The Nuyorican Movement is an intellectual movement involving poets, writers, musicians and artists who are Puerto Ricans or of Puerto Rican descent and who live in New York and call themselves or are known as "Nuyoricans". The word Nuyorican derives from a combination of the words "New York" and "Puerto Rican". This phenomenon came about when many Puerto Ricans immigrated to New York City in the middle decades of the 20th century, looking for a better way of life. Many of them, including their offsprings, faced difficult situations and hardships, such as racial discrimination. Their love for Puerto Rico and being in a far away land that did not accept them totally, lead to the creation of the sub culture of the "Nuyorican".

Literature and Poetry

Some of the best known "Nuyorican" writers and poets, who have written about their experiences of being a Puerto Rican in New York and who have been responsible for the "Nuyorican Movement" directly or indirectly are, Jesus Colon who is considered the "Father of the Nuyorican Movement" and who wrote "A Puerto Rican in New York", Esmeralda Santiago's "When I was Puerto Rican" and Piri Thomas' "Down These Mean Streets". The Nuyorican Poets Cafe, founded by poets and playwrights Pedro Pietri, Miguel Piñero and Miguel Algarin, is located on Third Street and Avenue C in New York. According to Algarin, "We must listen to one another. We must respect one anothers habits and we must share the truth and the integrity that the voice of the poet so generously provide". Edwin Torres, the well known Nuyorican poet is a regular at the cafe.

Music

The "Nuyorican" music became popular in the 1960s with the recordings of Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va" and Ray Barretto's "El Watusi". The lyrics to the songs used a mixture of Spanish and English. This resulted into what is known as Spanglish. The latin musical bands who played the imported Cha Cha or Charanga began to develope their own unique Nuyorican music style by adding flutes and violins to their orchestras. Some of the best known musicians who helped develope this unique music known as the Latin Boogaloo were Joe Cuba with his "Bang Bang", Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz with "Mr. Trumpet Man", the brothers Charlie and Eddie Palmieri bands, with their unique sounds. Eventually, the Nuyorican music has evolved into Latin hip hop, rap and reggaeton.

Playwrights

Among the playwrights who have based their works on the lifes of the Puerto Rican in New York and who were the pioneers of the Nuyorican movement were Luis Rafael Sanchez with his "La Guaracha Del Macho Camacho" and Rene Marquez whose production of "The Oxcart" traces the life of a Puerto Rican family who moved from the country to San Juan and then to New York, only to realize that they rather live a poor life in Puerto Rico than to face the discrimnation they faced in the United States. Miguel Piñero became an acclaimed playwright with his work "Short Eyes", a drama about prison life, which won a Tony Award nomination and an Obie Award. Judge Edwin Torres, wrote the saga of a Puerto Rican drug dealer in "Carlito's Way" which eventually became a Hollywood film. Puerto Rican actress Miriam Colon founded the "Puerto Rican Traveling Theater" which gives young actors the opportunity to participate in its productions. Some of the productions, such as "Simpson Street" touch the subject of the Nuyorican's life in a New York ghetto.

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans