EMBORICUATE HAS A HISTORY

The Forum

“Emboricuate”, a word innocuous enough and even flattering: That a major American company would recognize the economic clout of New York’s oldest Latino community. It was Puerto Ricans who shaped the Latino market of the Northeast for close to a century. But “emboricuate” is not as innocuous or as flattering as one might at first think since that major American company is Miller Coors, a beer brewery with a strong market presence in Puerto Rico and among New York Latinos. In fact, the word is targetting all Latinos to become Puerto Rican — for a day, or a week, or ideally for their lives at least in their drinking habits.

Now what might that be?

3 thoughts on “EMBORICUATE HAS A HISTORY”

  1. Puerto Ricans get no respect. An open letter from NYS Senator Ruben Diaz in 2011, concerning the Boricuate ad campaign: An Open Letter to the Coors Brewing Company

    Posted by Ruben Diaz on Thursday, June 2nd, 2011:

    Dear Mr. Coors and Mr. Swinburn:

    This letter is to object to the Coors Light Beer ads that are being displayed in New York to promote the 2011 Puerto Rican Day Parade.

    While we all welcome corporate sponsorship to help make our Puerto Rican Day Parade celebration special, Coors Light is sponsoring Parade ads that show large bottles of beer with the “Emboricuate” which means “become Puerto Rican” message below the ad. Puerto Ricans are proud of our rich tradition and culture. The false impression these ads suggest is that drinking beer is an central part of our culture.

    We welcome sponsors to help celebrate our heritage – not messages that suggest that we want people to come to our parade to get drunk with us.

    Please help us to promote a wonderful celebration and replace these ads with ads that are more fitting and respectful of our culture and heritage.

    Sincerely,

    Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz
    32nd Senatorial District
    900 Rogers Place
    Bronx, New York 10459

  2. “Puerto Ricans get no respect.”

    To wit:

    “Coors Light is sponsoring Parade ads that show large bottles of beer with the “Emboricuate” which means “become Puerto Rican”…these ads suggest…that drinking beer is an central part of our culture.”

    Well here in Hartford, we apparently have no self-respect!

    The parade organizers year after year sanction the participation in the parade route of bail bondsmen. Not for having sponsored some school, club, church, performers etc. All they bring to the party is a vehicle bearing its name, and some folks waving Puerto Rican flags.
    I live on main street, and every parade of every kind passes beneath my view. The UCONN basketball NCAA victory parades, St. Patrick’s, Columbus, Peruvian Independence Day; Ukrainian commemoration of the Stalin-created famine; Veteran’s Day.

    The only parade that includes bail bondsmen in the procession is the Puerto Rican Day Parade.

    What a disgrace!

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