What About the Non-Spanish Speaking Latinos?

Alhamdulillah (All Praises to Almighty Allah) over the decade or so there have sprung up many dawah  groups (groups which invite to Islam) throughout the United States which focus on the Latino community. Many of these groups and organizations fashion themselves around teaching Islam to non-Muslims or new Muslims through the medium of the Spanish language. While there is a great need for such a demographic, there is also a large demographic of Latinos who either do not speak Spanish, are very poor in Spanish, are stronger in English, or are equally strong in both languages but prefer English over Spanish. Do you see where I am going with this?

         Nearly half (or more than half) of Latinos in the United States fall in this category. There are many Stateside Puerto Ricans (including NewYorkPuertoRicans), Chicanos, and other US-born or raised Latinos who fall in the this category. While many of the above-mentioned groups cater to a certain segment of the Latino community there is a whole demographic which is simply untapped. Certainly, there are many Latinos who are not immigrants and not children of immigrants. While they may be classified as Americans, they still may strongly identify with Latino culture and may fit in both categories. 

          Therefore, I am asking those established Latinos groups and organizations: "How will your efforts at Spanish language dawah benefit this segment of the Latino population?" Perhaps, there is not a plan to address that segment of the Latino population. Is it simply assumed that all Latinos are quite conversant in Spanish? InshAllah (Allah Willing) I wait to hear from you all and hear you ideas on this.

Khalil Alpuertorikani

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Eid Al-Fitr - Day of Fun and Fitnah: Muslim Day at Playland, Part 1

On the day of the Eid Al-Fitr, I decided to go to Playland. I had turned down an invitation from a good friend of mine who was having a picnic at Bear Mountain. My decision to go to Playland was because I felt that my children would have more fun there.

Once I reached the town of Rye, I started to see police cars zooming past me in the direction of Playland. My wife and I joked that the Muslims must be having a fight or something at the amusement park. However, as I had gotten closer to the park, I started to see more cars heading in the direction of Playland. 

Once I drove up towards the entrence of Playland there were several police cars blocking off the entrence. At this time it was about 2:30 PM. I decided to park my car on the other side of the park in the beach/boardwalk section. From there I walked towards the amusement park. I had seen some policemen but  just walked behind them. They did not stop me or anything, so I continued with my family towards the main entrence area. On my way towards the entrence I ask one young Muslim brother what happened. He told me the the Yemenis were having a brawl with the police. Once I went up to the ticket area I saw a few police around and a lot of Muslims in the entrence area. At this time I was trying to see where I would get the cheaper tickets - the main ticket area or from the MAS people. I found out where the MAS tent was and saw the one in charge heading towards a long line of Muslims. I quickly found out that this line was for refunds. 

During this time I found out from my wife that Playland does not allow sisters with hijab on some of the rides. She knew this since she had been there before with another sister. Anyways, I decided to go to the main ticket area and purchase the tickets from them since I did not want to waste any time waiting for the brother. I also did not have any cash on me. So, this is what was going on up to this point. 

Once inside, I brought my family to the Kiddyland section and decided to get some drinks and a carriage for my daughter from the car. I walked back and saw the police presence increasing at the main entrence area where I was just walking around. On my way back from the car I saw dozens of police now parked along the strip toward the main circle area. I tried to enter the main gate which I had just entered a few minute ago. However, some Mamaroneck cops told me that I could not go in. I asked if I could speak to his supervisor and he refused. By the way, another Mamaroneck cop was holding his baton. He was not necessarily directing it toward me; however, I was a bit disturbed by his whole demeanor. Why was it that because of some fight there were police present from the Westchester County, Rye, Harrison, and Mammaroneck Police Departments. It seemed as if all of the police departments from all of the local Westchester towns were out in force at Playland - talk about overkill. However, I know how the police role in Westchester, so it was not a complete suprise. I think the police were trying to "show their force and strength." I am quite familiar with their mentality since I have grown up and participated in gangs while growing up. Police have the same mentality. The county cop had problems, so they called their boys from some of the other sets to come and help out. The funny part was that whatever occurred at Playland had already been dissolved and over and done with since at least the time that I has arrived. (TO BE CONTINUED)

Historical trip to Puerto Rico unites islanders to the mainland



Originally Posted at:
http://piedad-latinodawah.blogspot.com/2009/06/historical-trip-to-puerto-rico-unites.html

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Historical trip to Puerto Rico unites islanders to the mainland.

