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for Pue r t o R ico Nuestras Voces A Diary from 1898 Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino UNCORRECTED PROOF • NOT FOR SALEfor Pue r t o Rico Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino Nuestras Voces A Diary from 1898 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALETo the people of Puerto Rico, past, present, and future —A.E.R. Published by Stone Arch Books, an imprint of Capstone 1710 Roe Crest Drive North Mankato, Minnesota 56003 capstonepub.com Copyright © 2024 by Capstone. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. The name of the Smithsonian Institution and the sunburst logo are registered trademarks of the Smithsonian Institution. For more information, please visit www.si.edu. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website. ISBN: 9781669012658 (hardcover) ISBN: 9781669012610 (paperback) ISBN: 9781669012627 (ebook PDF) Summary: It is 1898, and twelve-year-old Paloma lives in Puerto Rico with her Papi, Mami, and little brother, Jorge. They are coffee farmers, and Paloma loves the chickens and fruit trees that she helps to care for. She also loves music—the song of the coquí frogs who sing her to sleep, and the melodies from Papi’s tiple guitar. But Paloma’s world begins to change when war arrives on Puerto Rico’s shores. What will happen to their culture, the island? As Paloma and her family navigate changes they can’t control, they hold tightly to each other and hope for a better future. In diary format, the Nuestras Voces series profiles inspiring characters and honors the joys, challenges, and outcomes of Latino experiences. Designed by Tracy Davies Our very special thanks to Charles Venator Santiago, University of Connecticut, and the following at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino: Jorge Zamanillo, Director; Emily Key, Director of Education; Adrián Aldaba, Manager of Education and Public Programs; Natalia Febo, Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator; David Coronado, Senior Communications Officer; and Ranald Woodaman, Director of Exhibitions. Capstone would also like to thank the following at Smithsonian Enterprises: Paige Towler, Editorial Lead; Jill Corcoran, Senior Director, Licensed Publishing; Brigid Ferraro, Vice President, Business Development and Licensing; and Carol LeBlanc, President, Smithsonian Enterprises. Design Elements: Shutterstock: Kittichai (leafy border), Old Man Stocker (woven texture), Reinhold Leitner (vintage paper), Yauheniya Bandaruk (coffee branches) All internet sites appearing in back matter were available and accurate when this book was sent to press. UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALEfor Pue r t o Rico Nuestras Voces A Diary from 1898 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALEUNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALESaturday, July 16, 1898 Querido Diario, Hola! My name is Paloma Santos. Yesterday, my friend Rosa brought home a gift from the market in Ponce. It was you, diario! Papi heard that 1898 would be an important year for us to remember. Don Antonio Díaz Castillo, the owner of our finca, says we are in a war. It is between the United States and Spain. They are fighting over the island, la isla, we call home. We are a Spanish colony, but we are also Puerto Ricans. 5 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALEMe and Rosa ask questions, but Papi and her papá don’t like to talk about these things with us. What should I write in my diario? I have brown eyes and wavy brown hair. I am 12 years old. I live on a finca, a very large farm, in a small town near Ponce, Puerto Rico. My family works for Don Antonio, the hacendado of our finca. My friend Rosa is his daughter. My family and I live in a small house made of wooden planks and palm tree leaves. It is covered with a tin roof. My house isn’t large or fancy, but it fits all the people I love the most: my parents and my baby brother, Jorge. My parents tell me how blessed we are to have this roof over our head. Many others are not so fortunate. Mami thanks God every day that we are healthy. When people here get sick, they visit our local curandera, or natural healer, Doña Alma. For a few years, Don Antonio allowed me to attend Rosa’s tutoring sessions. I earned good marks 6 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALEfor my reading and writing! Now that I’m older, I have to help Mami with her work. Mami and Papi teach me what they can—mostly farm work, cooking, and sewing. Every night the coquí frogs sing us to sleep, and every morning, the crowing rooster wakes us. I help with the chickens on the farm. Mami and the other women care for the vegetables and fruit trees. But the coffee beans Papi and the other men pick are most valuable. What we can’t grow or make, we barter for with the other families on the finca. I showed Papi the leather diario that Rosa gave me. It has a guitar design on the cover. He said it reminded him of the tiple guitar he plays for me. I love to sing along with the music he pulls from its metal strings. I hope I will think of more things to tell you tomorrow. 7 UNCORRECTED PROOF - NOT FOR RESALENext >