Alana Casanova-Burgess: There's an expression Puerto Ricans use all the time, 'Esta en La Brega'. We use it to describe how we're feeling, what we're doing, and for many, it's another way of saying--

Speaker 1: The struggle

Speaker 2: [Spanish language]

Speaker 3: Grinding.

Alana: La Brega, it's not just a word, it's a state of mind.

[music]

It shows us something about our Puerto Ricanness, our history, our present, and maybe where we're headed.

Speaker 4: In sports, we get this opportunity to be Puerto Rico, the country from the Caribbean.

Speaker 5: That we send a message that their lives matter.

Speaker 6: [Spanish language]

Speaker 7: The land of the future, the country of the future.

Speaker 8: Straight up, that’s the brega on Puerto Rico.

[laughter]

Alana: La Brega: Stories of the Puerto Rican Experience. A seven-part podcast available in English and Spanish about Puerto Ricans by Puerto Ricans. Coproduced by WNYC Studies and Futuro Studios.

Speaker 9: En La Brega, showcasing our true Puerto Rican brilliance.

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