Last Thursday, thousands of Puerto Ricans tuned in to their televisions and favorite streaming sites to watch one of the island’s most coveted national pastimes: Miss Universe Puerto Rico. Candidates from 28 municipalities gathered at the Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan to decide who would be the next Miss Universe Puerto Rico (MUPR).
Alongside boxing events, national baseball finals, and election night, the Miss Universe competition is one of Puerto Rico’s most highly anticipated nights. Puerto Ricans are extremely proud of their five global queens, and although the MUPR night does not receive as much traction as the international competition, this one was one for the history books.
As always, the events of the show were widely documented on social media, from wardrobe malfunctions to Q&A blunders, Puerto Rican Twitter was not forgiving.
Fans were quick to choose favorites like Miss Loíza and Miss Morovis. But in the end, it was Miss Toa Baja, Madison Anderson Berríos, who took the crown and will represent Puerto Rico in the 2019 Miss Universe pageant set to take place later this year.
After Anderson Berríos was crowned, the uproar on social media was instant. People began to criticize her for her broken Spanish, her inability to properly answer questions, and singled out that she did not grow up on the island, therefore did not belong there.
The issue was that Madison Anderson Berríos was born in Arizona to an American father and a Puerto Rican mother. Her family later relocated to Orlando, Florida, where she was raised. Her father is a bondholder who brings investors to the Caribbean.
The hashtag #NoMeRepresenta started circulating around Twitter, and rumors that the competition had been rigged began to circulate.
¿Por qué el certamen dejó que participara en el concurso? Si tan parte de los Estados Unidos somos, ella ya tuvo su chance en Florida. ¿Por qué la dejaron competir? ¿Cómo ganó luego de presentar un desempeño inferior al de otras candidatas? Me huele a truco. #nomerepresenta https://t.co/YQiGfulhmb
— Shockey ☻ (@mbshockey) June 15, 2019
#NoMeRepresenta Next https://t.co/STo70U8eCw
— •N• (@no_to_go_) June 14, 2019
Miss Universe Puerto Rico judge Alba Reyes (a former MUPR) responded to these rumors by saying that “such allegations are otherwise alien to the reality prior to the constitution of the jury and otherwise false in terms of the deliberative process of the jury.”
Others accused Anderson Berríos of participating in the pageant only because she failed to make it as Miss Florida USA 2019. This could be partially true. Anderson Berríos did in fact compete in the pageant, where she was first runner-up, but MUPR 2019 was not the first time she competed for Puerto Rico. In 2016, she won Miss Grand Puerto Rico, representing the island at Miss Grand International and placing as a third runner-up.
But the backlash didn’t start when Anderson Berríos won last week’s competition. Throughout the pageant, criticism outpoured, from the fact that she was an American taking the spot away from a “deserving Puerto Rican” to her broken Spanish in the Q&A segment.
It was in this particular moment that the Internet broke, when Anderson, who did not use an interpreter, asked the judge to repeat the question again because Spanish is not her first language, and then failed to answer the question. Not only was the mockery rampant online, but she was also booed by the audience at Bellas Artes.
In the days following her victory, dozens of op-eds and think pieces popped up on Puerto Rican news organizations, most defending her right to represent the Island, while others questioned her being in the competition. But some critics say it’s not about her accent or her heritage, but that she only ran to Puerto Rico after not making it in Florida.
People seem to have moved on, and the hashtag #NoMeRepresenta is now full of jokes and memes.
Yo estoy seguro que Madison nunca ha llorado por un caco JAJAJAJA #NoMeRepresenta
— rÁfaga (@rvfaell) June 14, 2019
Madison no sabe lo que es tener que aguantar a este gobierno #NoMeRepresenta
— Javier Colón (@misternoguera) June 14, 2019
Anderson Berríos has remained mostly quiet about the backlash, focusing on improving her Spanish, working with domestic abuse survivors and waiting for the Miss Universe competition.
“Being Puerto Rican comes from the blood and from your heart. I feel proud to be the voice of Puerto Ricans outside of Puerto Rico,” she told Metro.
Former Miss Universe (2001) Denise Quiñones and director of MUPR thanked Anderson Berríos in an Instagram post for “reminding us all, what we already know… That PR is in the blood and in the heart and there is no one who really feels Boricua, that can impose a degree to our Puerto Ricanness.”
