This weekend I heard former Senator John Bell speak on a topic that has been on my mind as well. Let me add my support to his position. The former senator expressed his disappointment with the divisive rhetoric being promoted on the hispanic radio station 98.3 FM. The political pundits on that station seem to be cultivating the idea that Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent are being discriminated against here in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Unfortunately, there are many in the hispanic community who are buying into this rhetoric. They are creating a division where there has not traditionally been one.
Let me begin with my personal experience. I am afro-caribbean. A combination of Dominican and Crucian heritage. I grew up in Work & Rest in a fairly diverse neighborhood. My best friends growing up were two half-breed Puerto-Crucians, Miguel and Felecita. Our Puerto Rican neighbor at the end of the road, Hilda used to bring food everyday for my grandmother when my grandmother became too ill to cook for herself. She also used to babysit my younger sisters. Her Puerto Rican husband, Pedro constructed my mother's cistern free of charge. My Puerto Rican neighbor Alejo used to feed and water our dogs for us when we were out of town. Me and his grandson, Frankie used to play together in their little wooden house. Our Puerto Rican neighbors across the street, the Farchettes have been friends of my family through three generations. We all grew up in Work & Rest living as one without ever making our different ethnic backgrounds an issue. We never discriminated against them, and they never discriminated against us.
Now my mother's best friend, Anna is Puerto-Rican. She danced at my wedding. Some of my closest friends are Puerto Rican. Some of my favorite co-workers over the years have been Puerto Rican. Growing up as a Crucian, it is almost enevitable that you will develop close friendships to someone of Puerto Rican descent. That is why it troubles me that there are some johnny-come-lately's that are making claims of discrimination.
Now let me touch on politcs and the claims that hispanic people are not properly represented in our government. The fact is, when credible hispanic candidates have sought office, they have always been accepted in all branches of our government. We have a long legacy of hispanic senators on St. Croix. From Hector Cintron, to Lilliana Belardo De O'neal, to the more recent Miguel Camacho in the 23rd Legislature. We have also had senators that were partly educated in Puerto Rico like Almando "Rocky" Liburd and Alicia "Chucky" Hansen. In the Schneider Administration, Juan Centeno, Carmelo Rivera, Vera Falu, and Robert Acosta played prominent roles. Then there was our longest serving governor, Juan Francisco Luis, a former senator, who after serving as lieutenant governor for three years, also served as governor of the Virgin Islands from 1978-1987. Then there is the highest judgeship in the Virgin Islands currently occupied by Chief Judge, Maria Cabret. Another Puerto-Crucian.
Where is our history of discrimination? Are the hispanic people naive enough to believe that these individuals achieved such high status in the community without the support of the entire community? Do they believe that it was only hispanics that supported them? If you simply look at the names of our housing communities, Aureo Diaz, Cadido Guadelope, and Nicassio Nico, you will see that the Crucians have embraced hispanics as part of us for a long time now. Even when Crucians were busy discriminating against people from the Eastern Caribbean, they still embraced Puerto Ricans as fellow U.S. citizens.
Encouraging hispanics to only vote for hispanics gives the impression that only other hispanics are capable of representing them. Following that logic I should only vote for black, native Crucians. And electing senators with a primary mission of representing hispanic people is also flawed logic. Otherwise, Craig Barshinger should only be expected to represent white people.
Do not allow newcomers to St. Croix to use the disguise of Puerto-Rican pride to create division where there is none. Long-time Puerto Rican residents of St. Croix and Puerto-Crucians should know better. Puerto Ricans make up only 14% of the population of St. Croix and an even smaller 8% of the total population of the Virgin Islands. The Virgin Islands will always remain a predominantly Black community and our government will most likely reflect that. That should not be considered an indicator of discrimination. It's just reality.
Okay, let me step off my soapbox. If I'm wrong, tell me that I am wrong. I wahn hear from ah yuh! Feel free to comment.
