he assimilates to the states. Despite
being “a problem of this land,” (48), he has pride that he is part of a distinct minority group. He’s also “a
dweller of prison time,” (50), characterizing himself as a both an actual and metaphorical prisoner of the
white dominating culture. Then, Pietri reflects his characters as dying “hating the grocery stores/ that sold
them make-believe steak/ and bullet-proof rice and beans,” (43-45).​ ​The motif of discrimination develops
the hardship of managing a healthy life. Since Puerto Rico was first based on an agricultural economy, the
five characters were familiar to having plentiful food for themselves. The connotations of the adjectives
of the food draw a line of false safety and health given from the American culture.
Spanish Language
Both poets recognize their Spanish language, which is a key cultural aspect, dissociating from the
cultures. There’s a lack of Spanish in the poems, paralleling to a lack of pride in their Caribbean culture.
Both poets use Spanglish in scarce quantities, reflecting the decay of the Puerto Rican identity. Li Yun
Alvarado brings attention to how Pietri is criticizing English in the English language, suggesting that
English itself is not the entire problem of discrimination, but that Nuyoricans are neglecting their
10
dialogue, translating to them giving up a part of their identity.
Furthermore, both poets use “que pasa,” a common phrase of how Puerto Ricans greet and show
endearment to each other. As Pietri quotes, to be “Proud to be a long distance away/ from the sacred
phrase,” (109-110) is neglecting to care for their culture. On the other hand, Pedro takes the line of “qué
pasa stares are nowhere/ in sight” (57-58) as finding no Puerto Rican cultural comfort in the states. Pietri
comments that Nuyoricans will stay dead “until they stop neglecting [their Spanish] / […] for broken
english lessons,” (211-213). Pietri criticizes Nuyoricans who follow the U.S. colonized power as they
forget to use their Spanish language and substitute it for English.
On another note, Piñero was born “where spanish was a dominant word/ & signs read by
themselves,” (12-13). The synecdoche of Spanish signifies as the Puerto Rican culture dominating the
island in the past. The personification of the signs is the island independently driving itself. Despite that,
during the Nuyorican Movement, it was driven by the U.S. However, Alvarado comments that Puerto
Rico had saddled for two colonized language: Spanish and English from two colonized nations. This
suggests that the island doesn’t having its own language and the identity of Nuyoricans is construed solely
11
from colonialism.
Then, Pietri uses the Spanish language in his rant of discrimination towards Nuyoricans: “for the
lowest wages of the ages/ and rages when you demand a raise/ because ​is​ against the company policy/ to
promote SPICS SPICS SPICS,” (224-227). Only Pietri uses “spics” as a Spanish derogative term for
12
Latinos. As the company policy symbolizes the role of racial prejudice towards Nuyoricans, he uses
irony of Puerto Ricans never having a chance to prosper. Despite trying to conform to a dominate culture,
13
Nuyoricans were degraded in their economic and social status.
Then, Pietri uses Manuel, one of his archetype characters, as a synecdoche of the population of
Nuyoricans who can’t compete as much as others. “Manuel/ died hating [other Nuyoricans] […]/ because
they all spoke broken English/ more fluently than he did,” (243-250). There’s this competition amongst

10
Yun Li Alvarado, “Beyond nation: Caribbean poetics in Pedro Pietri's "Puerto Rican Obituary" and Kamau
Brathwaite's "Islands and Exiles," ​CENTRO Journal​ 22 (2010): 62.
11
Ibid., 59.
12
Ibid., 59.
13
Nicolás Kanellos, ​Biographical Dictionary of Hispanic Literature in the United States: The Literature of Puerto
Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Other Hispanic Writers,​ (New York: Greenwood, 1989), 242.
 7

the Nuyoricans on who can assimilate more. Yet, while they are still reaching for the ‘American dream,’
none have yet to fully speak English. Nuyoricans can’t properly speak English, but they’re focused more
on speaking English than keeping to their own Spanish. This is the language barrier of not being able to
fully assimilate nor fully being accepted into the culture, placing Nuyoricans at a standstill in finding their
identity.

