Desireé M.

Soltero Santiago
Dr. J. Irizarry
INGL 3326-067

¡Bomba! by Peggy Robles-Alvarado

I. Vocabulary:

1. Bomba: Percussion driven musical style that dates back to the early European colonial period
in Puerto Rico and stems from the musical traditions brought by enslaved Africans. Channel
for political and spiritual expression — served as catalysts for rebellions and outlets for anger
and sadness about their condition, but also moved them to dance and celebrate, helping them
create community and identity.
2. Palenque: Wooden fence or stockade made with the purpose of defending a post or closing
off the ground in which a public party or a fight will take place be done, among other uses. /
Remote settlements in which escaped slaves took refuge.
3. Cimarrón: An animal that has escaped and become naturalized or feral; i.e. wild, untamed. /
Slaves who ran away and sought refuge in the woods or mountains and sometimes developed
independent settlements.
4. Race: Physical characteristics, such as skin color, hair texture, facial features, etc.
5. Ethnicity: Social practices that define the content of a group’s culture. Membership of an
ethnic group tends to be defined by a shared cultural heritage, ancestry, history,
homeland, language, religion, cuisine, and art.
6. Culture: System of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors and artifacts that the members
of society use to cope with their world and with one another and that are transmitted
generationally.

II. Speaker: Who are they? What are they saying? What is their point of view?
The speaker seems to be based on the author herself, Peggy Robles-Alvarado, a Dominican-
Puerto Rican author, educator and mother. She establishes her identity through the auto-
biographical nature of her writing, a liberating act that empowers her to take control of her own
narrative and define herself however she wants to, regardless of those who question or criticize
her. In fact, she expresses the belief that she isn’t any less Puerto Rican because she wasn’t born
on the Island or because some claim she doesn’t “look” the part. There is no “right way” of being
Puerto Rican — Peggy embraces all of that which makes her a Dominican-Puerto Rican woman
and is proud of her cultural heritage and background, which she refers to as innate components
of our identities.

III. Tone:
Proud / Assertive

IV. Topics & Themes:

Identity History Music
V. How does this poem relate to the other poems written by this poet?
Peggy’s other poems share the same focus on identity and culture. While some are just as proud
and assertive in their tone (Negrito Lindo), others convey a sense of sadness and outrage for the
condition and treatment of her people (If Only They Knew). Not to mention, some of her poems
touch on the intersection between race and gender, such as Boca Grande, in which she
approaches her identity as both Afro-Latina and woman.

VI. Why did you select this poem and poet?

As a Puerto Rican woman, I wanted to choose someone I could identify with. I ultimately chose
Peggy Robles-Alvarado because of ¡Bomba!, which reminded me of my own experiences as
someone who’s had the authenticity of their identity questioned.

VII. Explain the role of "race" or ethnicity in this poem?

The issue of race is directly addressed when the speaker is told that she’s not black, as if this
meant that she doesn’t meet the requirements to be considered a true Puerto Rican and, therefore,
she has no business with bomba or any other aspect of Puerto Rican culture.
In terms of ethnicity, Peggy self-identifies as Afro-Latina — specifically, Dominican and Puerto
Rican. She acknowledges their social practices and embraces her shared cultural heritage,
ancestry, history, language, and art, among others.

VIII. Identify essential quotes from the poem.

No nací en Puerto Rico

pero nací con este ritmo
encarnado a mi ser

“Pero tú no eres negra, nena,

ni siquiera tienes piel canela,
y mira esa melena, muy buena”

Works Cited:

Diccionario de la Lengua Española, Real Academia Española. dle.rae.es/?w=diccionario.

Accessed 7 Jan 2018.

“Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena: Shared Traditions - Distinct Rhythms | Smithsonian
Folkways.” Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural
Heritage, folkways.si.edu/puerto-rican-bomba-plena-shared-traditions-distinct-rhythms/latin-
world/music/article/smithsonian. Accessed 7 Jan 2018.

Robles-Alvarado, Peggy. “¡Bomba!”. ¡Manteca! An Anthology of Afro-Latin@ Poets, edited by

Melissa Castillo-Garsow, Arte Público Press, 2017, pp. 54-55.