On Sunday, the official Instagram account of Anderson Berríos’ team posted in Spanish about the pride she felt for the victory:
***
Natalia Rodríguez Medina is the 2019 summer correspondent for Latino Rebels. She is a member the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY’s Class of 2019. Natalia tweets from @nataliarodmed.
That is why we had paper towels thrown at out people after Hurricane Maria. Our own people don’t support each other except one day a year at the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
#NoMeRepresenta Next
Shes not freaking puertorriqueña just cause she has berrios has her name dosent mean she represent US i mean she dosent no anything about Being a puertorriqueña take her out allready
She don’t looks boricua not how but she is very pretty Ramon Ortiz iam glad for her she is boricua is on her blood thanks y’all
She lost as a Miss Florida (1st Finalist) in February 2019 and her Sponsors decide to move to Puerto Rico in order to don’t lose all their money. The Sponsors bought the Miss Universe PR organizers. How in the hell she can say “I’m proud to represent PR”…She is proud of these BALLS?????
I dont think she should have been allowed to compete. She has never even lived in Puerto Rico and she took that title away from a true Puerto Rican girl.
Talk about hypocrisy. After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans, all of a sudden, were eager to claim they are US citizens and demand aid from the US. If she meets all the requirements to compete in the pageant, then she won fair and square.
I am and will always be a Puertorrican who lives in the USA and as a responsible,respectful visitor that I am i abide by their laws,but i am not American , thank you
For your info Puerto Ricans are US citizens Puerto Rico is a common wealth of the US we are not illegals and don’t need a green card……get it straight!!!!!
In fact all Puerto Ricans are ‘American’ –wasn’t this what the world was reminded of after Hurricane Maria?
The writer needed to re-phrase this:
“Throughout the pageant, criticism outpoured, from the fact that she was an American taking the spot away from a “deserving Puerto Rican” to her broken Spanish in the Q&A segment.”
to “she was a blonde born stateside” or something along different lines.
Felicidades Madi! Eres boriqua de la mas Hermosa.
Shouldn’t the organizers stopped her participation at the onset? How do you qualify to be a contestant in the first place?
If she was deemed qualified, then she deserves to be a contestant and nobody should be making noise after she wins.
An “American” won the crown? What an ignorant title. I guess what you were trying to say was that the candidate that was not raised in the island won. Please keep in mind that anyone that’s born in the island is an “American”. Publications like this one are the ones that feed into the ignorant believe that we are not US Citizens. Also, if we are going to complain about where she got raised, we need to be honest with ourselves and include JLO, Mark Anthony and Monica Puig to this equation. Maybe we can also add Luis Fonsi as well since he moved and spent most of his teens in Florida.
Why is it that even Latino’s DON’T KNOW..PUERTO RICANS are AMERICANS TOO…Why say her Father is an American..When her Mother is also American.
And the uproar is not that She Isn’t Puerto Rican..It’s that she didn’t bother to learn the language..She probably didn’t live there but two mins.. I’d be mad too..
The author must explain what does she mean “an American”. Has she forgotten her grade school geography class or she wanted to divide?
Divide con mucho chisme!!!
Please stop criticizing our new queen. We can not live fighting with each other. She already demonstrate that she feel Puertorriquena when she represent PR in another peegea and that was okay. We are never happy. Let’s be proud of her and wish her luck , I know she can bring another crown to Puerto Rico , remember that we are also USA
I lived in Puerto Rico for a year when I was a kid, my spanish wasnt that great , I got teased by students and teachers back in the 70’s confusing for a kid to think I was Puerto Rican, but didn’t understand why I wasn’t accepted. 1985 went there on vacation a friend took up to a party, which it was the birthday of Maso Rivera my friend and I were talk about how good the food was, Maso heard us talking in English and humiliated us in front of everyone. We left and swore I would never go back. When are going to realize you are American hey , you can keep the culture and language just like my grand parents did, but they also learned english just like many other people from around the world. Still wont go back, coming from a proud American Puerto Rican from New York Born and raised just like JLo.
I’m really sorry you went through that. That was awful. Maso was a talented cranky man.
QUE MUCHOS HIPOCRITA HAY EN ESTE PAIS. Y POR QUE NO DICEN LO MISMO DE LOS NEWYORICAN QUE JUEGAN EN LA SELECTION DE PUERTO RICO EN EL BALONCESTO. PEOPLE DON’T BE SO IGNORANT AND HIPOCRIT BUT WENT WE NEED HELP THEN WE ARE AMERICANS. BE PROUD OF BEING A BORICUA IF YOU GOT PUERTO RICO BLOOD YOU ARE PUERTORICAN. MADISON BERRIOS ES BORICUA PA QUE TU LO S SEPAS.??????????
