Hola
mi Gente,
These next few days I will be participating
on a prison monitoring visit with my former employer, The Correctional
Association of NY. I will be in the belly of the beast at Elmira Correctional
Facility in upstate New York. It is often during these visits that I come face
to face with the consequences of lead poisoning, environmental racism, and the
disinvestment of Black and Latin@ men and women. More on that tomorrow (I
hope).
In the meantime, I need to keep a sense
of humor while doing this work, hence the following offered with tongue firmly
in cheek…
* * *
Ask a Nuyorican
Being a Primer on How to be a Nuyorican
via Cuss Words, Sex, and Everything Else
So, a couple of years ago, I read ¡Ask A Mexican!
by Gustavo Arellano and found myself cracking up throughout the whole read. I
was thinking that since the messakins have such a reference source, then the
second largest Latin@ demographic, people of Puerto
Rican descent, should be similarly honored. After all, in the northeast
and in places like Chicago, Puerto
Ricans are most likely the majority of Latin@s you will run into. Shit,
we even have a tight-knit clan in Hawaii, part of the unintended result of Operation
Bootstrap. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself here and I don’t
want to give anyone a headache.
Notice the word in my title, Nuyorican?
Well, a Nuyorican is a person of Puerto Rican descent or birth who was born or
raised in New York City. Lots of Dominicans and Cubans and assorted other
Latino/as try to pass themselves off a Nuyoricans, but you can tell us apart
right away: we’re the first ones to speak up.
Now, if you’re from the South or the
West Coast, you might not even know what a Puerto Rican is or that Puerto Rico
is a colony of the good old U.S. of A. Yup, that’s right. Puerto Rico, a small
island in the Caribbean, is the
oldest colony on the planet (a distinction we once shared with our
Irish brothers and sisters).
As a result of the Jones
Act, Puerto Ricans
are citizens of the USA. Not that we asked for it. In fact, we had nothing to
do with it, since our little islita was part of the spoils of the
Spanish-American War. But in any case, we are US citizens, so all you black and
white Americanos who are too stupid to know your own country’s geography
and who are about to ask me for my green card -- I got yer fuckin’ green
card...
::right here::
LOL! Seriously, I once had to set a
southern educator straight while attempting to register my younger brother in a
Texas school, dumb fuckin’ hick. A teacher should know America, right?
Okay! Now that we got that out of the
way... we can move on to the juicier stuff! Let’s start with language. This is
by no means an exhaustive list and I hope to continue adding to it, but it will
have to suffice for now...
¡ <-- an="" blogs...="" exclamation="" exclamatory="" how="" i="" it="" my="" point="" s="" see="" sentence:="" start="" that="" to="" upside-down="" used="" usually="">¡Ho sweat, your ass is showing!-->
There are other important punctuation
issues, such as the upside-down question mark and the tilde which transforms an
n into something that sounds like enye (ñ) (like Enya, the gringa
singer, except with a short e sound at the end), but I’m not getting into that
today. I want to get to the important shit, like cuss words and shit. Now, some
of these cuss words won’t have the same effect or meaning with other Latino/as.
Bicho, for example, means mosquito for a Cuban. You hear Cubans all the
time talking about some bicho bothering them, or how they want to swat a
bicho away.
::blank stare::
However, for a Nuyorican bicho
means penis, dick, cock.
Alguinaldo: Puerto Rican jibaro
(“hillbilly”) music. Often uses the cautro, a guitar of Puerto Rican
origin. This music is played during the Christmas season.
Ame-Rican: Another way of saying
Nuyorican. No really, it is a
creation of the great Nuyorican poet, Tato Laviera.
Americano: an Americano is
anyone from the US regardless of skin color. Nuyoricans use this term instead
of the Mexican preferred gringo. Most Nuyoricans wouldn’t be caught
saying something as corny as gringo (or “esai” for that matter. LOL!). If you
ain’t Latin@ then you’re an Americano.
Aiscream: I’m sure I have
the spelling wrong, but this is a Spanglish word meaning
“ice cream.” The correct word is mantecado.
Barrio: Neighborhood,
community -- analogous to Ebonic da 'hood.
