Fashion designer shows her Puerto Rican pride

[Angel Face]

It's too bad there's no website to see what she has to offer. I am realy glad to see that there are still creative people out there doing productive things.

[Bubba]

Jimmy Pop wrote:

On my computer, the article displayed her name as, Mar�a Rom�n, so I couldn't even Google her name to see if a web page came up.

Try Maria Roman.
The unintelligible symbols are the "i" and the "a" accented like this "í", and "á" . Some programs cannot read those characters.

[Jimmy Pop]

Bubba wrote:

<quoted text>
Try Maria Roman.
The unintelligible symbols are the "i" and the "a" accented like this "í", and "á" . Some programs cannot read those characters.

Thanks, Bubba. Here's a link to her web site >

http://www.namormoda.com/mariaroman/index.htm

[Splinter]

I didn't say anything about not being able to celebrate your heritage, and I said ABSOLUTELY nothing about closing our borders and sending everyone back where they came from. But, having said that, I'll bet you dollars to donuts if you ask any Italian American or Irish American whether they are more proud to be an American, or more proud to be of Irish or Italian heritage, they'll say "American" before you can finish the question. I doubt you would get the same response from most latinos. Also, you're right...I should not have referred to Puerto Ricans as immigrants, but my point remains. Why unabashedly proclaim your Puerto Rican pride louder than your American pride? And if you'd like to nitpick about what is considered America, let me ask you this...have you ever heard anyone say that they were coming to America with their intended destination being Canada or Venezuela?

[Lucilla]

The Americas or Continent of America isn't just the 48 contiguous United States plus Hawaii and Alaska. If you ever lived outside of the US, you would know that people do say I am going to the Americas and it doesn't necessarily mean the United States.
The United States Citizen in the article happens to be born and raised in Puerto Rico. I am sure that she is proud to be Puerto Rican first and US citizen second. She surpasses the expectations of everyone in the States by obtaining two post-secondary degrees. Something that not many US citizens obtain.
I have been around many US citizens of Italian and Irish descendants. If you call them Anglo, they get angry. They identify themselves more with their parent's or grandparent's country of origin than the country they live in.

[Ed in Orlando]

Maria Roman is a very important person in my life and I take offense on the unpleasant comments made by some of the users of this blog. The fact remains that she is a very hard working single mother, with dreams just like everybody else, and her dream involves fashion designing. The article highlights her work and her growing SUCCESS as a designer, the first Puerto Rican-born designer to participate in the Florida Hospital fund raiser.

For the record, Puerto Ricans are American citizens by birth, as American as those who were born in the mainland, with the same inalienable rights under God and the U.S. Constitution, with one exception, Puerto Ricans in the island can not vote for the President of the United States. But do not forget, that the United States of America is as much ours and it is yours. USA is as a melting pot of races and ethnicities and nothing you do or say can change that fact. This is our country, yours and ours. We are the United States of America. So if a person wants to say he or she is proud to be a "Floridian" I don't get upset because they didn't say "American" first. Ask a New Yorker or a Californian. They are proud of their heritage but they also understand their role as Americans. Well, we the Puerto Ricans think the same way.

In my case I served as a commissioned officer in the Armed Forces, and was willing to pay the highest sacrifice for my country, more than what I can say about many of you. But it pains me to say that hatred and ignorance is still alive in America, especially in our Central Florida area. And no, I am not going back to Puerto Rico, this is my place now and I'm staying put for a while.

But back to Maria Roman. If you want to visit her website, go to "www.mariaroman.com " or pick-up a copy of a local hispanic newspaper like La Prensa, El Sentinel or El Nuevo Dia, or even revista Imagen, reviste DSBE, etc. Her work has been been featured in those publications.

Thank you for reading the Orlando Sentinel, even if we don't agree, our political system allows us the opportunity to disagree. Don't you love being an American? And in my case, I love being a Puerto Rican-American...

Que Dios Bendiga a America!

[Splinter]

Did I say "the Americas"? No, I said America. Also, I have yet to meet any Irish or Italian Americans more proud of the "old country" than their current country. Again, if they identify so strongly with the place of their ancestors birth, why are they still here? Perhaps you know people who are first generation U.S. residents. Also, I said nothing about the achievements of the subject of the article. She sounds like a very smart person, and I'm impressed with her accomplishments.
I'd like to ask you a serious question, though. If it were the other way around, and tons of people from the mainland came down to live in Puerto Rico and didn't do much to acclimate themselves to their new surroundings, but instead displayed Old Glory everywhere and demanded that you accomodate them at every turn, you wouldn't be the least bit resentful of the disrespect they are showing Puerto Rico?

[ISA]

Splinter wrote:

Sometimes I get very upset that you always hear immigrants saying how proud they are to be Puerto Rican, or Mexican, or Dominican, etc...you never hear any of them say how proud they are to be an American, yet here they are, living in the good old U. S. of A., enjoying all the rights and privileges and OPPORTUNITIES that includes. Makes ya think, doesn't it? If I see one more PR or Dominican mini flag hanging from a rear view mirror, I'm going to puke. It should be ILLEGAL to fly any other nations flag, no matter what size, in this country. Another poster said it, but it bears repeating...if you're so damn proud of your native land, what the hell are you doing here?

Again, Puerto Ricans are American citizens...
Obviously, you did poorly in school since your
knowledge of history and geography leave alot to
be desired.....

As a Puerto Rican woman, living in Canada, I am
proud of the Puerto Flag, the American flag and
the Canadian flag.....

By the way, Canada is just North of the United
States of America.....

[THE REAL DEAL]

I just wanted to say that I am not latino, I am of Indian decent but a 2nd generation born and bred (Rockland) New Yorker. I would like to give my congratulations to her on her accomplishments, and for being proud of her heritage.

I suggest that you folks try not to pay attention to the ignorant fools diluting the article for what it really is. It really is ignorant to suggest that people should head back to where they are from based on their homeland pride. The big thinkers up here debating nonsense should realize there is massive respect and love for USA, especially if you leave your grand homeland to come here.

[THE REAL DEAL]

Gloom and Doom wrote:

Gag a maggot off of a Chinese gut wagons headlight. Please go back to PR and stay there.

Sorry, it was really hard to follow my own ignore advice.

[Angel Face]

I can't understand why a person expressing her heritage creatively through clothing has to become so damned negative. You don't like it? Don't buy her dresses! No one is forcing you to wear them. Why the heck does it matter to any of you what she sews on her sewing machine? With all the horrible things going on in the world, this is what you choose to be upset about? Give me a friggin break.

[Mixers]

Angel Face wrote:

It's too bad there's no website to see what she has to offer. I am realy glad to see that there are still creative people out there doing productive things.

The website is www.namormoda.com

[Angel Face]

Mixers wrote:

<quoted text>
The website is www.namormoda.com

Thanks. She seems pretty talented from the stuff on the site.