I think it’s al wrong. She was representing Florida earlier this year! So she ran to Puerto Rico to compete after she lost in Florida. She has never lived in Puerto Rico and came just for the competition.she doesn’t represent the true Puertorriqueña. I can’t call myself Spaniard and my dad is a Spaniard. I don’t have their experience therefore I can only say I have Spaniard roots. I don’t represent them.
but you can call yourself 100% chismos…
Nosotros los puertoriqueńos sienpre estamos llorando por todola cultura se llava en la sangre soy orgullosu de ser Boricua y americano degen la inorancia
Catriona Gray is Australian with English as her first language. Phillipines not only sent her to MU but also to MW 2 years before where she finished top 5.
Leila Lopes was living and studying in the UK when she signed and represented the UK residents in MU Angola.
We live in a global world and most countries and territories allow their nationals to pass on their citizenship to their offsprings. This happens in sports a lot. Welcome to the 21st century and stop whining
So true. Both my daughters were born and raised in SoCal. They’re half Mexican and half Filipino, don’t speak either language. What I always find fascinating is, by the way they represent themselves, they are NEVER less Mexican or Filipino or American.
AMÉRICA IS THE NAME OF THE WHOLE CONTINENENT, NOT JUST ONE ONE OF THE 30+ COUNTRIES WHICH IMCLUDES THE CARIBBEAN, THEREFORE FROM ALASKA TO ARGENTINA & CHILE WE ARE ALL AMERICANS!! EVEN NORTH AMERICA HAS 3- CANADA, UNITED STATES & MEXICO (AND DON’T FORGET THAT ALASKA WAS TAKEN FROM THE ESKIMOS, IT SHOULD BE A SEPARATE COUNTRY.). AND THEN THERE IS CENTRAL AMERICA WITH 7 COUNTRIES AND SOUTH AMERICA WITH 12 MORE. THEREFORE THERE MANY MILLIONS OF AMERICANS, NOT JUST IN UNITED STATES!
THE NAME OF THE EMPIRE IS UNITED STATES, NOT AMERICA.
You’re insecure.
America refers to the 50 States and its official name of the United States of America hence the term American was termed.
Britian had colonies all over the world; Asia, Africa and the Americas. The 13 original colonies on the American continent needed to “unite” to have a remote chance of defeating the British and thus the “United States” of America was born.
United States of Mexico is Mexico’s official name therefore they are referred to as Mexicans.
The Dominion of Canada is Canada’s official therefore they are Canadian.
Need I explain more Einstien? It’s the adjective form of the proper noun. Good heavens.
Well, I think she is puertorrican if she wants that to be her cultural identity. Ok. And she does have pageant pedigree and a great competitor spirit. Also she is pretty, strong and a warrior. She has done everything to express her love for her heritage. I like and admire her. Ok. But I can’t help but notice the dose of white privilege as she is able to gracefully be white when she wants to and also puertorrican when she wants to, not everyone has that as a puertorrican. Not saying is wrong just noticing, how convenient in this case particularly because as a PR representative she goes straight to Miss Universe and not Miss USA. Also, knowing how an island with a long colonization history and colorism favors the caucasian style of beauty in beauty pageants, her triumph is not only her great characteristics but also a dose of colorism. The other pageants she participated in weren’t as graceful and giving as PR is being with her and it could be argued that is mostly based in the color of her skin. Pageants in PR although a private for-profit entity are a cultural symbol. In the history of PR pageants there hasn’t been an afro-caribbean girl winner however a girl who hasn’t really lived in the island, doesn’t speak the language doesn’t really experience the day to day, can go and take the crown. The fans are extra hard when it comes to an afro-caribbean girl competing but for example, one of the rules was to have lived in the island 6 months if not born and raised in the island, she didn’t. She did not have the best body, did not give the best answer and did not have the most amazing gown. All these things are so heavily criticized in PR pageant contestants (specially afro-caribbean) but in this case there were LOTS of leeway. Again, pageants are a business but in PR they are a cultural thing, so what does it mean culturally, how does it feel for someone to come from the states to win it all? What does it say about what people in the beauty industry in PR want the world to see as a Puertorrican and how they prefer white women to represent them? Is this a form of self-loathing? Can people relate to her? why suddenly speaking english when most people living in PR don’t, is such a plus? Does she represent that people? and also does it matter? I do think she was plucked and brought to PR under the promise of winning and that is not her fault. It is a beauty pageant after all. I think the girls should not compete if they think the result will be unfair. Pageants are not fair in general.