For Imam Yusef making history seems to follow him everywhere. Although he converted to al Islam at the tender age of 16 he has constantly been among the movers and shakers of Dawah to Latinos.

Historical trip to Puerto Rico unites islanders to the mainland.

By Imam Yusef Maisonet and Sr Khadijah Rivera

A man may plan but ALLAH is still the best of planners. Everything comes at the time that it was meant to be. For over 25 years I had dreamed of returning to Puerto Rico. But my work as a Merchant seaman took me to ports in Central and South America with work turned into Dawah . All that time Puerto Rico was in the back of my mind.

Last year I prepared to take that ground breaking trip to Puerto Rico which was brought about by a New York Puerto Rican who felt that there was a lacking on the island of dawah among her people and a lack of Islamic education to the native Latino Muslims of the island. Although, I yearned to feel the rich Boriquen soil beneath my feett we felt some slight hostility there and some obstacles here on the Mainland. It was as if the native Puerto Ricans and the immigrant Muslims on the island could not figure me out. They thought I was out for some selfish reason. Little did they know this old man who had no illustrious reasoning behind going to Puerto Rico except to understand why the spread of Islam was not flourishing considering the rate of reverts here in the USA. But in December of “08 , a trip came about to accompany some Latina Sisters to the UAE for American Leadership Program.. And there under the Abu Dhabi dessert and under impossible odds three Latinos discussed our dreams for Puerto Rico. Face to face with Sr Shinoa who had written the initial letter and Sr Khadijah who had broadcast it nationally. We discussed the need and how we could make this trip benefit ALL Latinos.

On the 20th of March my dreams came to a reality as I took off to what we call the Island of Enchantment ( Isla Del Encanto) Puerto Rico. Did you know that there are more Puerto Ricans living outside Puerto Rico than there are on the Island? For starters , it was a well thought of and considered trip that I discussed and planned with the Latino Muslim Community of the mainland. We agreed that it was time for a Representative of the Latino Community to go on a fact finding Mission and see how we could bridge the gap between Puerto Rico and the Muslims in the U.S.A. The trip was planned with input from PIEDAD of Florida/Metro NJ , ALMA from Atlanta , LALMA from Los Angeles , the Latino Muslim Community of Chicago and Mobile, AL they fundraised to make this historical trip a reality.

I flew out off Mobile, AL and was later met by a dear friend: Diaab Ali from Shorter, AL who found out about my trip on a visit to Mobile and wanted to share this experience with me. We were met by brother Yasser Reyes and Hajji Wilfredo Amr Ruiz a Lawyer and a Chaplain in the Prison system in Puerto Rico , we had made Hajj together in 2007 but we never saw each other until that day in Puerto Rico. Subhannallah what a plan!

After our salat together we made proceeded to meet with the Muslim youth and the Muslims I had been talking electronically via phone and mail with, to address their concerns .

Palestinian refugees resettled in Puerto Rico and raised families. As their families grew they built Masjids and opened weekend schools for their children. Khutbahs are in Arabic but with little or no translation. Thus leaving an entire Muslim population in the dark in their own land.

Almost immediately we had our first meeting was with the youth in San Juan at the Islamic Center of Puerto Rico. They received me with warm and open arms they described their concerns which were

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1. Khutbas in Arabic only- The Latino Muslims would attend Khutbahs they could not decipher. With so many beautiful masjids throughout the island there were a seeming emptiness that accompanied them. Attending Salatul Jumaah without translation when it is a known fact that the khutbah must be in the language of the people. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States although most Boricuas as they are called speak English . Few speak Arabic.