Bellaco/a: A lustful or horny
individual. That Eddie es un bellaco malo. Or, That girl has the eyes of a bellaca!
Bicho: A term used to denote a penis (also
called a pinga).
Bolas: Literally “balls” but used to refer
to a man’s testicles (also called huevos)
Bomba: An African-derived (Afro-Rican) song
form indigenous to Puerto Rico.
Borinquen/ Boricua: Borinquen
is the original name of the island christened Puerto Rico by Christopher
Columbus. A Boricua
is someone from the island Borinquen. However, the terms have a more
important psychological function for Nuyoricans. It’s the psycho-spiritual
birthplace of all Puerto Ricans, whether they were born there or not. Some
Nuyoricans use Borinquen to describe parts of the Bronx. As the poet,
Mariposa, who seemed to be speaking for many of us when she wrote, “I wasn’t
born in Puerto rico, but Puerto Rico was born in me.”
The word Borinquen translates to
“the great land of the valiant and noble Lord.” Boricua
has been popularized in the island and abroad by descendents of Puerto Rican
heritage, commonly using the phrase, Yo soy Boricua (“I am Boricua,” or,
“I am Puerto Rican”) to identify themselves as Puerto Ricans. Another variation
which is also widely used is Borincano which translated means “from Borinquen.”
Cabron: A cabron is
literally a castrated goat, but if a Nuyorican calls you a cabron you should
take umbrage because it means that your wife is doing the nasty with another and
you know it and put up with it.
Callejero: A street person.
Someone who hangs out in the streets of el barrio. Often an individual
who lives on the margins of society.
Cano: A light-skinned Puerto Rican. A PR
with European features.
Cachapera: A lesbian. I
forget the etymology but I think its origin has to do with a word meaning to
rub, because the homophobic stereotype of two women rubbing their chochas together.
Don’t ask...
Cariño: love, affection. The
phrase, Ay cariño, is a refrain
popularized in a famous bolero.
Chancleta: a house slipper,
but also a Nuyorican mother’s preferred tool for corporal punishment.
Chancletazo: Getting hit by a chancleta.
Chichar: To
fornicate.
Chiclet: A Spanglish word of Nuyorican origin meaning
bubble gum. Taken from the company of the same name that produces bubble gum.
Chingar: Same as chichar. Nuyoricans
do not use chinga in the same way messakins do -- as in chinga tu
madre (motherfucker). You would never hear a Nuyorican say something like
that, we consider it provincial. More likely, a Nuyorican would use it in the
following manner, Vamos a chingar, negrita linda (“Let’s fornicate, you
sweet thing you.”)
Chino/a: Literally
“Chinese,” but chino/a is a phrase Nuyoricans use to denote all Asians
regardless of their country of origin. It’s also used as a term of endearment.
Chocha: A term used to
denote a vagina (also called a toto). As with all the cuss words, here, this is a very vulgar term. User at your
own risk.
Chulo/a: A term of affection
-- someone who is sweet and attractive. Papi
chulo, is a term of endearment.
Cocolo: In the USA, this was
a pejorative term for African-Americans. In PR, it’s a term for PRs who embrace
their African roots. So, you can be light-skinned and still be considered a cocolo.
Come Mierda: Literally “shit
eater,” denoting a person who’s full of shit and kisses ass excessively. Often
used by Nuyoricans in reasoned debate. Also used by Nuyoricans as a pejorative
for Cubans.
Conflei: Spanglish for morning
cereal (“corn flakes”).
Coño: The Spanish vernacular for “damn.”
Nuyoricans use this as often as messakins use the word chinga. It’s an
all-purpose curse word. It can be used when you experience pain: ¡Coño,
that shit hurt! or when something fascinating or superlative
happens: ¡Coño! She is beautiful.
Crica: I’m not sure if the
spelling’s correct (it’s slang, so who knows), but it means vagina. Of all the
words meaning vagina, this one is probably considered the coarsest. It’s often
used to describe someone in a bad way, as in cara 'e crica (pussy face).
Cuero: Literally meaning the cured skin of
an animal, like a leather. It is a slut shaming descriptor for a woman
considered loose -- a woman of low morals. Esa mujer es un cuero.