There is an interview with judges , so it’s not all about the final event show. Also that part is just 20%
???MADISON???
An American? You shold get your info straight… We are all americans. People from PR are born USA citizens if that’s what you ment with your headline. And by the way, America is a continent…You got North America, Central and South America.
So, what’s left is changing the way USA mainland- born citizens refer to themselves… But that will be really, really hard to do you dont know much about other countries and knows no geography…
?
En el Corazon y la sangre Ella lo lleva else orgullo Boricua, aqui nadie sabe si Ella vivio o no en la is la Ella miasma lo dice aprendio Dr su cultura su historia cuando estaba Dr vacaciones con sus abuelos mejores maestros no pudo tener vamos a unirnos en orgullo y darle la mano para k represente a Borinquen bella en miss universo y dejen esos comentarios feos somos un pueblo unido dentro y fuera de nuestra isla somos uno.
La odian porque es BELLA y BLANCA…si fuera una “diversity” sapa Nuyorican ya se hubiesen caido ya en la calle en sus chancletas apestosoas aplaudiendola…
Que chorro de hipocritas racistas lambiendo la baba politica como siempre…que falta de verguenza…
Give it a break Boreekwas…she represents Puerto Rico a LOT better than AOC, J-Low and Rosie ever will…get over your stupid selves already…at least she wears dresses that are not cut all the way up to her “coochie” or with her ass hanging out!…ya apestan!
We are blessed with an American citizenship, and a Commonwealth relationship with USA. We cross over in music, sport, politics and yes beauty pageants. Let’s enjoy this privilege that no other (hawaii, Alaska, Guam etc) has.
We have been citizens for OVER a century.
Not all Spanish-Speaking people are Mexicans or ILLEGALS!!!
Stop getting your information about Puerto Rico from the Taco Bell drive-up menu.
You are an embarrassment already with your 3rd rate degrees in “La Trino Studies”
Why has Puerto Rico never declared its independence and become a full-fledged sovereign nation with their OWN leader, their OWN currency, their OWN national anthem, their OWN military and their OWN form of government like the rest of Spanish-speaking America?
Are they cowards?
You mean the “lack” of independence desire that:
a) forced the US to threaten Puerto Ricans with a “no state” status (hence denying them of all civil rights) if they refused American citizenship and demand Puerto Rican citizenship
b) caused the US to massacre civilians demanding independence in both Ponce and Lares
c) forced the US to declare both the Puerto Rican flag and their anthem illegal for over a decade
d) motivated an assassination attempt on the president of the US and an attack on congress
e) motivated the bombings carried out by the FALN
In other words, the independence movement in Puerto Rico was crushed by military interaction, infiltration by government agents and international legerdemain. To equate the failure of Puerto Rico to gain independence with cowardice belies a staggering level of ignorance regarding Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans, and their history. Seriously, read a book.
Bigoted ignorance = no respect. Not sorry.
Regarding the plebiscites to determine the islands status, the 1967 and 93 referendums chose commonwealth, however the votes of 98, 12 and 17 favored statehood. Since these referendums are all non-binding there has been a growing skepticism regarding their value and the 17 vote was largely boycotted. Another issue to take into account is that Republicans would never allow PR to become a state due to the almost certain 2 Democratic senators they would bring to DC. Like Alaska and Hawaii, statehood would only be allowed if yet another state would be incorporated in order to maintain the political status quo.
My apologies Mr. Fulano. Not only is PR indecisive in its options of statehood or independence but I didn’t know they justify their indecision because now they are “victims” too.
They can join Mexico’s federation of states. Perhaps that would be a better fit.
No decision = no respect. So, so sorry!
Porto Rico will win Miss Universe 2020.
Just ask the US Congress, we are a territory and they would not give us our indepence… maybe if you start your own movement they will listen to you dear USA taxpayer… just saying…
How these people would feel if a Puertorrican girl could win in one of the states pageants?
[…] Latino Rebels […]
Were Puerto Ricans U.S. citizens before or after the hurricane?
