logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2021
44m 28s

Levittown: Where the Good Life Begins

NPR
About this episode
In this episode from WNYC's La Brega, Alana Casanova-Burgess traces back the story of the boom and bust of the Puerto Rican Levittown. For many Americans, Levittown is the prototypical suburb, founded on the idea of bringing Americans into a middle-class lifestyle after WWII. But while the NY Levittown was becoming a symbol of American prosperity, there was a parallel story of Levittown in Puerto Rico during a time of great change on the island. Casanova-Burgess (herself the granddaughter of an early PR Levittown resident) explores what the presence of a Levittown in Puerto Rico tells us about the promises of the American Dream. It's a story that reflects and reveals how la brega has defined so many aspects of life in Puerto Rico.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
What Happened to Vladimir Alexandrov?
Rund Abdelfatah and Cristina Kim try to unravel the mystery of a Soviet scientist who was helping to spread the word about nuclear winter theory—until he disappeared. <br/><br/>This is a peek at the kind of exclusive bonus content Throughline+ supporters get every month. Want mor ... Show More
14m 46s
Nov 20
Democracy Dies in a Day
How quickly can a government fall? Chile was once one of Latin America's oldest democracies, but that all changed in a matter of hours after a military coup on September 11, 1973. Some supported the coup; many did not. But for the next 17 years, all Chileans lived in the grip of ... Show More
51m 51s
Nov 13
The Creeping Coup
On the surface, the story of Sudan’s war is about two generals vying for power. But it’s also about a vast web of international interests involving the U.S., China, Russia, and the UAE. Today on the show, the story of how things in Sudan got to this point, and the effects of the ... Show More
50m 39s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2021
La Brega in Levittown
<p>On the show this week, we’re bringing you an episode of a new podcast called, La Brega. And to tell us all about the series is Alana Casanova-Burgess. Casanova-Burgess traces back the story of the boom and bust of Levittown, a massive suburb that was founded on the idea of bri ... Show More
51m 58s
Jul 2022
Puerto Rico is decolonizing - with food
Sandy beaches, amazing wildlife, Caribbean blue seas—Puerto Rico is known as the Island of Enchantment for a reason. But it’s also one of the oldest colonies in the world. And as a U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans have very little say in the U.S. government. The island has a complic ... Show More
33m 15s
Feb 2024
L'Histoire du Jazz : Sweet Home Chicago - 2/7
<p style="font-style: italic;">Pour écouter l’émission en entier, sans pub, abonnez-vous ! <a href="https://m.audiomeans.fr/s/S-tavkjvmo">https://m.audiomeans.fr/s/S-tavkjvmo</a></p> <p><strong>L'Histoire du Jazz : Sweet Home Chicago - 2/7 </strong></p><p><strong>A la fois doux, ... Show More
5 m
Jun 2023
New York's Chinatown Through the Eyes of a Family That's Been There for Generations
New York City's Chinatown is arguably one of the most famous neighborhoods in the world—and perhaps one of the most storied, too. Ava Chin, whose memoir, Mott Street: A Chinese American Family’s Story of Exclusion and Homecoming, came out this spring, chats with Lale about the ap ... Show More
29m 2s
Nov 2020
Episode #121- What is Ghost River?
In 1763 twenty indigenous people in the colony of Pennsylvania were murdered by an armed gang. The victims had been a peaceful group of Conestogas, who had been wrongfully accused of aiding in violent raids against the settlers. The infamous attack would go down in history as the ... Show More
1h 21m
Jun 2021
Black Joy in the Summertime
<p>In a world where being Black and free are not always congruent, Black folks in America have always found ways of escaping the strictures of this country’s racial boundaries. </p><p>In the summer, that meant leaving town, with kids getting sent South to visit relatives, road tr ... Show More
29m 51s
Apr 2023
The battle for Puerto Rico's beaches
Puerto Rico's beaches are an integral part of life on the island, and by law, they're one of the few places that are truly public. In practice, the sandy stretch of land where the water meets the shore is one of the island's most contested spaces. Today we're featuring an episode ... Show More
23m 6s
May 2023
Dreamtown… A Primer.
Sometimes out here in the West, a stranger comes to town and saves the city from whatever peril is threatening it. But sometimes a stranger comes to town disguised as a savior and turns out to be a grifter. From Crooked Media, this is Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto. Coming June ... Show More
2m 34s
Aug 2021
Sobre Puerto Rico - About Puerto Rico
<p>Puerto Rico is fascinating place with a complicated history and unique culture. For whatever reason, it’s not often a topic that’s covered in schools in the U.S… even though it’s a U.S. territory. As part of a new “country overview” series on the podcast, we share a brief rund ... Show More
28m 48s