Boxer Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga takes pride in Puerto Rican descent, as he continuously traces back his roots.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York to Puerto Rican parents. Berlanga started boxing at the age of 7 and made his professional debut in 2016. For him, he always represents the country and the people of Puerto Rico in his every fight.
Continue ReadingThe industry of Hip Hop has become a mix of various promising artists, not just in the mainstream but also in independent scenes. Expressing music based on experiences, full of raw emotions in their own form, and artistry.
What makes Hip Hop more interesting is the rise of Latino rappers over the years. Their success inspired other Latino rappers, including the Puerto Rican rising star, Cyrus the God.
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In an age where true supermodels were a thing of the past, a fresh face appears. Chances are you’ve seen Joan Smalls on the cover of your favorite magazine already. She is currently on the cover of the July 2012 issue of W Magazine and has been dubbed the “new face of fashion”. So who is this Joan Smalls?
Joan Smalls was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She comes from a multi-ethnic family (a father from St. Thomas and a Puerto Rican mother) and is said to be of African, Spanish, Taino Indian, Irish and Hindu descent. Smalls said she has always known since the age of five that she wanted to become a model, but those dreams weren’t realized until she made the move to New York City. Before the move she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. In 2007 she left the island and moved in with her aunt in Queens, and signed with Elite Model Management immediately thereafter.
Smalls made her high-fashion debut in January 2010 when she was featured as the exclusive model for Ricardo Tischi’s Givenchy Fall/Winter 2010 Couture Show… and she has been working with the best names in fashion ever since.
With two Vogue covers, an Estée Lauder contract, and campaigns that include Chanel and Gucci and Givenchy, it is easy to see that the sky is the limit for this educated beauty. The amount of work that she has already done gives her the resume of a pro. She has walked for designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Jean Paul Gaultier, Stella McCartney, Prada, and Marc Jacobs among others. She appeared in the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and has appeared in numerous campaigns, editorials and magazine covers.
With all of the success and exposure that her career has brought upon her, Joan Smalls understands the importance of representing a group of women that you rarely see in high fashion magazine. Joan Smalls explains in the July issue of W Magazine:
“I just have something to prove. I know I’m representing a group — black, Latin, whatever you want to put me with — and I want to show that they are beautiful the way they are. I think that’s really important for our youth to see. Fashion is part of our culture… and it’s about more than just a pretty dress.â€
Don’t forget to pick up the July issue of W Magazine !
In April the United States Postal Service announced the induction of Jose Ferrer to the U.S. Postal Service’s Distinguished Americans Stamp Series.
“… the Postal Service is pleased and proud to bestow upon Jose Ferrer — a groundbreaking Latino movie, theater and television performer and the first Puerto Rican actor to succeed in Hollywood — a new commemorative Forever stamp,”
“Throughout an acting career that spanned more than half a century, Ferrer played a wide range of roles on both Broadway and on the silver screen. His accomplishments extended to many other genres of entertainment. He acted on radio, performed as an opera singer; co-authored a libretto and was a composer. And, as if all this weren’t enough, Ferrer wrote for theater and television, and directed and produced numerous plays, both on and off Broadway.”
– Marie Therese Dominguez, vice president, Government Relations and Public Policy for the U.S. Postal Service
José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His family moved to New York City when he was six years old. Ferrer was said to be an excellent student and passed the Princeton University entrance exam at 15 years old — but he was too young to attend. As a result of this he spent a year in boarding school in Switzerland and entered Princeton at age 16 and graduated with the class of 1933. He initially intended on becoming a language professor but he discovered his love of acting during his postgraduate work at Columbia University.
And it was a good thing he did – he became the first Puerto Rican (and Hispanic) actor to win an Academy Award. He ultimately donated his Oscar award to the University of Puerto Rico to honor his roots. He also won several Tony Awards and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.
To order your own Jose Ferrer Forever stamps visit the official USPS website here: Jose Ferrer (Forever)
This past weekend I was made aware of a social motorcycle group in Southern California known as Harlistas Boricua. Founded in August 2010 and the first of its kind in California, Harlistas Boricua was started by a group of Puerto Ricans who ride Harley Davidson motorcycles to various places in California and share our Puerto Rican culture with whomever they come across in the process. They ride most weekends and during their events they make it a point to ride to different Puerto Rican establishments or restaurants. Aside from the love of riding, the club was created to celebrate and introduce the culture, history and music of Puerto Rico with everyone. The brothers of Harlistas Boricua are from different walks of life. Some are business men, active duty servicemen, law enforcement and retirees. This group is not an outlaw-type of motorcycle club and is family oriented and they welcome anyone, even those of non Puerto Rican descent, to join them!
Harlistas Boricua’s 1 year anniversary is coming up on Saturday, August 20th and they will be riding to Mofongos in North Hollywood followed by a run up Pacific Coast Highway to the Ventura county line. Of course EVERYONE is invited to help them celebrate this history in the making!