2. No Puerto Rican imam is available on the entire island.

3. Urgent need for Islamic Literature mostly Qur'ans and Prayer Books.

4. Daiis and Daiyettes-Need for brothers and sisters willing to give Dawah in Puerto Rico , and wanting to have some kind of bridge between , the Indigenous Puerto Rican Muslims and Latinos in mainland USA..

Diaab Ali and myself we were invited to eat some of those delicious dishes that the island is so famous for. Salat followed and our next appointment for a Masjid in Vega Alta . Here a Palestinian , Imam Zaid offered Khutbahs in Arabic and Spanish and had just begun classes for the youth on Sundays.

After getting much needed rest that evening , we started our day with Fajr in Hatillo and we went to a Puerto Rican Restaurant , Later we went to the next town which is called Camuy to visit my friend Yasser Reyes and Wife Fatima who dared to cook an island delicacy of Fish soup followed by Halal Chicken with Spanish rice(Sabroso). As a Self proclaimed connaiseur of fine Latin dishes it was hard for me to keep all those dishes out of print to make room for our Islamic purpose.

Accompanied by Hajji Wilfredo Amr Ruiz and Siste Migdalia Rivera of Ponce,( Puerto Rico) we headed towards Vega Alta to Masjid Al Faruq to meet with the Imam Zaid. All of us were pleasantly surprised by his dedication and spirituality. While there we met with the sisters and the youth during some classes that were at the mosque and since our visit they have started Arabic classes for the Latinos on Sundays. He is a dedicated Imam and a beautiful human being, may Allah give him Jannah for all of his work. While in Puerto Rico I established him to be the only Imam that I found whole heartedly caring for the Latino Muslims.

After Camuy we headed for Mayaguez to visit some inmates that br. Wilfredo and br. Yasser had made arrangements for me to visit while I was in Puerto Rico. We went to the youth section first and we were able to give Da’wah to 6 inmates. We also noticed that the both the male and female guards were just as interested to learn about Islam. They treated us with the utmost respect and led us to the bigger population of awaiting inmates. These men were so happy to have a Muslim visitor from the states and gave us their full attention for over an hour for a taleem in Spanish. With Allah’s plan , three wonderful brothers took Shahadah , we gave them El Sagrado Coran (Quran) , prayer books and lots of other Islamic literature. I later visited several of the 12 mosques located throughout the island and found some to be abandoned. This wrenched my heart to see the possibilities vs realities of the fall of the empire so to speak.

After a fruitful day we went to another town called Hormiguero to visit my brother and sister from my father’s side and my brother had called Hajji Wilfredo to find out what to cook and what not to cook for the Muslims. My brother Miguel and my sister Edna just couldn't contain themselves, so while they cooked (Arroz con gandules with bisteak encebollado)rice with ganduls and steak with a lot of onions, brother Yasser and myself were able to make salat in total peace with plenty of love for Islam, after that my dear freind Yasser broke out with a little Dawah . It was received with warmth and believe me they loved it, the people in Puerto Rico are just waiting for someone to step forward to bring them some truth.

After spending a day like this is Puerto Rico my Brother and Sister just weren't ready to let me go so I had to drive brother Yasser back to Camuy , so that night we drank Puerto Rican coffee which I know to be the best coffee in the world and we exchanged stories about our father . That night I rested peacefully under the palm trees and moonlight of the Caribbean wonderful as it was Mobile, Al is my home.

