“We Puerto Ricans, we take stuff very personally. It was just bad talk,” said Bronx restaurant owner Danny Alvarez about disparaging remarks made during Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, Oct. 29, 2024.
One comedian’s derogatory comments about la Isla del encanto have ignited a load of bochinche in the boogie-down.
The commotion was touched off when standup comic Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean” at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump rally at Madison Square Garden last Sunday, with a week to go before the election.
The vast majority of the 40-some Bronxites that Herald and Express staff spoke with on local streets, and in buildings and bodegas, said they were appalled by the comment, and that it either reinforced their previously held view of Trump as racist, xenophobic and anti-Latino, or sparked them to change their minds about him. That included some who said they had previously expected to vote for Trump but are now planning to vote for the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris. Even so, a small number of those we spoke with were more dismissive of the inflammatory comments, saying they would vote for Trump anyway.
On his Facebook page, former Democratic State Senator and Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr. criticized Hinchcliffe’s comment but reiterated his support for Trump. Diaz Sr., a native of Puerto Rico who served in the State Senate between 2003 and 2017, and the Council from 2018-2021, made a name for himself over his years in office as a social conservative. Last summer he and a dozen fellow Bronx Latino/as marched to a rally for the Republican candidate and former president at Bill Rainey Park in Longwood, under a Trump banner.
“You know that I am one of the thousands of Puerto Ricans who feel offended, maximum when we are close to an election where for us Christian and God-fearing people, are so important,” the 81-year-old Diaz posted. “I am afraid those comments could affect and undermine Donald Trump’s candidacy for President of the United States,” but emphasized that his stance against abortion overrode his anger about the comedian’s comments. “As a Puerto Rican and Christian I can’t vote for the massacre of innocent lives that God has put in the womb of a woman, just because a stupid and ignorant spoke badly against my island Puerto Rico.”
Here’s a smattering of what we heard from people responding to the uproar around Mott Haven and Hunts Point.
Louie Cordero, owner of El Rincon Boricua, said “I think it’s pretty rude and uncalled for. Being an island that belongs to the US, he should have treated it with more respect. We are part of the US since 1917. We are not different than anybody from New York. We are not different for anybody from North Carolina. No different from nobody in Florida. We pay taxes. I think it’s gonna affect a lot of the Latin people. Whoever was interested in him now is gonna take a double take because even if they like them, their ancestors, the family, or whatever, is gonna tell them that ‘I don’t think that guy is right guy.’” By Frances Sacks.Jessica Pissaro, 40, said she will not vote. “I feel like we have the worst possible [Presidential] candidates for male and female.” By Rebecca Raghunath.Johnny Baez, a 29-year-old Dominican bodega clerk, said in Spanish “It’s bad he spoke that way about Puerto Rico, an American territory that fought for the US in the war—the athletes, the culture, the music, they bring so so much. When they talk that way about another Caribbean country, they’re insulting all of us.” By Rosie Thomas.Jay Ortiz, a 53-year-old vendor, said “It’s definitely going to change the Puerto Rican vote, but I think alot of Puerto Ricans want the migrants to go so they will vote for him just for that.” By Tatyana Gonzalez.Valerie Medina, 51, an assistant pre-school teacher of Puerto Rican heritage who lives in Melrose, Puerto Rican heritage, said the comedian’s comment “does not affect me. They take everything out of context. It was a comedian. It’s not like they made him say that. It was a bad joke, but Puerto Rico does have a problem with the sewage and all that stuff. I like Trump. I don’t have nothing bad to say about him. I hope Trump gets in.” By Dawn Kikel.Puerto Rican native Rosemary Ferraro, 57, works as a home attendant.“He embarrassed the Puerto Rican people, and Puerto Ricans are American citizens. You know, and there’s a lot of Puerto Ricans in Pennsylvania and all those places where he wants to win big, okay? There’s plenty of Puerto Ricans there, so I do hope that it affected something with the stupid joke…Donald Trump is a mierda.” By Frances Sacks.Puerto Rican Mott Haven resident Michael Robles, 52, said “I don’t think that we should just basically vote on him being a racist or whatever people think because of the things he says. But even with that said, I would still vote to elect him, because I see that we’re in a better predicament with the immigrants coming in or not coming in. We’re in a worse predicament now than when he was in office. So I would vote for him no matter what.” By Valerie Dowret.
Alexandra River, 25, a Puerto Rican native who has lived in Mott Haven for four years, said “[Me and my partner] didn’t really feel that the way he handled it was good. But it was a good thing what he did for the community during Covid, like the money he gave out. It really came in handy for those of us in need. But you talking about PR? That’s crazy! You just lost two voters.” By Marina Samuel.Harlem resident and Hostos student Justin Cabo, 19, said “I was forced to go [to the MSG rally] by my family members but arrived right after he said that. I just thought it was an ignorant comment saying ignorant things to ignorant people.” Despite being Puerto Rican, Trump’s comment is not going to change his family member’s vote. “People will hear it and either think it is a stupid comment or laugh it off and ignore it. People are very strong in their beliefs, no matter what [Republicans] do.” This is Cabo’s first presidential election of voting age but said he “doesn’t feel strong enough about any party” to do so. By Marina Samuel.
“It was really disgusting,” said Abdoulaye Diallo, Mott Haven, who is originally from Guinea. “Our president shouldn’t talk like that. If our president talks like that, how are we gonna talk? I was initially leaning towards Trump, but after reading about Project 25 in detail—it took me two hours. I’m concerned about the rhetoric surrounding it. I don’t want my granddaughter to grow up in a place where she faces discrimination.” By Mrwa Abbas.“It wasn’t cool,” said Danny Alvarez, 53, a restaurant owner who grew up in Puerto Rico. “They dropped the ball. That wasn’t necessary, and that’s not even funny. I’m Dominican. You’re talking about Hispanics, so they kind of stick together when it comes to that kind of stuff. But I already had my mind set up. I’m gonna vote for Trump. I’m more policy, I don’t really care about the personality stuff, and when I saw that I’m like, ‘What? What were you guys thinking putting that guy out there? When everything is so tight and close, they just did it to themselves.’”By Rosie Thomas.
