The continuation

Since our first episode, we have learned so much more about our family’s history. In episode one, we find out that Abuela Camila worked tirelessly as a mother and laborer. Her children, sixteen in total, each played a crucial role in shaping Abuela Camila’s life. Although there are still several missing pieces, what we do know is that she had an older daughter that no one knew about. Through our genealogical search, we found this daughter’s name and it appears that she was older than our great-grandmother, Abuela Carmen, whom we will learn more about in upcoming episodes.

In episode two, our focus was to further discuss their life on the finca (farm) as well as in the small town of Morovis. What we found surprising was that the community was rather a large extension of our family. Families took care of each other and supported one another by trading goods and merchandise, and ensuring that their children were looked after. This sense of familial community appears to be a common element that followed our family when they migrated from the island of Puerto Rico to New York in the 1940s and 50s.

Finally, we would like to thank our listeners for tuning in and supporting this project. Since the beginning, you have been beside us, eager to hear our stories. We heard from many listeners who have shared their own experiences or who have learned new things about our culture and customs. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We hope you will continue with us on this journey.

The beginning

Abuela Nelly and our mom, Yvonne, in April of 1979.

On October 20, 1984, our grandmother, Nelly, was tragically taken from us. Thirty-seven years later, we are still left with many questions about what happened to her during the fateful early morning. And our need to answer those questions was the impetus of this project. In honor of her memory and the memory of those who came before her, we created “Cuéntame: Tell me their story.”

On October 22, 2021, we invite you to join us on a journey, an adventure, and a mission as we put together the pieces of our family’s history. As children, we heard cuentos, short stories about family members - living and deceased. Their names rang through our ears for decades, and their faces became permanently stamped into our minds. Their spirits moved through our home, and we welcomed every opportunity to know more about them - the good and the bad. As adults, we crave to fill in the gaps of their lives, and for weeks we have been searching for every tidbit of information that tells us more about their worlds, both in New York and on the island of Puerto Rico.

Over the next few months, we hope to share our stories, our research, and our ancestors’ lives with you. So, pull up a chair, grab your cafecito, and listen to our stories.