As I woke and made my Fajr and remembered that I make a commitment to an incarcerated brother back in the states in Jessup, Ga that i would visit his mother who lives in Carolina, Puerto Rico. I started to get dress again, by this time my sister in law was making that Puerto Rican coffee and I just had to drink two cups and tell my brother the news that I was not going to be able to spend the day with him Alhamduillah that he understood and I was able to get on my way to Carolina which is next to San Juan it took me 2 hours driving to get to San Juan to my Hotel to change clothes and also to phone Ms Norma Rivera to let her know that I would visit her about 2 o'clock , it took me longer than I thought to get to her house but i finally found the house and was able to give her a hug and a big kiss from her son whom she had not seen in 18 years! I told her that her son found Islam while incarcerated and had acquired a PhD while in prison and would inshallah regain his freedom by the end of the Year . With this I could finally say” Mission accomplished “ on my trip to Puerto Rico.

At the airport I was shopping for some souvenirs, a young lady working there mistook me for a singer and was asking about my names origin , I took this as an opportunity for da’wah. She said she had always desired a Qur'an in Spanish. She also stated that she had never quite accepted the trinity and had secretly always believed in one G-d. It just so happened I had a Spanish / Arabic Qur'an in my briefcase and that was my final good deed in Puerto Rico.

Revisiting my homeland fortified my beliefs that Islam could change the face of our people. It could end racism, gangs and poverty. It could bring about positive changes in our attitude and way of conduct as a people. I love a little pic I found of this sister holding up some plaques and how Islam alters your personality in a positive way.

In order for Islam to flourish in Puerto Rico they need Spanish Language Islamic Literature on all levels . A library in Vega Alta would be a good start. Puerto Ricans need scholars to visit and teach Quran, Fiqh, Seerah, Aqeedah and Hadiths etc. They need the most sincere and bright minds to further their studies overseas and to prepare them to run the masjids and integrate the Muslims with the community at large. Whether we are speaking of interfaith work alongside Christians on service programs or Intrafaith among immigrants and natives. There is a lot of work to be done and it is ONLY the beginning. I would like to see the sisters participate and develop more Islamic weekend schools and possibly a Madrassa. To do this we need dedication and pure intentions to serve and seek ONLY the pleasure of ALLAH swt.

We need a united front with the Latino organizations in the mainland. I am speaking of the ones run by Latinos themselves. We need a concerted effort to make this happen now and by the end of the year to see definitive results. Anyone who wants to contribute books for the library or sponsor a scholar should contact me until we can get a working organization to bridge island to mainland Latinos.

On July 10-11, 2009 The international Museum of Islamic Culture in Jackson, Mississippi will be hosting a national conference workshop entitled “Latino Renaissance” . Join me and other Latinos who are reviving and working on the framework of this Renaissance. Be part of the journey!

Start a Library to benefit the Latinos on the island. Send your New or gently used Islamic literature, prayer rugs and videos .

For more information or to contact me at:

yusef1319@gmail.com

Latino Islam

Imam Yusef Maisonet

1319 Bay ave

Mobile, Al 36605

http://latinoislam.ning.com/

Notes on the Nuyoricans

By Soledad Santiago
February 19, 1979

The Village Voice

http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/0542,50th7685,69268,31.html

Reprinted October 18th, 2005 12:00 AM in The Village Voice in the article

"Coming of Age 1976–1985: Punk to Pomo, Basquiat to Breakdancing."

It's 15 minutes to airtime at NewsCenter 4 on a Saturday night. Felipe Luciano, Emmy-award-winning journalist and former head of the Young Lord's Party, is weekend co-anchor. Around him at least six clocks tick simultaneously, making tangible the rush of time as news pours in from around the world.

"Ten seconds . . . 10 seconds to the real thing," says the stage manager, starting the countdown. Then Luciano begins. Twenty-seven monitors and two cameras are going at once.

Luciano is projected into living rooms around New York City every weekend. He is among the most visible of young Latinos who herald the arrival of a new breed—the Nuyorican. Technically Nuyoricans are second generation Puerto Ricans who have made New York their home. But to me, Nuyoricans cannot be defined by age or date of arrival. Nuyorican is a state of mind.

