In this episode I sat down with Mikey Cordero of the multimedia project Defend Puerto Rico. Their mission statement reads, "Defend PR is designed to document and celebrate Puerto Rican creativity, resilience, and resistance. Recognizing the complex and dynamic landscapes that comprise Puerto Rican daily life and struggle, Defend PR seeks to deepen connections between Puerto Ricans on the island and throughout the diaspora, in the hopes of nurturing greater solidarity, collaboration, and kinship."
Mikey tells us about his relationship to Puerto Rico as a New Yorker and how the project came about as a collaboration amongst friends. We discuss the priorities of the project that are centered on documenting cultural survival and identity. Mikey highlights the CitiCien traveling art exhibition that focuses on the 100 years of U.S. citizenship for Puerto Ricans and what that really means. Defend PR is a platform used to help amplify the voices of the larger Puerto Rican diaspora. As he says, “Its the artist’s role to provide a reflection of society and that is education.” Mikey also shares what folks can look forward to from the project and what engaging content is already available.
For more information on Defend PR please visit:
www.defendpr.com
www.instagram.com/defendpr
www.facebook.com/defendpuertorico
twitter.com/DefendPR