About this Event
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Join us for the release celebration of Flies in the Tropics with debut author Niki Franco. A memoir about growing up in the backwards heart of US imperialism, this book is a letter to all those searching for their role in the fight for a better world.
Niki and her family packed up their lives and moved to Miami, hoping for a change. The daughter of two working-class Caribbean immigrants, she begins searching for belonging in her new home, the USA’s very own tropical paradise. But what unfolds is the entangled story of the Caribbean, the CIA, US intervention, and her own duty from the history she learns.
Grocery store gossip, an abuelo who worked his whole life for Caribe Hilton, trips to Puerto Rico and Cuba, hurricanes, activism, and doxxing. These are the memories that come into focus and reveal how the ghosts of exploitation haunt the lives of those who come from countries ravaged by US intervention. And so Miami’s beautiful façade reveals its cruel face through the machinations of US foreign policy, political pundits, and a long history as a base for CIA interventions in the Caribbean. The shadow of the US is inescapable, and it becomes clear that Cuba and Puerto Rico are las dos alas de un pájaro. Two wings of a bird.
Niki will be joined in conversation by fellow political educators and cultural workers maya finoh and Tahia Islam. After the book talk, we will have an author signing, music by DJ RAQX, and wines provided by Terra Sancta Wines and Spirits and El-Sabban Wine.
Event venue & nearby stays
The People's Forum, 320 W 37th Street, New York, United States
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