There would not be this much controversy had she been brown-skinned, brown-eyed with black hair.
Guaranteed!
Had she been like that she would not have won. In 60+ years of Miss Puerto Rico there has only been a handful of “brown” girls winners. Not one Afro-caribbean. She won because she is caucasian, among other things. PR black girls like Joan Smalls and Genesis Davila have to leave PR so they can be recognized as beautiful. The problem IS NOT that she is caucasian. The problem was that she showed up technically out of nowhere it feels very intruding, her final presentation was so, so and having a language barrier ads to the problem, it was never seen before in a PR pageant a girl who doesn’t even speak spanish. PR pageants are rid with cla$$sism and colorism. White girls are given a lot of advantage and everyone knows that. In PR a caucasian/nordic girl will always be considered the most beautiful and “superior” even when she is “regular” looking by any other place with tons of girls like that.
In my opinion, you are the only person with the right answer here. In PR we are all so obsessed with being white that we forget how beautiful it is to be mixed or mestizo. And if you are of darker skin, just as beautiful. We should celebrate and be proud of our heritage regardless of our skin color and stop trying to be white because of some stupid beauty standard that has been forced into our consciousness. People wake up!
This title is the stupid media of the “Great America”. Probably someone who wrote this article is envy and jealous of the people from the most beautiful island in the world. I am asking to myself if the person who wrote this article have the %of Indian blood (2%only in the US population) who are consider Indian Americans. Go Madisson for the 6th crown. And people from my 100×35 beautiful island, with engineers, astronauts, etc etc… stay strong and together. Divisiond will not be solution for any of the problems of the island, maybe the attitude for those who blame the government, are the problem. The power is in every of you. Publish everywhere you go, social media, facebook, twitter, about PR, Beaches. Tourism, its people and the perfect human genes of the world as per latest university studies. Look it up and be always proud to say Soy Puertorriqueno. God bless PR. GO MADDISON.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/liorpachter.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/the-perfect-human-is-puerto-rican/amp/
Is a very complicated way to see the things as a puertorican. I have never left the island and have two kids with an American woman. Mu English is very bad. Also, I pay my taxes and have work my entire life here without government support. My kids have never been in the main land. I desapointed after realize that they will be considered non puertorican even that they have more conections with the island than dose that go to the main land. Is very odd that they considered others like Mark Antony, JLo, Monica Puig and others that were not risen in the island as puertorican as Madison. I am sure that if she win on the main contest, they will considered her a puertorican. I am sad of what my people has become. We has been disbanded and mix in all the ways posible. There is no one that can say I don’t have a close family that don’t live in main land or is descendant of somebody from out of the island. They probably don’t know her background or how much she is link to the island.
It’s a little Suspect I agree, with the losing the Florida pageant and all. But Boriqua’s come in all flavors now . You’ll be surprised how many flavors folks ” I say as a PR born and N.Y. raised Son, let this young woman compete and Represent us cause trust me she’ll be making a huge amount of us Full and Half Ricans Proud.. Remember her Mommy is full Rican.. so she knows who she is…
All Puerto Ricans are born American citizens. Your starting remark is wrong I suggest you verify that.
Ay pol favol… un escandalo que porque no habla bien el Español..a ver cuantos Puertorriqueños hablan bien el Español..?????
We are blessed with an American citizenship, and a Commonwealth relationship with USA. We cross over in music, sport, politics and yes beauty pageants. Let’s enjoy this privilege that no other (hawaii, Alaska, Guam etc) has.
Los concursos de belleza son un negocio y a está Niña ya le habīan hechado el ojo hace meses. Verdad Sixto Nolasco? (Uno de los jueces del certamen).
Por qué si tenian ya la ganadora de ante mano les hicieron perder el tiempo y su dinerito, muchas con sacrificio, a las otras chicas participantes? No tiene que ver nada con su gringolandia, es puro negocio.
Esto tiene cocorícamo!
Plenty of Americans join other countries olympic teams when they don’t qualify in the US. How is this any different? Ella es Boricua! Dejala quieta
@ Janet Velazquez;
Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the Union in 1959 as the 49th and 50th states.
Puerto Rico and Guam are NOT states but unincorporated Commonwealth territories. Both territories are “neither” States nor independent sovereign nations and voted several times to keep their territorial status’.
No decision = no respect. Sorry.
