Features

Joshua Velazquez has a passion for creating fantasy art and film, a product of his background, aspirations and core identity.

Maria Gonzalez-Edwards, 60, is a member of the St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood. She was raised in Milwaukee, but her family is from the central mountainous region of Puerto Rico.     Maria’s parents came from Utuado, almost directly in the center of the island. Maria said it is more “campo,” meaning countryside.  […]

The year was 1971. Leticia Arryo Pastrana was 15-years-old about to embark on a journey that would thrust her future into the unknown. She was home in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico when her grandmother; her father’s mom who was living with them at the time, got struck with illness. After the news of Pastrana’s grandmother being […]

Two sisters of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Francisca Colon and Ana Martinez, have many memories of the Puerto Rican community in Milwaukee. St. Francis, a Roman Catholic Church, is home to many Puerto Ricans in the Milwaukee area. The large, inclusive church welcomes all to Mass every Sunday, but for community members who only […]

Victor Huyke, 59, is the Publisher of El Conquistador Newspaper, the only Latino-owned newspaper in Southeast Wisconsin. Journalism has been in Huyke’s blood since the days of his Great Grandfather, Juan Bernardo Huyke. Juan worked as a writer, publisher, educator and served as the Interim Governor of Puerto Rico in 1923. Along with his many […]

Don Rafael Reyes, 89, came to Milwaukee from Utuado, Puerto Rico in 1957. The community refers to him as “Don” to show respect, a custom in Latinx cultures, according to his close family friend, Maria Gonzalez-Edwards, 60, who helped translate.  On Sundays, Reyes attends Spanish mass at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church. He […]

Johanna’s Cakes and Desserts Café brings authentic Puerto Rican cuisine to the Southside of Milwaukee. This family-oriented local café creates a welcoming environment that draws customers to keep going back. Johanna Ortiz started her culinary journey in high school when she entered a dessert contest and won first place for her flan.  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — El Parque de Las Palomas (Pigeon Park), is finally reopening in Old San Juan and will offer special events for children all over Puerto Rico. Glenda Valdes has the story.

The National Conference of Puerto Rican Women (NACOPRW) Milwaukee Chapter’s main goals are to provide young women of Puerto Rican descent with scholarships and uplift all women, regardless of ethnicity. NACOPRW’s Milwaukee chapter is a group that meets on Microsoft Teams once every month, on the second Thursday. According to Secretary Jennifer Lamb, the group […]

Sitting on a bench in the courtyard of Salinas, Puerto Rico on a hot 80-degree day sat Carlos Bega, 69, a retired electrician. Bega was born in Puerto Rico but only recently moved back to the island to be closer to his family. For most of his life, Bega lived in the United States, a […]

On May 1, 2003, the United States Navy finally left the Island of Vieques, located east of Puerto Rico, after years of using the small island as a bombing practice range. But, the U.S Navy, over a 60-year stay, left a damaging impact on the island. “Vieques was a scene of war…it was a kind […]

Father Michael Bertram, a member in the Capuchin Franciscans, for 18 years served as pastor at St. Francis of Assisi in Milwaukee, a historic facility located on North Vel R. Phillips Avenue and West Brown Avenue. There he helped people in need, fed those who are hungry and spoke the Word of God. St. Francis […]