Temptation and Sacrifice

American Dream
Migration experience and industrialization of the Puerto Rican culture includes Nuyoricans
tempted by the American dream and sacrificing aspects of their culture. Nuyoricans are “Dreaming about
queens/ Clean-cut lily-white neighborhood,” (102-103). Queens and the visual imagery refers to the rich,
white, dominant culture of America. Dreaming of “A Puerto Ricanless scene,” (104) is wishing to forget
the root culture for Nuyoricans. Pietri is criticizing Nuyoricans who gave up their culture for money and
progress in the United States. The motif of dreams develops in Pietri’s poem with “These empty dreams”
(112). The dreams are just empty desires, leaving the Nuyoricans as empty shells. As such, each
Nuyorican character died dreaming about “a new car […] new anti-poverty programs […] a trip to Puerto
Rico […] real jewelry […]” (127-133). Their desires represent tangible things, an escape, a
discriminant-free atmosphere, and a physical home to return to. The quote develops the American dream
as destined to never be achieved for Nuyoricans.
With the American dream, Pietri also uses the lottery as a symbol of hope. They died screaming
“Mira Mira/ your name is on the winning lottery ticket” (39-40). Since a lottery is won by chance,
Nuyoricans wait for an impossibility to gain monetary value. Juan “died waiting for his number to hit,”
(64). As representing the Nuyoricans, he waited until death for something that had no cultural value. The
search for lottery is a symbol of Nuyoricans forfeiting their cultural identity for emptiness.

Religion
Pietri also incorporates religion into “Puerto Rican Obituary.” The American dream is paired with
the colonized religion to persuade Nuyoricans to change their ideals. He uses the synecdoche of Sister
Lopez as the colonized religion of Puerto Rico as a temptation to help the Nuyorican. She’s endorsed as
the “the number one healer/ and fortune card dealer.” (159-160) The hyperbole of her expresses her as a
marketing gimmick. Then, Pietri promotes her as capable of communicating “with your late relatives/ for
a reasonable fee/ Good news is guaranteed,” (163-165). Sister Lopez is talking to the Puerto Ricans who
are reaching out for help during the oppression. However, instead of giving them spiritual guidance,
they’re being brainwashed to sacrifice their cultural values; just as history shows of colonized African
14
descents of the Puerto Ricans giving up their native religion for the colonized religion. For spiritual
guidance, Puerto Ricans turn to organized religion in the U.S. Such organized religion is ruled by
capitalistic ideas. Also, the reiteration of “Rise Table Rise Table” (166) develops the motif of religion as
it signifies the demand to follow spiritual practice of the United States, and to leave the Puerto Rican
practices. Pietri comments of Nuyoricans “Practicing a religion without a roof / The old testament / The
new testament,” (198-200). Being roofless parallels to having no possession or protection as Nuyoricans
practice a colonized religion.
In addition, Pietri ridicules those who have lost their sense of Puerto Rican cultural values and
who place those of Anglo-American society above everything else. He pursues the idea that turning to
organized religion isn’t enough to survive in the states. It won’t end prejudice, hardship, nor provide

14
Yun Li Alvarado, “Beyond nation: Caribbean poetics in Pedro Pietri's "Puerto Rican Obituary" and Kamau
Brathwaite's "Islands and Exiles," ​CENTRO Journal​ 22 (2010): 65.
 8

15
spiritual guidance and freedom when it’s corrupted by capitalistic ideals. All the five Nuyorican
characters died “waiting for the garden of eden” (33) to open “under a new management” (35). The
allusion of a change in power in the garden from God’s children to new power from capitalism refers
Nuyoricans finding no salvation in the corrupted religion. Pietri also utilizes the metaphor that if
Nuyoricans “had used the white supremacy bibles/ for toilet paper purpose,” (279-280) the tempted
religion wouldn’t oppressed have them. Yet, Pietri uses the symbol of the bill collector as the repressors.
The “eternal bill collector” (204) is forever stealing the culture and power, making the Puerto Rican more
vulnerable to being controlled by the American dream temptation and the colonized spiritual religion.
These forms of temptations set Nuyoricans on a long journey with false hope in searching for their own
identity.

Death
Throughout each poem is the reoccurring element of death. The title of “Puerto Rican Obituary”
calls on the notice of death for Puerto Rican culture. The title sets up the poem as a eulogy of the culture
16
dying in the States. Pietri depicts on the death of the Nuyorican community. One perspective considers
that each name given is an individual life:
Juan
died hating Miguel […]
Miguel
died hating Milagros […]
Milagros
died hating Olga […]
Olga
died hating Manuel […]
Manuel
died hating all of them […] (228-244)
With the theory of survival of the fittest, hate grew amongst the Nuyoricans. To adjust to a new
assimilated identity, Nuyoricans wanted to be purely independent and work less within their cultural
community. Pietri comments that this is the death of Nuyoricans as they lose relationships with each other
to be fully assimilated to the American culture. He continues with describing the five Nuyoricans as
“Dead Puerto Ricans/ Who never knew they were Puerto Ricans,” (47-48). As they develop this
assimilated identity of being Nuyorican, it’s the final death of their Puerto Rican cultural identity. Pietri
pairs absolute phrases and rhyming in the lines “Always broke/ Always owing/ Never knowing,”
(267-269) as to show Nuyoricans focused, to a large extent, on gaining monetary value and power in the
states that they don’t acknowledge their cultural roots. The repetition of the phrase, “All died yesterday
today / and will die again tomorrow,” (28-29) is the destined faith of the Nuyoricans dying as they live in
the United States. They’re not living what the “American dream” sold them. The dream is an illusion of
false hope, which reinforces this constant spiritual death among the disenfranchised population.
In ​“​A Lower Eastside Poem,” Miguel uses the metaphor of being “a cancer of Rockefeller’s
ghettocide,” (51) in describing that America perceives Nuyoricans as a deadly disease. The allusion of
“Rockefeller’s ghettocide” is the denotation of killing the Rockefeller’s drug law -law which reduced

