Features

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico has been an affluent epicenter for the art of drag since the 1960s. According to Waves Ahead Executive Director Wilfred Labiosa, the bustling nightlife in areas like San Juan is largely due to drag queens and transgender performers.  According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word drag started […]

Christopher Perceptions is a Milwaukee native who plans to give the Milwaukee community access to learning about cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency and Bitcoin are relatively new concepts at 13 years-old, a pimple popping teenager according to Perceptions, created by the pseudonymous person ‘Satoshi Nakamoto.’ According to Perceptions, gold is God’s money, fiat is the government’s money, but […]

Milwaukee – Alberto Maldonado is a man who is proud of his culture and connects Milwaukee with Puerto Rico.   His dad was a coffee grower in Puerto Rico and came to the States in 1966 when there were added job opportunities. He got married in Milwaukee and Maldonado was born there. Maldonado moved between Milwaukee […]

“First it is important that our fellow U.S. citizens know that the 3 million American citizens in Puerto Rico have different rights when they live in Puerto Rico than when they live in the continental U.S.”  Juan Pablo Gutiérrez-González, local owner of the strategic design and branding agency, Gutigon, said. There are more than 6 […]

OLD SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Pigeon Park (Parque De Las Palomas) is a place close to home for the residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Destined as a popular tourist attraction, the park used to host consistent visitors and residents from Old San Juan. Built in the 18th century and nestled on top of […]

Dozens of pigeons roamed around the Plaza de Colón in Old San Juan. They were not afraid to go up to the tourists that were mingling together enjoying the warm weather. The plaza was mostly filled with locals, and a few sat on a bench smoking a cigarette, which was rare to see on the island.   One man […]

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic church in Milwaukee welcomed the LGTBQ community, started ministries for Puerto Ricans and Spanish speakers during the 1950s, as well as ministries for Black people, and helped German immigrants during the early 20th century. At North Vel R. Philips Ave and West Brown Street, St. Francis of Assisi church was […]

SALINAS, Puerto Rico — In every Puerto Rican municipal or town, there is the same set up: a plaza, a Catholic church and the city hall building, according to Samuel González Rodríguez, a Puerto Rican architect and mosaic painter. Salinas had a tan, cobblestone plaza with some stone benches placed directly in the Puerto Rican […]

YAUCO, Puerto Rico — There is a street in Yauco that follows a steep incline up a mountain. It’s bursting with color, wildlife, and smiling welcoming faces. The vibrant blues, oranges, pinks, and yellows bouncing off the buildings submerse visitors into a unique cultural experience that truly encapsulates the island’s pride. But it wasn’t always […]

SALINAS, Puerto Rico — Martin Laboy works all day, Monday through Friday, at his hot dog stand in downtown Salinas, right across from the town’s main square. For the last 36 years, he has sat under his rainbow-colored umbrella, surrounded by colorful, vibrant blue and purple buildings as the sausages roast on his grill.  Salinas, […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — While the LGBT Community has come a long way in Puerto Rico, there are still many issues of concern facing the community today. Waves Ahead works hard at tackling these issues head on.  Waves Ahead is an organization dedicated to serving the needs of the LGBT and elder communities. According […]

Edrick Pagan-Ruiz runs a mobile jewelry store based in Yauco, in which he and his wife custom make all their jewelry, selling it on the island and shipping it to the States. Luckily, Pagan-Ruiz’s family home suffered minimal damage in the hurricane and was able to get it repaired. He resides higher up in the […]