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Yup yup, Yaz has come to rain on your parade. I may live in New York City and I might be as Rican as you can get, but I haven't been to the parade but 3 or 4 times in my life. Can't stand the corporate co-opting of our culture. Can't stand the huge celebration when I don't see an equally large mass of people rallying for what's still f*cked up down in Puerto Rico and messing with us boricuas everywhere. So this post will be Yaz' wishes for MY kind of Puerto Rican Day Parade. Here goes:

Para que gozen mi gente, necesita conocer verdaderamente que es lo que hay de gozar.

In my parade, all flags will be the correct color, the blue of the sky, not no navy, not no royal blue, cobalt. The flag designed in NY in 1895 was designed with the light blue of the sky, not an American Navy blue.

In my parade, all Puerto Ricans would raise their fist to sing our anthem. Everyone would know the words to the real revolutionary "La Borinqueña" written by Lola Rodriguez de Tio in the 19th century. No one would sing the weak one written in the 1950's that mentions Columbus. Last I checked he wasn't boricua.

Puerto Rican Nationalists, independentistas, macheteros and macheteras and all who defend the history of Puerto Rico would march in my parade without the risk of being harassed, arrested or shot dead.

In my parade, in my free Puerto Rico and everywhere, little children could run freely without the risk of asthma. Puerto Ricans have the highest asthma rate of any ethnicity. Children like these little girls racing in Vieques suffer from these illness because of navy bomb/ weapon contaminants.

In my parade, men wouldn't be judged for how many asses they grabbed. They would be honored for their knowledge of their history and for being warriors in defense of our people's survival and integrity.

In my parade, all people would come together to celebrate our historical legacy and in defense of our nation and the injustices commited against us, like Hugo Chavez here after the FBI assassination of Filiberto Ojeda Rios in 2005.

Boriken-Taino for "land of the brave/ noble lord".

If you're boricua, the Tainos said, you gotta be brave. If you're brave, you best be a warrior. If you're a warrior hope you've chosen a good battle....

Que viva Puerto Rico libre!

Todo Boricua Machetero!

Yaz (aka Yasmin Hernandez)