15
Ibid., 66.
16
Nicolás Kanellos, ​Biographical Dictionary of Hispanic Literature in the United States: The Literature of Puerto
Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Other Hispanic Writers,​ (New York: Greenwood, 1989), 242.
 9

17
drug use in New York. The metaphor of being a cancer to the “ghettocide” expresses Nuyoricans as a
disease to killing America’s efforts to rid the ‘ugly’ side of communities filled with minority groups. He
also pairs another metaphor of the ghetto as a “concrete tomb,” (52) portraying Nuyoricans as having their
deadly demise written for them​.
As Nuyoricans were born to “keep the morticians employed,” (144), Pietri parallels death with
assimilation. He draws of dying by the hands of the state and to be imprisoned by the capitalism after
death. Piñero approaches death differently in his poem by utilizing the motif of his “ashes scattered” (27)
to parallel death with accepting the Nuyorican identity. He depicts of dying peacefully and to be free after
death. The repetition of “ashes” as the synecdoche of the whole body represents Piñero’s memories being
cherished with the living in the Lower Eastside and finding solace in his own Nuyorican community.
Thus, Piñero portrays that the oppressive perception from America doesn’t deter Nuyoricans to develop a
new prideful identity.

Independence
In terms of accepting a new identity, Piñero suggests that independence is found through the
Nuyorican identity while Pietri argues that Nuyoricans are dependent and fated to wait forever when they
choose to disregard their cultural roots. Piñero writes himself as “the Philosopher of the Criminal Mind,”
(49). The metaphor of him developing his own thoughts is him striving towards independence. “I wanna
be near the stabbing shooting/ gambling fighting & unnatural dying” (59-60). The visual imagery of the
ghetto describes Nuyoricans finding comfort and [a peaceful death] in his new Nuyorican culture.
18
In opposition, Pietri’s poem is also considered as a eulogy that ends on a positive note :
“PUERTO RICO IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE/ PUERTORRIQUENOS ARE A BEAUTIFUL RACE,”
(273-274) The shift in tone with the capitalization is praising the island. Pietri shifts from the death of
Nuyoricans and towards the island’s culture. Pietri perceives that a living culture only comes from the
island, not from cultivating a new identity. He remarks Nuyoricans should “make their latino souls/ the
only religion of their race,” (281-282). In terms of their spiritual level, they should disregard their
colonized religion and guide their spiritual self. Instead of honoring Puerto Rican culture, they’re not
independent from the oppression because their religion isn’t honoring their Puerto Rican culture. Pietri
sides with the Caribbean history of the indigenous people not being independent but relying on other
19
powers from colonized nations.

Conclusion
In both poems, the poets reflect on the discrimination towards Nuyoricans as they look for a cultural
identity in the United States. Piñero’s “This Is Not The Place Where I Was Born” poem translates to a
message of how the discrimination of the industrialized island led to posing the Nuyorican as
contaminated. Both poets scarcely use the Spanish language to show a decay of cultural Puerto Rican
identity. Pietri focuses on the draw of the American dream as a temptation to trick the Nuyorican to
sacrifice their life to forever hoping for success until death. In other words, t​ ​he American dream i​ s a
temptation to lose t​ heir ​historical cultural identity and to give into a cultural assimilated identity. On the
other hand, Piñero doesn’t focus on the dream as a temptation in the states. To wrap up, all three poems
draw unto the physical deaths as their cultural Puerto Rican identity decays. Pietri argues that to avoid

17
Madison Gray, “New York’s Rockefeller’s Drug Laws,” Time, last modified April 2, 2009.
http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1888864,00.html
18
Nicolás Kanellos, ​Biographical Dictionary of Hispanic Literature in the United States: The Literature of Puerto
Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Other Hispanic Writers,​ (New York: Greenwood, 1989), 242.
19
Yun Li Alvarado, “Beyond nation: Caribbean poetics in Pedro Pietri's "Puerto Rican Obituary" and Kamau
Brathwaite's "Islands and Exiles," ​CENTRO Journal​ 22 (2010): 53-54.
 10

death is to stay true to their Puerto Rican roots. If not, Nuyoricans become solely dependent on monetary
and capitalistic ideas and are destined to die. Piñero contrasts Pietri’s claim of death, taking the view that
the island cultural identity is dying and to take independence in a new cultural identity.
 11

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