From the gritty streets in East New York, Brooklyn, to the tropical paradise of Puerto Rico, The Rios Sisters experienced a Duality of cultures that are rich and diverse. Awilda and Mildred embrace their heritage and come to terms with their love of the Island and life in New York City. They pay homage to the struggles their parents and siblings faced when they moved from Puerto Rico in search of a better life. Being Boricua is a collaborative retelling of a dynamic life shared by The Rios Sisters. This collection chronicles the lives of the Twin Powerhouse performers from their beginnings in East New York, Brooklyn, and Puerto Rico, to the stage and screens across the world. Insightful, funny, honest, and raw these vignettes show how a lasting bond and creative ingenuity can take you anywhere. The original dynamic duo of Freestyle want to show their Puerto Rican pride and roots; and show that with some love, Island flair and New York grit, anything is possible. "What a delight to read this book! Whether on a bridge in Puerto Rico or in a polling booth in New York City, each story is filled with hope and resilience. While reading one can almost feel the warm breeze of the Island and the heat from the city sidewalk. Always, one feels the strength, courage, and spirit." — Sharon Pinsker, Ph.D., LCSW, CASAC "Being Boricua is a collaborative retelling of a dynamic life shared by The Rios Sisters. This collection chronicles the lives of the Twin Powerhouse performers from their beginnings in East New York, Brooklyn and Puerto Rico, to the stage and screens across the world. Insightful, funny, honest and raw these vignettes show how a lasting bond and creative ingenuity can take you anywhere. The original dynamic duo of Freestyle want to show their Puerto Rican pride and roots; and show that with some love, Island flair and New York grit, anything is possible." — Christian A. Puglisi, Entertainment Blogger "In The Rios Sisters debut memoir, Being Boricua , Awilda and Mildred transcend readers into the life of two girls living between their home in Brooklyn, New York, and their beloved island of Puerto Rico. The sisters remind us that their journey from the United States to their native country wasn't easy but taught them many life lessons along the way. Written in brief vignettes woven together to draw on the beauty and pain of a resilient people, the Rios Sisters capture the essence of their humble beginnings reminiscent of their culture's traditions and pride all while reflecting on the traumas of loss." — Milagros Colon, Bilingual Educator/Performing Artist "I have known Mildred and Awilda for 28 years, and they are both inspiring, beautiful, and intelligent women. They have been educators and have always been passionate about the arts. They have written their own music and lyrics and have been performing Freestyle music since young adulthood. In the last several years, they have been retired from teaching and focused their efforts on becoming SAG actors. They are so proud of their Puerto Rican heritage and they beam with love when sharing stories of their Mom and family. Their struggles have made them a strong force to be reckoned with and I've known them to never give up on what they love to do .They are two successful women whom I admire very much." — Angela Cosmai-Rizzo, Hair Stylist and Cosmetic Artist "I've been following The Rios Sisters' career for over 30 years. Reading their stories in this memoir made me connect with them on a deeper level. I personally identified with many of the vignettes about family, spirituality, mental health, and education. Stories like theirs need to be heard so that we can have open discussions about the things that affected us as young children growing up, and how we can make the world a better place for the next generation. We can celebrate our differences and still be kind to one another. And together we can all thrive as human beings." — Angel Love Figueroa, Videographer My sister and I need people to understand what we learned. We want to clarify the pending status of Puerto Rico as a commonwealth/colony and, through these memoirs, share stories of acceptance, hope, and love through our history, our lived experiences, and our perspective. The beauty of Being Boricua is forever etched in our souls. We hope you'll find you're beautiful too. Being Boricua celebrates the duality of being Puerto Rican in the U.S. and "American" on the island that was home to many of their childhood memories. Like two notes coming together melodically, or two voices blending perfectly in harmony, the resulting duality is ALWAYS as American as apple pie no matter which side of the Atlantic Ocean you're on. Without representation in congress, the Rios sisters fear that Puerto Ricans in America will remain property of the United States who suffer "taxation without representation," face continued discrimination, and fail to rapidly progress, which is the birthright of every A