Quotes by Puerto Rican/Latino Poets, Writers, and Politicians

“We either over-intellectualize  or over-analyze.” — Maria Aponte

“The point is not to pay back kindness but to pass it on.” —  Julia Alvarez

“Crushed, existing in the dimness of walls and desks, and shelves, and backs of silent people.” — Humberto Cintron

“Would you kiss me and embrace me and whisper that I’m finally home?” — Manuel A. Melendez

“People who use that word (Hispanic) don’t know why they’re using it,” said Cisneros, a Mexican American poet and novelist. “To me, it’s like a slave name. I’m a Latina.” — Sandra Cisneros

“This is what we want for ourselves as writers and as readers, we want to reach others and we want to be moved.” — Eleanor Parker Sapia

“In Puerto Rico, we continue to see the perpetuation of second-class citizenship in the United States.” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

“To tell you the truth, my spirit walks in its own shoes, small or large, the shoe fits.” — Alberto O. Cappas

“You know, you may not be born in Puerto Rico, but Puerto Rican is definitely born in you.” — Rosie Perez

“My mother always gives the best advice. When I left Puerto Rico to pursue my dreams, she always supported me and said to me, ‘I’m never going to cut your wings, so don’t let anyone else do that to you.’ That has been my philosophy through life. I want to share that valuable lesson with my little girl someday.” — Roselyn Sanchez

“I am a senior Democratic Member of Congress whose parents were born in Puerto Rico and for whom Puerto Rico self-determination has been – and remains – a central issue of my congressional career.” — Luis Gutierrez

“What I can tell you is that for Puerto Rico to be such a small island, it has culturally impacted the entire world.” — Fat Joe

“America should never have taught us how to read. She should never have given us eyes to see.” — Felipe Luciano

“I’m part Mexican, born to puro Boricua parents.” —  William Millan

“La lengua es la ametralladora de la libertad.” — Tato Laviera

“I ran away from the Hispanos on a boat, chasing a perfume hint toward the North of nowhere.” — Victor Hernandez Cruz

“I remember when I used to love you… Why don’t you go away for a while, and come back so I can learn to love you again.” —  Pedro Pietri

“Practice is the lubricant that keeps our skills from rusting.” — William Millan

“We either heed the rage or wait for it to spring from the shadows.” —  Juan Gonzalez

“The nation is represented by those who affirm it, not those who deny it.” — Pedro Albizu Campos

“Hispanic Heritage Month is a yearly American examiniation to ensure that colonialism is still in place.” —  Alberto O. Cappas

“School was a place where we learned about everyone else except ourselves.” — Roberto Santiago

“We accepted everybody…Nobody accepted us,” — Edwin Torres

“When I was release from death row, I actually felt cheated by God. It seems as though I had to now earn the right to enter heaven.” — Salvador Agron

“Migration is the story of my body.” — Victor Hernandez Cruz

“Young people have a duty to defend their country with weapons of knowledge.” — Pedro Albizu Campos

“The body is the sacred manifestation of the spirit, responsible for the spirit’s journey. Among countless tasks, it serves as the platform, microphone, for the spirit to express itself and achieve the human experience.” —  by Puerto Rican poet Alberto O. Cappas