Dr. Raquel Z. Rivera (New York) Photo by Willie Marchena Raquel Z. Rivera is a journalist and has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the City University of New York Graduate Center. Her book New York Ricans from the Hip Hop Zone was published by Palgrave Macmillan in March 2003. Hip hop culture, race and ethnic relations, Puerto Rican national identity, and Caribbean cultures are her primary areas of interest. Her articles, stories and poetry have appeared in newspapers El Diario/La Prensa, Siempre and Hoy in New York, and El Nuevo DÃ-a, The San Juan Star and Claridad in Puerto Rico; and in magazines One World, Cri-ticas, In the House and Stress. Her academic work has been published in Puerto Rican Jam: Essays on Puerto Rican Culture and Politics, Revista de Ciencias Sociales, Mambo Montage: The Latinization of New York and Latina/Latino Popular Culture. Her work on hip hop and Puerto Rican culture has led her to learn and write about earlier forms of Caribbean musical expression like Puerto Rican bomba, musica jÃ-bara and plena, and Dominican palos and salves. A founding member of Puerto Rican music group yerbabuena, she is currently a member of the all-women’s music collective Yaya, dedicated to exploring traditional Boricua and Dominican music. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she has lived in New York City since 1994 and is a resident of East Harlem. Links: www.rinconcriollo.org www.losplenerosdela21.org www.bombaboricua.com More Bios: Marinieves Alba | Ang 13 | Shaheen Ariefidien | Max Benitez | James Bernard | Toni Blackman | Triple Blak | Jeff Chang | Kevin Coval | Jonzi D | Mos Def | Martha Diaz | Jessica Green | James "Casper" Jankowiak | Talib Kweli | Bakari Kitwana | M1 | Boogie McClarin | Marcyliena Morgan | David Muhammad | Yunus Rafiq | Dr. Raquel Z. Rivera | Livio Sansone | Clyde Valentine | Cristina Verán | Zephyr