Xavi Burgos

artist \ poeta \ writer \ organizer \ educator

The Puerto Rican School

An initiative of education & culture / una iniciativa de educación y cultura

I love teaching Puerto Rican history and culture and have been doing it for most of my life. Explore what I’ve done and let’s collaborate in transforming Boricua identity.

Stay updated on upcoming events / workshops / classes / or want to talk with me about puertorriqueñidad, complete this form.

Events & Projects:

Ricans on my Mind: A media art project on Puerto Rican history, cultures, and futures | Three Seasons: 2021-Present | Watch here.

Afrorriqueñes: A conference of Black artists, scholars, activists, and healers | May 2021 & 2022 | Watch here.

Writing & Publishing: Read essays and perspectives on Puerto Rico and its diaspora communities, here.

La Respuesta: A magazine on, for, and by the Puerto Rican Diaspora | 2013-2018 | Explore here.

Other events, interviews, & presentations, here.

A Puerto Rican Resumé:

Organizing & Educating

Organized for the freedom of the Puerto Rican political prisoners with the Central Committee (Chicago).
- Traveled with the campaign to Puerto Rico, New York City, Cleveland, Indiana, and Detroit.
Former board member at Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation / Humboldt Construction and a member of Humboldt Park Housing Action Team to develop affordable housing in Chicago’s Puerto Rican and Northwest Side communities.
President of Union for Puerto Rican Students at Northeastern Illinois University
- Co-organizer of the annual Grito de Lares commemoration
Collective member of the youth community space Café Teatro Batey Urbano (Chicago)
Director of youth programs at Puerto Rican Cultural Center
Coordinator of the Participatory Democracy Project and co-founder of ¡Humboldt Park NO SE VENDE!/ NOT FOR SALE! campaign to combat gentrification.
Co-creator of the annual Paseo Boricua Parranda.
Co-organizer of the Afrorriqueñes symposium at Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center
My ancestors were Nationalist Party members and supporters, including Julia de Burgos and others. I’ve met well-known members and supporters Juan Mari Bras, Lolita Lebrón, Rafael Cancel Miranda, Antonio Cruz Colón, Estanislao Lugo, and others.
Creator of From Borinquén to Chicago Puerto Rican history class.
Host and creator of the multimedia project Ricans on my mind
Host and creator of (De)Colonial Subjects podcast
Moderated panels on Puerto Rican studies, host and creator of Caribbean Revelations speaker series, and co-organizer of Caribbean Studies conferences at Stanford University.
Co-presenter at The Center for Puerto Rican Studies/ el centro de estudios puertorriqueños Puerto Rico Puerto Ricans: A Diaspora Summit at Hunter College, CUNY.
Lectured on Puerto Rican history at University of Illinois-Chicago.

Writing & Editing

Published in Puerto Rico-based publications 80 grados and Claridad.
Editor of Que Ondee Sola magazine at Northeastern Illinois University
Co-Founder and Editor of La Respuesta, a magazine for the Puerto Rican Diaspora
Reporter and columnist for La Voz del Paseo Boricua newspaper (Chicago)

For more details, go to my C.V.

Donation: Cashapp / Zelle via email / Venmo