"That's what they want-Governor Allen and all the Americans- they want Puerto Ricans to leave Puerto Rico so that they can have the island for themselves. It's all there in the newspaper. All the reasons why the Americans want us to leave. All the reasons we shouldn't." 

I am still reeling from the emotions I am still feeling as I write this. I have been searching for a book that feels like the heartbeat of Puerto Rico and that embodies the spirit of what it means to be Puerto Rican. The Taste of Sugar is it. It is raw, honest, emotional, and most of all necessary and required reading. This one completely rocked me to my core and made me sit with the truth of what it means to be unapologetically Puerto Rican. I found every single part of my identity within these pages. I cried and cried until I couldn't anymore but I'm left with this renewed spirit of ovetwhelming pride and hope for my people. 

Vera holds nothing back and she speaks truth to power. She bares the soul of Puerto Rico naked on the pages for all to see. She leaves no room or doubt as to who is to blame for the exploitation and destruction of my beautiful island. Although this story is full of immense pain there are moments of joy bursting at the seams that remind me where I come from, who came before me, what they did for me and why we are still here. It reminds me of what is at the core of who we are and we have continued to survive: love, family and community. Our history is not lost and it is still relevant today because the oppression and abuse continue. Vera gives us the good, the bad and the ugly but reminds us that better is always on the horizon as long as we hold on to each other and let the spirit of our ancestors guide us. 'Trabajo y tristeza', colonialism, racism, colorism, patriarchy, violence against women, homophobia, infant mortality, and poverty are just chapters but the story of Puerto Rico is still a work in progress. Being Puerto Rican means "siguiendo la lucha pa'lante" carrying your homeland in your heart wherever you lay your head. 

A coffee with sugar and a piece of bread will never taste the same. "El Cafe es brujo" while at the same time sustaining generations and whenever the taste of sugar touches my lips it will always taste bitter because it cost my people everything. Thanks to @writingbee2 for writing our story and letting the world know that we will still stand. Soy boricua hasta la muerte. In the words of Lolita Lebron: "There is no victory without pain."