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What Happens When Bori Books & Cafe Shows Up: Why Community Support Matters Now
- Damian Ali
- Dec 22
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Borí is no longer an idea in motion. It is a presence.
Borí Books & Café pop-up shop featuring a curated selection of books at a community event.Image Courtesy of Borí Books & Café
“Experience has taught me that you cannot value dreams according to the odds of their coming true. Their real value is in stirring within us the will to aspire. That will, wherever it finally leads, does at least move you forward. And after a time, you may recognize that the proper measure of success is not how much you've closed the distance to some far-off goal but the quality of what you've done today.”
— Sonia Sotomayor,
My Beloved World
For Rafiana Martinez, founder of Borí Books & Café, that idea has become a working reality. While the odds of opening a brick-and-mortar bookstore in New York City remain daunting, the will to build something meaningful is already taking shape across the city. Through pop-ups, author spotlights, and community partnerships, Borí Books & Café is moving forward without waiting for ideal conditions.
The work reveals itself not through branding or speeches, but through moments. A table stacked with books. A line forming before an author reads a single word. Conversations that start casually and end with someone leaving holding a book they did not expect to find, but needed.
One of the clearest signs of Borí’s influence has been its self-published author spotlights, where writers are given time, space, and visibility often reserved for more established literary platforms.
Poet Jasmine Gonzalez, author of Petals of the Red Dahlia, described the experience this way:
“Being in the self-published author spotlight for Borí Books & Café is an experience that I will never forget. Self-published authors are some of the most hardworking writers and being acknowledged in such a meaningful way lets the world know that we deserve to have a seat at the literary table. I was just honored to be a part of it and I have no doubt that Borí Books & Café will continue to kick down doors for all unacknowledged voices.”
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That sense of recognition is not symbolic. It has tangible effects for writers navigating independent paths.
“The Bori author Spotlight was an incredible experience for me,” said comic book creator Ralph Henriquez. “There was a lot of positive reactions to my comic books, primarily with Fuerza. The sales were very good. And I got to meet an incredible amount of people. And if I’m being brutally honest, it’s the first time that I truthfully felt accepted in my Boricua community. And I thank Borí Books & Café and Cocotazo for having me. I was blessed to experience the parranda and wonderful salsa music being played at the event.”
Authors sell books, connect with new readers, and leave with their work in circulation beyond the event itself. For readers, the impact is just as meaningful.
At one pop-up, a young woman in her early twenties told founder Rafiana Martinez that she “didn’t really read.” Martinez asked her what she cared about, what mattered to her, and recommended Revisiting Herstories: From the Young Lords Party by Iris Morales. The response was immediate. The book connected. She bought it. She stayed. She felt included.
Those moments repeat. People walk into Borí’s pop-up shops and say, simply, “I feel seen.” That feeling does not happen by accident. It is the result of intention, trust, and labor. It is happening now, while Borí Books & Café continues working toward a permanent home.
Founder Rafiana Martinez at a recent Borí Books & Café pop-up shop: Image Courtesy of Borí Books & Café
That reality is both the strength and the vulnerability of Borí Books & Café. While the work continues through pop-ups and partnerships, the path toward a brick-and-mortar space remains complex.
The work Borí Books & Café is doing is intentional and demanding. As writer, educator, and cultural worker, Peggy Robles Alvarado has said, “Magic making is not for pendejas.”
Funding, real estate costs, and the requirements tied to securing an SBA loan present real barriers, particularly in New York City. These challenges are not abstract. They shape how long pop-ups can continue, how often authors can be featured, and how sustainable the work becomes over time.
Despite those challenges, Borí’s momentum continues to grow. In January, Borí Books & Café is scheduled to co-present Pushing Hope alongside East Harlem Preservation, a public literary event centered on history, justice, and survival.
The program will feature a book signing and conversation with Raymond Santana, one of the Central Park Five, alongside illustrator Keith Henry Brown. Santana’s illustrated memoir reflects on his wrongful conviction as a teenager, his 2002 exoneration, and the role creativity played in sustaining him through incarceration and advocacy.
Borí’s reach also extends into broader creative ecosystems. Later this month, community members and collaborators will gather at The Art of Real Rap, a live music and creative showcase spotlighting independent artists, vendors, and small business owners. Hosted at The Box Factory in Ridgewood, the event reflects the same values Borí champions: creative ownership, cultural exchange, and making room for voices often left outside traditional platforms.
These events are not detours. They are evidence. Borí Books & Café is not waiting to matter. It already does.
What remains uncertain is how long this work can continue without deeper support. Pop-ups require resources. Partnerships require trust. Writers and readers rely on consistency. Community infrastructure, even when grassroots, must be sustained.
That is where the stakes become clear. To support the mission now, the community can donate to the Borí Books & Café crowdfunding campaign or attend upcoming pop-up events linked on the official pages. Early support directly impacts the effort to secure a permanent space.
A message from the founder
When asked what she hopes people feel when they eventually walk into Borí for the first time, Martinez’s answer remains simple:
“I hope they feel seen.
I hope they feel grounded.
I hope they feel like, ‘Oh… I’m home.’”
For many, that feeling is already happening.
The question now is whether the space that makes it possible will be allowed to grow.
Learn More/Follow
Borí Books & Café
Chef Frances Roman
Author Ralph Henriquez
Author Jasmine Gonzalez
Author Raymond Santana
Keith Henry Brown
East Harlem Preservation
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