Un podcast de siete episodios que combina elementos narrativos y del periodismo investigativo para revelar y reflexionar sobre cómo “la brega” ha definido muchos aspectos de la vida en Puerto Rico.

Creado por un equipo de periodistas, productores, músicos y artistas boricuas en la isla y en la diáspora; es presentado por Alana Casanova-Burgess de On the Media.

Una coproducción de WNYC Studios y Futuro Studios.

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WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios present “La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience”: a seven-part podcast series that uses narrative storytelling and investigative journalism to reflect and reveal how la brega has defined so many aspects of life in Puerto Rico. Available in English and Spanish.

Creado por un equipo de periodistas, productores, músicos y artistas boricuas; presentado por Alana Casanova-Burgess.

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

En este primer episodio, Alana Casanova-Burgess nos comparte un ejemplo para explicar que significa para los boricuas “bregar”. Para eso platica con Cheo Santiago, creador y mantenedor de la cuenta de redes sociales “Adopta un Hoyo” y con el escritor y profesor emérito de Princeton Arcadio Díaz Quiñones, quien hace unos veinte años escribió un ensayo muy influyente, “De Cómo y Cuándo Bregar”, donde usa la frase como un lente para entender mejor la experiencia boricua. Entre hoyos, protestas y metáforas, Alana va encontrando cuanto se guarda en la brega, sus limitaciones y como la esperanza de un mejor Puerto Rico se asoma entre todo eso.

Si quieres ver el video surreal del camión de agua en Caguas, haz click aquí.

Arcadio Díaz Quiñones tiene un nuevo archivo, y lo puedes encontrar aquí. Su ensayo, "De Cómo y Cuándo Bregar", se encuentra en el libro El Arte de Bregar.

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this kick-off episode, host Alana Casanova-Burgess sets out to define la brega and examine what its ubiquity among boricuas really means. A brega implies a challenge we can’t really solve, so you have to hustle to get around it. In Puerto Rico, Cheo Santiago runs a social media account called Adopta Un Hoyo, where people deal with the huge problem of potholes by painting their edges white and posting photographs of craters to the site. Because the roads are rarely fixed properly, the challenges of potholes (hoyos) and what people do to fix them or get around them is a metaphorical and literal brega in Puerto Rico. She talks with Cheo Santiago, who runs a social media account called Adopta Un Hoyo, to learn more about this particular problem, and with scholar and professor emeritus at Princeton, Arcadio Diaz Quiñonez. Some twenty years ago, he published an influential essay called “De Como y Cuándo Bregar”. The essay used the language of la brega as a lens to understand Puerto Rican history and politics and identity, arguing that there’s something about this word that unlocks a lot about who we are. Amidst potholes, protests and metaphors, Alana finds all the meanings that lie within “la brega”, how it sometimes asks too much of boricuas, and how the word has an innate sense of hope.

If you want to see the video of the water truck referenced in this episode, click here.

Arcadio Díaz Quiñones has a new online archive of his work, and you can learn more about it here. His essay, "De Cómo y Cuándo Bregar", can be found in the collection El Arte de Bregar.

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alana Casanova-Burgess traza la historia del crecimiento y eventual deterioro de Levittown, Toa Baja, un suburbio masivo que se fundó con la idea de traer el estilo de vida de la clase media estadounidense a Puerto Rico durante una época de gran transformación en la isla. Casanova-Burgess explora lo que el proyecto nos dice sobre nuestra historia y las promesas de vivir “el sueño americano” en Puerto Rico.

Photos y archivos sobre el Levittown boricua se encuentran aqui.

Cezanne Cardona Morales' collection of short stories is called Levittown, Mon Amour.

Hilda y Paula, quien compartieron sus experiencias en este episodio, también hablaron sobre Levittown en un episodio de "Nuestro Podcast."

La entrevista de WNYC con Dona Fela, la alcaldesa de San Juan, se encuentra aquí. Y el audio del primer vuelo de Eastern Airlines de 1951 está aquí.

Para leer más sobre este tema, recomendamos Concrete and Countryside: The Urban and the Rural in 1950s Puerto Rican Culture, escrito por Carmelo Esterrich.

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

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Alana Casanova-Burgess traces back the story of the boom and bust of Levittown, a massive suburb that was founded on the idea of bringing the American middle-class lifestyle to Puerto Rico during a time of great change on the island. Casanova-Burgess (herself the granddaughter of an early Levittown resident) explores what the presence of a Levittown in Puerto Rico tells us about the promises of the American Dream in Puerto Rico.

Check out photos and archival material about the boricua Levittown here.

Cezanne Cardona Morales' book of short stories set in the suburb is called Levittown, Mon Amour. Silvia Alvarez Curbelo's book, Un País del Porvenir, is here.

Hilda and Paula and Sixto, who share their experiences in this episode, also talked about Levittown in this episode of "Nuestro Podcast."

To read more about this period of time in Puerto Rico, we recommend Concrete and Countryside: The Urban and the Rural in 1950s Puerto Rican Culture, written by Carmelo Esterrich.

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

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El fotógrafo Chris Gregory-Rivera examina el legado de “Las Carpetas” -- los archivos de vigilancia estatal producidos por un programa de gobierno secreto que buscaba fracturar al movimiento pro-independencia en Puerto Rico. Gregory-Rivera enfoca esta mirada a las carpetas en la familia de un activista y la revelación de una traición que encierra un misterio revelador. ¿Qué pasa cuando no bregamos con nuestra historia?

Las fotografías de Chris de las Carpetas y las fotos que la policía tomó como parte de su vigilancia estan aquí.

Si estás en Nueva York puedes ver su exposición en el Centro de Arte Abrons hasta el 14 de marzo del 2021.

El documental "Las Carpetas" está disponible aquí.

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Photographer Chris Gregory-Rivera examines the legacy of the surveillance files known in Puerto Rico as las carpetas — produced from a decades-long secret government program aimed at fracturing the pro-independence movement. Gregory-Rivera looks at las carpetas through the story of one activist family, the traitor they believed was close to them, and the betrayal that holds more mystery than they realize.

Chris' photographs and photos the police took as part of their surveillance are here.

If you're in the New York area, you can see his show at the Abrons Art Center until March 14, 2021.

The documentary "Las Carpetas" is here.

Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.