Bimbo Rivas

Bittman John "Bimbo" Rivas (November 11, 1939 – May 21, 1992) was a Puerto Rican actor, community activist, director, playwright, poet, and teacher who lived in the Lower East Side of New York City. He also served in the U.S. Air Force. He was one of the pioneers of the Nuyorican Movement and was involved in the Nuyorican Poets Café.

"Bimbo" Rivas
Born	Bittman John 11 November 1939
Died	21 May 1992 New York City, New York
Nationality	Puerto Rican
Literary movement	Nuyorican

Based on his experiences, Rivas wrote the poem "Loisaida", coining the term that today gives the Lower East Side its nickname. On May 27, 1992, Avenue C became known as Loisaida Avenue.

He died at the age of 52 on May 21, 1992, after suffering a heart attack while substitute teaching a kindergarten class.

Affiliations

• The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre Co., Inc. New York, NY.
• The Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union, Loisaida, NYC, NY.
• Adopt-A-Building Inc, Loisaida, NYC, NY.
• El Bohio Cultural & Community Center, Loisaida, NYC, NY.
• The Public Theater, New York, NY US.
• El Teatro Ambulante—El Coco que Habla, Loisaida, NYC, NY.
• Nuyorican Poets Café, Loisaida, NYC, NY.

Further reading

• Council on Museums and Education in the Visual Arts. "Community-Based Museums and Umbrella Agencies." The Art Museum as Educator: A Collection of Studies as Guides to Practice. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.
• Hernández, Carmen Dolores. "Pedro Pietri." Puerto Rican Voices in English: Interviews with Writers. Westport: Praeger, 1997. ISBN 0-275-95809-4
• Sevcenko, Liz. "Making Loisaida: Placing Puertorriqueñidad in Lower Manhattan." In Agustín Laó-Montes and Arlene M. Dávila, eds. Mambo Montage: The Latinization of New York. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-231-11274-2
• On Broadway, May 23, 1974 played the role of Juan Otero “Original” for the play by Miguel Pinero “Short Eyes” from the PlayBill website