8.11.2013
Zainnia Vegas and Her Lakota Grandmother Blackwolfe
Mercedes Vazquez Simmons and son at the Rochester PR Festival for the Ruben Blades Concert
The lovely Mercedes Vazquez Simmons takes a break from her role as Founder & CEO of Pretty Girl Productions- Boxing Pretty Girl Promotions to enjoy the music of Ruben Blades with her son Taylor at yesterday's Puerto Rican Festival in Rochester, New York.
8.04.2013
Beautiful Faces: Rochester, NY's Puerto Rican Parade
A mother and daughter enjoy yesterday's 43rd Annual Puerto Rican Parade in Rochester, NY.
7.18.2013
Latina Converts to Islam Growing in Number
Among the reasons for the growing number of Latino converts to Islam in the US is this curious suggestion by Ahmad Akhar, the Ibn Khaldun chair of Islamic studies at American University:
[By converting to Islam, some Latinos may also feel as if they're connecting to their Spanish roots, which are embedded for 800 years in Islamic history in Spain's southeast population centers of Granada, Cordova, Seville and Andalusia.]
See the full article.
Also --
4.01.2013
Your Spanish Ancestors Were North Africans
Were your 'Spanish' ancestors European as most Puerto Ricans believe, or African -- North African, to be precise?
It's an intriguing question.
Chances are they were African. Here's why:
1) The indigenous of the Canary Islands -- Guanche -- are genetically Berber, i.e., North African. Berber bloodlines predominate among the people of today's West North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria). Spain's Canary Islands lie off the coast of North West Africa and are geographically part of the continent of Africa. Recent genetic studies found a high percentage of Berber (upwards of 72%) mtDNA [direct maternal] lineages among Canary Islanders.
2) Records show the migration of Canary Islanders to Puerto Rico in successive waves beginning with Columbus' 2nd voyage in 1493 and continuing to the Spanish American War, 1898. Actually, the first Guanche to Puerto Rico were brought forcibly as slaves to replace the devastated Tainos. The later waves of Canary Islanders arrived as poor, rural Spanish colonial 'subjects' who migrated to Puerto Rico's agricultural regions in search of a better life. It is their music, food, dialect, community life and olive skins that make-up the "Spanish" component of the island's Jibaro culture.
3) Recent DNA sampling in Puerto Rico found strong evidence of mtDNA matches for Guanche genetics. In some sampled communities 55% of the residents contain the markers, while in others, particularly in the Western portion of the island, it's as high as 82%.
Tinguaro was a Guanche leader who defeated the Spanish conquistadors at a battle in the hills of Acentejo, Island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The area is now called La Matanza de Acentejo because the Spanish returned and slaughtered all of the local Guanche people.
It's an intriguing question.
Chances are they were African. Here's why:
1) The indigenous of the Canary Islands -- Guanche -- are genetically Berber, i.e., North African. Berber bloodlines predominate among the people of today's West North Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria). Spain's Canary Islands lie off the coast of North West Africa and are geographically part of the continent of Africa. Recent genetic studies found a high percentage of Berber (upwards of 72%) mtDNA [direct maternal] lineages among Canary Islanders.
2) Records show the migration of Canary Islanders to Puerto Rico in successive waves beginning with Columbus' 2nd voyage in 1493 and continuing to the Spanish American War, 1898. Actually, the first Guanche to Puerto Rico were brought forcibly as slaves to replace the devastated Tainos. The later waves of Canary Islanders arrived as poor, rural Spanish colonial 'subjects' who migrated to Puerto Rico's agricultural regions in search of a better life. It is their music, food, dialect, community life and olive skins that make-up the "Spanish" component of the island's Jibaro culture.
3) Recent DNA sampling in Puerto Rico found strong evidence of mtDNA matches for Guanche genetics. In some sampled communities 55% of the residents contain the markers, while in others, particularly in the Western portion of the island, it's as high as 82%.
Tinguaro was a Guanche leader who defeated the Spanish conquistadors at a battle in the hills of Acentejo, Island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. The area is now called La Matanza de Acentejo because the Spanish returned and slaughtered all of the local Guanche people.
3.28.2013
Puerto Rico's Canary Islands Connection
Canary Islanders contributions to the history and culture of
Puerto Rico is vast. For example, Puerto Rican Spanish was shaped by the
dialect of the Canary Islander migrants. The Tiple and Puerto Rico's beloved Jibaro culture's "Spanish" contribution trace back to Canarios (also known as Isleños).
Furthermore, DNA sampling in Puerto Rico found strong evidence of mtDNA matches for Canary Islannds genetics. In some communities, 55% of the residents contain the markers, while in others, particularly in the Western portion of the island, it's as high as 82%.
Even the name Puerto Rico
is from the Canary Islands, i.e, the port in San Juan was named after GrandCanary's Puerto Rico. And many of the island's cities were founded by Canarios.
Mountains of Gran Canary.
Los Canarios de Puerto Rico (documentary film in Spanish)
3.27.2013
Taino in the Southeast US pre-1492
[Taino Indians lived at least as far north as the Smoky Mountains. ¿Como? ¿Puertorriqueños en América del Norte antes de que Cristóbal Colón? ¡Por seguro! Forensic geologists and Native American scholars are opening the flood gates of new knowledge about North America’s past.]
The petroglyphs from Arecibo, PR and Atlanta, GA both portray a Taino guardian spirit.
Puertoricans came to North America before Columbus, March 12, 2013, Examiner.com
The petroglyphs from Arecibo, PR and Atlanta, GA both portray a Taino guardian spirit.
Puertoricans came to North America before Columbus, March 12, 2013, Examiner.com
3.08.2013
Luz Suarez de Highfield
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)