Basura is top of mind in The Bronx this week
Puerto Ricans react to Trump’s rally and comments
Basura is top of mind in The Bronx this week. Puerto Ricans who call the borough home ripped former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump after his rally at Madison Square Garden Sunday where a speaker called the American commonwealth “a floating island of garbage.”
Strong Reactions from the Community
While Trump has sought to distance himself from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe — whose scripted comments also included jokes about Black Americans carving watermelons and offensive comments about Palestinians, Jewish people, and other Latino groups — Puerto Ricans in The Bronx weren’t buying it.
“If I was there, I would have grabbed him by his hair,” Giselis Celi, 48, said in Spanish in Soundview on Wednesday.
A Large and Vocal Community
The Bronx is home to nearly a quarter million Puerto Ricans, according to the 2020 Census — the largest Puerto Rican population of any county in the United States. While polling shows New York State, which last favored the Republican presidential candidate during Ronald Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign, is all but certain to award its electoral votes to Kamala Harris, about a million Puerto Ricans live in swing states, including roughly 500,000 in Pennsylvania.
Celebrity Support for Harris
The comment has unleashed a torrent of backlash in Puerto Rican communities — and in pop culture. Since Trump’s rally, the singer and rapper Bad Bunny, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, signaled his support for Harris. Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, who had both previously endorsed Harris, also spoke out. “This is what they think of us,” Martin wrote in Spanish on social media. And Reggaeton star Nicky Jam withdrew his endorsement of Trump, saying on Instagram that “Puerto Rico deserves respect.”
Community Voices
Bronxite Boricuas sounded similar notes.
“We feel really offended,” Raquel Pagan, 77, told THE CITY in Longwood. Speaking in Spanish, she said she moved from Puerto Rico to The Bronx in 1965. “For them, it’s garbage, but for us it’s blood — where we were born and raised, and where we have our culture.”
Concerns about the Economy, Healthcare, and Education
Jose Luis Rodriguez, 79, who said he has lived on the same block as Pagan for more than five decades — joking that “we’re the oldest of the block” — blamed Trump for cost-of-living issues.
“Everything that’s happening here in New York is because of Trump. Trump is to blame,” said Rodriguez — who moved from Puerto Rico to The Bronx in 1957 — in Spanish.
Conclusion
The comments made by Trump and his supporters have sparked outrage and frustration among Puerto Ricans living in The Bronx and beyond. The issue is likely to remain top of mind in the coming weeks as the presidential election approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many Puerto Ricans live in the Bronx?
A: According to the 2020 Census, nearly a quarter of a million Puerto Ricans call the Bronx home.
Q: Why are Puerto Ricans upset about Trump’s comments?
A: Puerto Ricans are upset because they feel that Trump and his supporters are dehumanizing and disrespecting them by referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