If Puerto Rico is NOT a independent sovereign nation thus the Islanders are “born” US citizens then what seems to be the problem with Madison, also a US citizen, being crowned Miss Puerto Rico?
If there was such a thing as a Puerto Rican “citizen” THEN there would be a problem. But since the people of Puerto Rico are too scared to cut the apron strings from Uncle Sam and wants one foot on Anglo America soil and the other foot on Latin American soil you will always have a confusion in a national identity.
Goodness gracious! Go Madison! Speak your English and show em’ right!
Although I’m no big fan of Ameica’s role in Puerto Rican subjugation, those “apron strings” have allowed PR to avoid the abject poverty and hyper-violence plaguing sections of Latin America. Add to that, not having to fear midnight raids by ICE, I would say that “scared” is more like enlightened self-interest.
Enlightened self interest? Great point. Similar justification to an orthodox Mormon who is a firm believer in polygomy. One wife can help work and earn the bread and the other wife is super-sexy and fantastic in bed.
Stay middle of the road Porto Rico! We love you.
Thank you, Don!
Go Madison!
[…] allegations are otherwise alien to the reality prior to the constitution of the jury and otherwise false in terms of the deliberative process of the jury,” according to Latino […]
¡Seamos serios mi gente! Por mucho que Madison diga que lleva a PR en la sangre, ella no es puertorriqueña, como tampoco lo son JLo, Marc Anthony or Lin Manuel Miranda, por cierto. Si llevar a Puerto Rico en la sangre fuera suficiente para representar a la isla, entonces debemos permitir que cualquier muchacha extranjera que pase cinco minutos en Puerto Rico y diga “llevo a Puerto Rico en la sangre” pueda participar en Miss Puerto Rico. ¿Alguien realmente cree que eso se vaya a permitir? De hecho, las reglas del certamen indican que una muchacha nacida fuera de PR debe haber vivido en Puerto Rico por un mínimo de diez años para poder participar. ¿Por qué no se extiende esa regla a las americanas como Madison que quieran ser Miss Puerto Rico? Y si esta bien que Madison nos represente ya que ella es ciudadana americana, entonces cualquier muchacha americana debe tener la oportunidad de participar, aunque ninguno de sus padres sea puertorriqueño y aunque no sepan nada de español. Pregunto, ¿alguien cree que la organización de Miss Puerto Rico va a permitirle a cualquier americana a participar en el certamen? Lo siento mucho, pero decir meramente que Puerto Rico se lleva en la sangre no es suficiente para que esa persona sea considerada como puertorriqueña.Madison participó en Miss Puerto Rico por oportunismo y no por “llevar a Puerto Rico en la sangre.” Una vez más, seamos serios y honestos mi gente.
Bueno, mira la Miss Malta. Nació en Venezuela y ahí creció, la mamá es Venezolana y el papa era italiano, se mudó a Malta hace solo 3 años. Cuando se mudó empezó a aprender los idiomas de Malta; inglés, maltés y el italiano (aunque estoy segura que ya sabía mucho italiano). Tiene ciudadanía Venezolana, Maltés y Italiano. De Maltés no tiene nada pero nadie dijo nada cuando ganó. Porque? Porque es Venezolana y Venezuela tiene bastante ganadoras. Puedo entender las dos lados de la moneda pero no se…siento que una contestante debería por lo menos crecido en el país que quiere representar. Esa es mi opinión.
Support Puerto Rican independence.
Only then will the term Puerto Rican “blood” will be respected and taken seriously.
As it stands the term “Puerto Rican” only means; 1) second class US citizen or 2) legalized Mexicans, with all due respect.
Sorry.
No decision = no respect.
That is all.
WHAT A BUNCH OF IGNORANTS HERE!!!!! FIRST OF ALL WHETHER YOU ALL LIKE IT OR NOT!!!!! ALL PUERTO RICANS ARE AMERICANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET OVER YOURSELVES. SECOND BEING PUERTO RICAN HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING BORN ON THE ISLAND, IT HAS DO WITH YOUR EMBRACING/LOVING YOUR CULTURE, WITH THE BLOOD RUNNING IN YOUR VEINS THAT INCITES THAT LOVE AND PASSION WE ARE ALL KNOWN FOR.
