# @xojessicatorres on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DLoG3bKuc9C
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/63494237-xojessicatorres-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/77d01b8e80.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-07-03T01:09:39.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Jessica Torres | NYC Content Creator & Founder (@xojessicatorres) — https://gondola.cc/xojessicatorres

## Caption

Holding deep gratitude for the honor of being a Guest Speaker at the “I Am Boricua” book launch at the iconic community space in Brooklyn, nuyoricanbooks maydayspace 📝🇵🇷 This was before the crowning - but very much felt my ancestors present preparing me.

Thank you to the brilliant author who didn’t wait for permission—who created her own publishing agency, nuyoricanbooks and said yes to herself. That is Latina brilliance. That is Boricua excellence. And she saw my potential to allow me the honor to present her book with love and gentle care for this Launch. 

I read aloud a spoken word poem I poured my heart into, about my Nuyorican roots, identity, and healing. Little did I know how this would become a defining step in my journey. As a teenager, I would perform at open-mics through programs that provided strong community supported that I needed for survival,  like urbanwordnyc and safe spaces like nuyoricanpoetscafe ✍🏽🎙️

I decided to test-run this poem to this audience before performing it for the Talent Show round of the Cultural Pageant. This same poem would help crown me First Place Reina in the Bronx Puerto Rican Cultural Pageant. I showed up representing el Pueblo de mi abuela, Guanica without a crown but carrying her legacy as if it were already worn. With my mom present in support in the audience, to watch the next generation live through her and the women who came before her. Full circle. 🌺

This is why we speak. This is why we write. This is why we create our own opportunities when the world hesitates to see us.

#IAmBoricua #NuyoricanBooks #LatinaAuthors #BoricuaExcellence #NuyoricanPoetsCafe #CulturalHealing #CycleBreaker #SpokenWord #RepresentationMatters #BronxReina #PuertoRicanPride

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## Tags

cyclebreaker, bronxreina, latinaauthors, puertoricanpride, iamboricua, spokenword, culturalhealing, nuyoricanpoetscafe, boricuaexcellence, nuyoricanbooks, representationmatters

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