Culeca/o: A horny or overly
flirtatious person.
Culo: Every Nuyorican man’s obsession --
ass, Ass, MO ASS! LOL
De Cachete: Literally “of the
cheek,” but meaning getting something for free.
Dumb-in-a-cans: A pretyy much messed
up way of referring to our Dominican brothers and sisters. A play on the word
“Dominicans.” Three ethnic enclaves that are closely related culturally
speaking are: Cubans, Dominicans, and Puerto Ricans. As with all groups, there
are inter-cultural tensions. The saying goes that Dominicans are the stupid
ones, the Cubans are the shit-eaters (come mierdas), and the
Puerto Ricans are the lazy ones. This is indicative of the worst of us. In
reality, we are all more closely related than not and should be struggling for
solidarity, not for divisive language.
Grifa: A term used to describe people who
are light-skinned but have wiry/ wooly hair. Like some Jewish people would be
called grifos as well as hinchos.
Hincho: Someone who’s so
white, they’re pink.
Hola: A form of greeting, as in “hello.”
No, it is not “holla” and it is pronounced with the h silent: oh-la.
Huevos: Literally eggs, but
often used to denote testicles (also called bolas).
India/o: A term denoting
Puerto Ricans who resemble the original inhabitants of Borinquen -- the Taino Indians. Also used as a term of
endearment (Note that PRs use almost anything as a term of endearment).
Jibaro: Literally “hillbilly”
oe “hick”.” At one time, Nuyoricans were ashamed of their roots and jibaro
was used as a pejorative. Later, jibaro became an icon for young Puerto
Rican people who were embracing their roots as part of a mass identity
movement. In fact, during that era there was a very popular salsa hit song, ¡Jibaro Soy! (I am a hillbilly!),
still popular today.
La Jara: Spanglish for, the
police. The phrase came about because so many NYC police officers were
called “O'Hara.” the J in Spanish has the H sound, so Nuyoricans
would exclaim “la Jara, la Jara!” when the police were coming.
Mami: An affectionate form of madre
(mother). Nuyoricans also use to refer to their loved ones Mami Chula or
women they find attractive (Oye Mami!) Oftentimes its diminutive, mamita,
is used in this context.
Maricón: Literally an insult
questioning a man’s sexual preference, a homoesexual, but often used as a
substitute for the Anglo motherfucker.
Me cago en tu madre: Literally, “I shit
on your mother’s name.” Sometime it is used in a blasphemous context, as in, ¡Me
cago en dios! (“I shit on God’s name”), or to let a misbehaving child know
what one thinks of his/ her father, ¡Me cago en tu padre! (“I shit on
your father’s name!”) Me cago en... is all all-around cuss phrase.
Messakins: A fucked up way of
referring to our Mexican brothers and sisters.
¡Mira!: Literally “Look!”
but used as an all-around greeting phrase as in ¡Oye mira! (“Hey! Look!”
“Yo!”)
Morena/o: Originally used as
a term for PRs who resembled Moors (mora/o) darker-skinned folk. In the
US, a term also sometimes used to describe African-Americans.
Mulata: Black Americanos
often find this term offensive, but for Puerto Ricans a mulata is
not a bad thing. In fact, there are songs and poems dedicated to mulata/os.
It denotes a person of mixed race -- which is just about every Puerto Rican
you’ll ever meet.
Nalgas: Ass cheeks.
Negro/a: Literally meaning
black, but used as a term of endearment by Nuyoricans. Don’t ask me why, I once
knew the origins of its use, but have since forgotten. I think it began as an
homage to a person’s African roots, a way of calling to it and honoring it, not
sure. Whatever the case, you can be white as a fish belly, but if you’re in a
relationship with a Nuyorican, he or she will eventually call you negra
or negro as a term of endearment. Regardless of your skin color, when
we're feelin' you, you may be lovingly called negro, negra, negrito, or negrita. You may have skin
the color of the midnight sky, have a heavy dose of leche in your cafe, or even sport the bluest eyes. Chances are that
if we've determined that we want to be your friend, relative, or lover, you
will hear, “Call me soon, negrita, so we can hang out.” The use of negro
or negra as terms of endearment in the
Latin@ community does not have a parallel to the use of the N word and its
variations because they do not carry the same historical (namely racist)
legacy. So
feel good about it.