AND, to ‘just saying’ in response to your IDIOTIC post that says Puerto Rican means…second class or legalized Mexicans – I feel sorry for someone that possess such pathetic ignorance thinking that supporting Puerto Rican independence is the only way a Puerto Rican will be taken seriously.
whats fascinating to me is that out of all the articles in this publication that hit on serious and profound topics, this is the one that people read and respond to
[…] that has plagued Puerto Rico, and they started expressing their discontent using the hashtag #NoMeRepresenta, while others defended […]
Sad…does the government employee, the tv host, and the school district educator who made racist comments know that – in the US -“their” white skin, in addition to their spanish language and accent, automatically and “figuratively” define them as Mexican and all the stereotypical racist assumptions that helped Trump win the 2016 election? Right? Unreal!
Point a finger and there is three pointing back.
Btw, 12.5% of Islanders identify as black and 60% have significant black ancestry.
Hi all,
I actually have a similar identity to Madison. My mom is Puerto Rican and my father is white. My brothers and I are therefore 50% white and 50% Puerto Rican. We grew up in New Haven, CT. I have dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, similar to Madison. My last name is also white as shit, like “Anderson.” But I could add on my mother’s maiden name to make my self more Puerto Rican… like Madison did.
I get offended when people question my heritage, because I am so connected to my Puerto Rican side. I grew up living with my mother’s parents who only spoke Spanish at the time. I have a big Puerto Rican family on my mom’s side. As much as I was raised white, I was raised eating arroz con habichuelas, playing dominos with my Tios, and saying my “angelito mío” before bed time.
However, I would never, in a million years, take my WHITE passing ass (white passing means that you are mixed but you come off as looking predominantly white) to the island and attempt
to identify with the culture. Is it in my blood and my childhood? Hundred percent. But I’m not fully it. Madison going to PR to take that crown is a display of her white privilege. I know this because she and I are no different. It was truly distasteful of her.
And as for the JLo argument, she’s not like JLo. Although JLo is from the Bronx, both her parents are Puerto Rican. JLo also grew up speaking Spanish as a first language. Madison’s MOTHER (if her mother grew up in the states and not the island) is like JLo. Similar to MY mother who has two Puerto Rican parents and grew up in Bridgeport, CT with her first language being Spanish.
With this, the “American” argument (PR is a US territory and Puerto Ricans are US citizens) does not apply. Yes, her father is American. But he’s also WHITE. That’s why her last name is Anderson. Madison is a 50/50 baby, like me. Everything I say is not meant to take away her Puerto Rican roots from her, as they are there and I’m sure like me, she’s very proud of them! However, Madison really had no place competing in this competition and representing the island. It’s a demonstration of her ignorance for the culture and that’s where she and I differ. Because while we are the same—white dad and boricua mama—I wouldn’t pull some shit like that. Maybe she did have a more white upbringing than I did and that’s why she can’t see how distasteful this decision was. Anyway blessings to all!
Well well well..
A white-American representing Puerto Rico loses to a pure black woman for the Miss Universe crown and even well known politicians and celebrities have made racist comments regarding the decision based on her pure black African features. They find it surprising and not logical.
Shame on them.
Ahhhhhh, the racist caste system implemented by the beloved Spanish conquistadors raises its ugly head. We know it exists worse, in Hispanic America, than it does in North America but sadly is rarely addressed and discussed publicly which is even more pathetic.
To all the white loving Ricans and define beauty through the lenses of colonialism; it’s time to admit and celebrate your African/black ancestry! Unfortunately, Puerto Ricans are generally thought of just another Spanish speaking ethnicity. Wake up and smell your coffee…black.
Congratulations to Madison’s winning 1st runner-up but more importantly Puerto Rico losing to South AFRICA for the coveted title. The rep from South Africa blew all out of the water with her profound and eloquent question and answer responses. IMPRESSIVE!
The irony, right? Maybe next year. Peace out, y’all. lol
PS.
Has Puerto Rico ever had a pure black or a dark skinned mulatta contestant compete for the crown? Even the Dominican Republic, traditionally renowned for denying their blackness, sent a black delegate to the contest.
Everyone knows blacks consist of a formidable percentage of the Island population.
Time to address the elephant in the room…Ricans!
Please Latinos…
Do not ever feel superior to descendants of African/African Americans because of their black skin color.
People, on the mainland, historically have made similar negative racists assumptions against Puerto Ricans/Mexicans/Central Americans and Hispanics in general for their moreno/ brown skin color, lack of education, perception of laziness, teen pregnancies, gang and criminal activity and especially by the way the “speak.”
That is all.