Many Latinos remember with pride the splash the Young Lords made across the front pages of the nation's newspapers in the late '60s. They remember Luciano as a brilliant public speaker who exhorted the young to rise up against the system. He once told a graduating class at East Harlem's Ben Franklin High School: "You are not going to get it by getting people elected to Congress, by a good education, or by praying. The only way you are going to get it is by ripping it up. Seize the schools, seize the courts, seize the prisons where three quarters of our people are." . . .

The successful Nuyorican is often cut off from his roots by the very nature of success, suspended in the time warp of a culture in transition, a culture of synthesis which is defining and asserting its values, attempting to allow tradition to survive assimilation. The dilemma of Nuyorican identity is not a racial but a class one. In the uncomfortable limbo between black and white, rich and poor, the Nuyorican pioneers a new identity.

The Nuyoricans walk a tightrope between yesterday and tomorrow, cherishing the positive in Puerto Rican culture while wrestling with its ingrained restraints that have no place in their new life; attracted by the personal freedom of an anonymous urban society yet repulsed by its indifference; aspiring to middle-class accoutrements yet shackled by the code of machismo which presupposes that the male in the family be the only wage earner.

Not all New York Puerto Ricans are Nuyoricans. Many stay in enclaves, never learning English and never touching the mainstream of New York life. The Nuyorican identity has emerged as the result of a series of choices, an individuality born of historical necessity.

Where Are You From? A New York Puerto Rican (Nuyorican) Muslim Cab Driver's Story

By, Khalil Al-Puerto Rikani

I have a bit to say about the cab industry in New York City, since I have driven cab there. In the summers when I would come home from studying in Saudi, I would go drive cab on the streets of NYC. I did not have time to go to all these conference, translate books, or give classes like other brothers were doing. I was too busy trying to feed my family. I drove yellow cab which is based mainly in the street of Manhattan.

While the "cabbie" of the past consisted of working-class White people, most today are non-White and Muslim. I could not help but stigmatized with being an other from passengers. Most of my customers were professional upper-class White who came to NY from some other part of the country. They would always ask me, "Where are you from?" When I would reply New York there would be a shock and sort of confusion. There would also be some denial on the part of others. Here I am a native New Yorker and simply because I may "look like a foreigner" whatever that means, and I had outsiders from other states denying my authentic New Yorkness.

As most Puerto Rican, my family has been in New York since the 40s. Puerto Ricans have contributed so much to New York’s economy, culture, music, and society. They helped to bring salsa (actually Afro-Cuban jazz) to the world and are co-originators of Hip-Hop. So because was rocking a beard I have somehow become a "foreigner," an "Arab," a "Pakistani," i.e. THE OTHER. What right do these people have to question my American nationality or my New York authenticity? Most yellow cab drivers are Muslim West Africans, Pakistanis, Haitian, and leftover Puerto Rican and working-class White from the 80s. In the outer-boroughs the cab industry is quite different. In the Bronx and East & Central Harlem most cab drivers are Muslim West Africans, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and a growing number of Mexicans.

In Manhattan’s Lower East Side (Loisaida) there are various Latino cab drivers. Queens has a lot of Arab and Pakistani drivers. Brooklyn also has a lot of Arab, Caribbean, and Latino drivers. Throughout the cab industry, you hardly see any African-American drivers despite the fact that they are one the largest ethnic groups in New York City. In Yonkers (a city just north of the Bronx), where I am from, Latinos represent about 85% of the drivers. Dominicans used to dominate but now Mexicans do.

Despite the fact that non-Whites are the "cream of the crop" of the industry; they do not run the industry. The industry is runned by one of the most draconic and oppressive government agencies in the U.S. - the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). Ethnically Jews have a big say on the direction of the industry. I can only assume that this is because must own medallions. That is another thing; most yellow cab drivers do not own the actual medallion and pay about $100 for a 12-hour shift. The industry is highly regulated. Most of these regulations originated during Rudy "Adolph" Giuliani’s dictatorship. He messed up the industry. I no longer have my license, due to some complications I won't get into, but I still remember driving around the streets of NYC.