Nena/e: Literally meaning
boy/ girl, but also often used as a term of endearment: Ay
nene, you kiss me so well.
Nuyorican: Originally a
pejorative used by Puerto Ricans from the island and other come mierda
Latin@s. It was used to denote the poorer, supposedly stupider, more radical
cousins of “true” Puerto Ricans. However, many persons of Puerto Rican descent
use the term proudly today to self-identify. Nuyorican is part of an identity
movement. Studies of Nuyoricans show that we share many cultural traits
with African-Americans (which is probably the reason why other Latin@s,
expressing internalized racism, use it as a pejorative).
Papi: Father. An affectionate form of Padre
most often used to refer to your object of affection Ay Papi! or Ay
Papi Chulo! Who says Freud is irrelevant these days? LOL
Pasteles: A Puerto Rican
staple meat dish, made of mashed plantains and root vegetables, and meat,
wrapped in plantain leaves.
Pendejo/a: Literally a “pubic
hair.” It is used as an insult. Leave it to PRs to compare someone to something
as insignificant as a pubic hair.
Pinga: A term used to denote a penis (also
called a bicho).
Plena: An indigenous Puerto
Rican song form.
Puñeta: Normally, it means
to masturbate, but like coño, it’s also an all-purpose Nuyorican cuss
word. Most often used in anger, as in ¡Puñeta! I stumped my toe!
Puta: Whore, prostitute, ho'.
Rockero: Assimilated Puerto
Ricans (on the island) who’re into rock/ pop.
Roofo: Another Spanglish
word meaning, yup, the roof. The correct word is techo.
Rumba/ Rumbero: An Afro-Cuban dance
form, but also used by Nuyoricans to denote a party or partier. Vamos a
rumbiar! (Let’s party!), or Esa nena es una rumbera! (that woman can
party!).
Sabroso/a: Very tasty,
delicious, as in Your rice and beans es muy sabroso.
Salsa: an urban folklore incubated in the
barrios of New York City that influenced Nuyorican/ Latin@ literature, art, and
music. Also a genre of Latino/a music.
Sangana/o: This word also has
different meanings among different Latino/as, but for Nuyoricans, it means A
person who is girlish. A dolt, an idiot, a fool. One who is easily taken
advantage of. A naive individual. I often use it to mean the same as “silly.”
Spanglish: A merging of
Spanish/ English -- or a form of code-switching -- having its
roots mostly in Nuyorican and Chicano communities. Spanglish, at one time
considered the parlance of the ignorant, has emerged as an influence in
Latino/a literature, influencing many poets and writers of note. There is at
least one
college course I know of teaching the idiom.
Spanish: Spanish is a
fuckin’ language ma’fuccas. It’s also used to denote people who come from
Spain. I’m not from Spain, so don’t call me Spanish unless you like being
called a cracker or an asshole! And Latin@s? Stop calling yourself Spanish!
Toto: Denoting a vagina (also called a chocha).
This is more a kiddie word.
Trigueña/o: Someone with light brown
skin coloring -- something like cinnamon or lighter with pelo lasio (wavy-to-straight
hair).
Well, I have to run along to work, so
this will be it for now. I will continue adding more, so come back and check it
out. If you have a question about Nuyoricans and/ or Puerto Ricans, please feel
free to ask. The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.
My name is Eddie and I’m in recovery
from civilization…
Resources
Nuyorican
Power, was TV program on the now defunct Current station. It focused on
Nuyorican culture, featuring portraits of Pedro Pietri, Fat Boy, Rita Moreno,
J-Lo, Macho Camacho and Giannina Braschi, among others.
War against
all Puerto Ricans: Fantastic history of the troubled
relationship between the US and Puerto Rico.
Puerto
Rico: The trials of the oldest colony in the world: The title speaks
for itself. Yes, Puerto Rico is a colony
of the United States.
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