La Borinqueña is Here to Save the Day…and Puerto Rico Too!

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

Last week Thursday, I decided to visit Philly’s famous Amalgam Comics and Coffeeshop, the only comic shop owned by a Black woman on the East Coast. I’m not a huge comics fan, but my kids are and the shop is well-known for having comics with diverse characters, so I decided we needed to check it out. And I’m so glad we did.

That evening, Amalgam was hosting Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, the author and creator of the La Borinqueña comic series. La Borinqueña is a bad-ass female superhero from Puerto Rico, who both literally and figuratively exists to save her people. Miranda-Rodriguez is so passionate about his work and he explained how he created this comic book as a way to “address the social issues affecting Puerto Rico.” From the island’s debt crisis to hurricane Maria, La Borinqueña is on the job. In fact, Miranda-Rodriguez created a special spin-off series, Riccanstruction, that has La Borinqueña teaming up with Wonder Woman, Superman and other well-known DC Comic superheroes to help rebuild Puerto Rico after the devastating storm. Ricanstruction became an instant bestseller and all of the money raised from its sale is going back to rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico.

It was really inspiring to hear Miranda-Rodriguez talk about the impact this comic book has had on people. It goes without saying that the Puerto Rican community has been thrilled to see themselves in the pages of these books. And not just see themselves, but see their culture and heritage reflected as well. In fact, it was because of his fans that Miranda-Rodriguez decided to write a volume two of La Borinqueña, even after he thought about giving up on his self-published creation. “It’s my responsibility to [keep creating],” he said on Thursday night. “It’s not just about me anymore.” Indeed, La Borinqueña has grown into far more than a passion project with people of all ethnicities and backgrounds eager to read more of her stories. About the series’ success outside of the Puerto Rican community, Miranda-Rodriguez said, “It just affirms that other people can see themselves in our stories.” Exactly!

I ended buying copies of both La Borinqueña and Ricanstruction that night because I fell in love with the idea of a superhero saving Puerto Rico. And I loved that she was a brown-skinned woman with a real woman’s body as well. I hope the series continues to do well, and I hope Puerto Rico rises again. Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez has the same idea. “The superhero always wins,” he said confidently. “And I know Puerto Rico will turn itself around.” Ojala que sî!

Who are your favorite superheroes of color, dear readers? Leave me your answers below.

Peace!