Cleveland Rican Blues

Cleveland Rican Blues was written some years ago.

I had just quit my job after experiencing a toxic workplace riddled with so much politics. So, my mind frame was one of anger and I needed to self-analyze in order to rebound and find another job.

This was my moment to put the pen to paper and purge my feelings about what it truly felt like to be a Cleveland Puerto Rican. My life's work has always been in housing, working with low-income families in both the Latino and African-American communities.

I saw many parallels with our social and economic issues but realized Latinos in Cleveland truly were at the bottom of the barrel when it came to growth, resources, aid, and most importantly self-identity in a city where we have lived and grown for over 60 years.

I traveled to Chicago, New York, Miami, San Francisco, and would see so many impressive ethnic enclaves in their communities - then come back to Cleveland where I could not see measurable progress, and it crushed my spirit.

I am humbled the poem resonates with so many other Cleveland Puerto Ricans and has become somewhat of a battle cry for our people. It was a beautiful experience to receive a standing ovation at the Hispanic Business Center’s Gala and have others feel the sentiment as their own. That's the biggest validation for a poet, when others find themselves and are moved by your words.

Although the poem points fingers at our faults, it does celebrate the success of our forefathers too and the underlying thread should not be missed because it's asking "where do we go from here? How can we continue to grow?"

I am excited for the Centro Villa project and all the businesses that will grow in this venue.

It truly is the crown jewel for the Latino community. We have waited long enough, and we deserve this.

We will finally have an economic platform to claim our territory, experience more growth and further define who we are.

CentroVilla25 will be the main stage to share our heritage with tourists and our neighbors and I can't wait to be the first to brag about it!

I'm already inspired to write a new poem!

Cleveland Rican Blues

By Marilyn Oliveras de Ortiz

"…Lost in a city that still don’t recognize my people’s history.We walk around this town, and still a mystery,

Little Italy, Slavic Village, Chinatown, when will our day come around?

I was promised a Hispanic Village, complete with a theater and some shops. A beacon for the barrio, to give MY gente their props.

But that day never came around… and I am still stuck in this town.

Whew! I got the Cleveland-Rican Blueessss…

Let’s get this straight, I make no apology, I’m no Nuyorican,

I’m a Cleveland-Rican, who is still seeking,

I never bit that apple, never lived in a tenement, nor had the luxury of a bodega, or radio station, La Mega.

No La Mega no se pega aqui… not for me!

I’m home grown, Cleveland-Rican born on the lake,

Make no mistake.

My people came via the steel belt, on a shift to work late.

Down at la fabricas in the Flats, that’s where it’s all at!

I lived in the projects, at Riverview, my brick city,

Ohio City,

Next to la marketa, West Side Market, where vendors sold cilantro, ajices dulce, y pimentos so mami can make up her sofritooooo,

¡Oye mi gritoo, de la calle venti cincoooooo…!

La calle veinticinco, the road to redemption, West 25th Street parted like the red sea, where my people were pilgrims in their own right, escaping their plight,

Leaving Puerto Rico to find a better life.

Hey, no Moses with a golden rod, but we had Moises,

Who knew how to find us a job!

And God bless Maria, Dios la bendiga, our saving grace who helped us find a place.

Let’s not forget Wilfredo, who gave us coupi’s to feed our face.

My people, the beginning of our story was rough.

It wasn’t easy, and we got tough.

Our forefathers gave us El Comité Hispano, El Club Yaucano, La Parada, The Puerto Rican Parade, all to give us a better day.

But where are we today????

We had our frustration with no representation,

Crime and drugs on the street, a bad reputation,

So, they gave us our so-called bilingual education.

We still got Joselito, who said what the heck, and failed from West-Tech.

Margarita who rather dress with the best, than graduate from Lincoln-West.

And what about Wandi, that little girl, so cute with her curls, pregnant and having a baby, because she told her papi chulo maybe.

Oyyeee I got the Cleveland-Rican Bluezzzzz,

I am wonderin’ if anyone here got a clue?

Oh, and I won’t forget, I know some of us made it big.

Did the right thing, and got the right gig,

Escaped the blue collar, and never gave a holler,

Not even adios, see you around,

I’m leaving this town.

Never looking back, to even give una mano, a helping hand, to their pana, their fellow man.

And let’s not forget los politicos, yeah, you heard me,

I’m calling on you too,

You’re the biggest reason I got the Cleveland-Rican Blues.

We elected you to your position, with our Hispanic vote. We even listed our needs and handed you that note.

Your power came into play and we ain’t never seen our better day.

So, I’m gonna break it down right here and now.

Give my gente some advice, and maybe show them how.

Keep la familia together, worship and pray.

Work hard, save our money, for a rainy day.

Support Latino business, and you know which ones.

Live each day to the fullest, as they come.

And don’t forget…

We need our Hispanic Village, so don’t ignore,

We need it now, right on our Lake Erie shore.

Yes, a piece of an island. Not Put-In-Bay,

But an island for our people, who came a hell of a long way.

I want my Hispanic Village.

I WANT MY HISPANIC VILLAGE!"