Hi, my name is Sam Garcia. And this is part of my family history, but before I bore you with my stories let me explain to you what a "Nuyorican" is, a Nuyorican is an individual that is born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico or who's parents are native from Puerto Rico. What makes me a Nuyorican? well lets begin, My mother is a native "BORICUA"* born in Adjuntas P.R. she was the first of four brothers and four sisters to migrate at the age of 10 to Brooklyn, New York, there she met my father also a "boricua" which migrated from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico at a very early age.
I was born in New York City in the summer of 1965, I am the youngest of five brothers and one sister. We lived in many different areas of New York but, a large part of it was in the south side of Brooklyn, like most other Puerto Rican families our relatives have always lived close to us, sometimes in the same apartment building, my grandmother, Aunt and cousins lived a couple of blocks from my house on South 2nd St. I spent alot of time with Grandma and grew very close to her.
When I turned 10 my Grandma decided she was going back to Puerto Rico to stay for good and asked Mom and I if it was ok for me to go with her so I could keep her company and help around the house, Mom thought it would be a great experience for me and a relief for her... (since she was a single mom and already had five other kids to take care...) My Grandma left first to PR, she was making arrangments for my arrival, a couple of weeks later I left New York and headed to PR. I boarded a plane for the first time at JFK airport in New York I felt so scared and so small in that huge plane, I remember the stewardess trying to keep me occupied with puzzle books and stuff to keep from being afraid. The three and a half hour flight felt like it was never going to end, well you can read the rest of what happened in the My Puerto Rico section in this website.
I Went to school in several towns in P.R. like in Bayamon, Guaynabo and Adjuntas, I learned about my culture, history and farming and how to live from the earth, values I still carry with me to this day.
At the age of 17 I decided to come back to the states to live on my own for the first time. While going to a house party at my brothers house I met the woman I knew was my soul mate, My wife Viviana, (which is very shy and doesn't want to be disclosed) is a native boricua, she was born and raised in a little town in Juana Diaz, she like me comes from a large family, she has four brothers and two sisters, she migrated here at the age of 12 with her family and were living in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, where we met, we have many things in common and have enjoyed twenty six (as of '08) wonderful years together.
I lived almost all my life in Brooklyn continued my education and worked here, seen and done a lot of things since then, I am now married and have three children of my own, my daughter Val has given me the best gift a daughter could ever give to a father, a grandaughter her name is Liliana Sky Garcia and she is the most beautiful little boricua. I wake up every morning wanting to see her as if it were the first time. She also makes me feel ancient then there is my pride and joy Sammy Jr 15 getting more and more handsome every day. The sunshine of my life, the one I call "monkey" Marc Anthony, the most intelligent 5 year old anyone can meet yea that's right, Marc Anthony, my wife just couldn't resist but thats another story.
We teach our children all about their culture, history and customs, because I strongly believe for anyone to get anywhere in life, one must know where one comes from. To all my boricua brothers and sisters out there remember education is number one and make sure you teach our children our history. It is our job to carry the torch and not let our customs and culture disappear. We have to Keep the culture alive. Visit "My New York" and " My Puerto Rico" to see how it was growing up there.
Hi, my name is Sam Garcia. And this is part of my family history, but before I bore you with my stories let me explain to you what a "Nuyorican" is, a Nuyorican is an individual that is born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico or who's parents are native from Puerto Rico. What makes me a Nuyorican? well lets begin, My mother is a native "BORICUA"* born in Adjuntas P.R. she was the first of four brothers and four sisters to migrate at the age of 10 to Brooklyn, New York, there she met my father also a "boricua" which migrated from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico at a very early age.