-
Nominate THE BORINQUENEERS For the National Film Registry by Aug. 15th
Nineteen years ago, I set out on a journey to tell the remarkable story of the Puerto Rican soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment—the Borinqueneers. I could never have imagined how many lives this film would touch, or how many people would embrace and help preserve their legacy.If you have seen THE BORINQUENEERS documentary (premiered in 2007) and believe it is a story that deserves to be remembered for generations to come, I would be deeply honored if you would consider nominating it for inclusion in the National Film Registry.Each year, the National Film Registry selects films that are considered culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant to our nation’s heritage. To be eligible, a film must be at least 10 years old, and THE BORINQUENEERS now qualifies for consideration.Public nominations are an important part of the selection process, and everyone is welcome to submit nominations. We requested our followers to nominate the film once before but didn’t make the cut as it is very competitive. But this time, we have more time to get the overwhelming votes needed. Spread the word and tell your friends! The deadline for 2026 consideration is , .If you would like to nominate THE BORINQUENEERS, you can do so here:Thank you to everyone who has supported this film over the years. More importantly, thank you for helping keep the story of the Borinqueneers alive. Their courage, sacrifice, and service deserve to be remembered.With gratitude,Noemí Figueroa Soulet
Producer/Director -
THE BORINQUENEERS Now Available for Educational Streaming Through New Day Films
Over the years, I have been honored to see THE BORINQUENEERS adopted by educators, libraries and organizations throughout the United States to spotlight the service of the 65th Infantry Regiment. For much of that time, the film was distributed primarily on DVD, which served the educational community well.As the world has increasingly moved toward digital collections and streaming-based access, I began receiving more requests seeking online availability. To meet that need, I am pleased to announce that THE BORINQUENEERS is now available for educational / institutional streaming through New Day Films (https://www.newday.com/).
Learn more and view licensing options here: https://www.newday.com/films/the-borinqueneers
THE BORINQUENEERS is available in:
• English and Spanish versions
• Feature-length and one-hour formats
• Newly upscaled 4K presentation quality
• Multiple educational licensing options, including Life-of-File streaming licenses
• Educational Study Guide availableMy hope is that this new streaming access will inspire even more people to learn about these extraordinary soldiers and engage with an often-overlooked chapter of American history.
Of course, for home personal use, the DVD will still be available for purchase on our website at www.borinqueneers.com.
Thank you for helping keep the legacy of the Borinqueneers alive.
-
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2026 - "A Penny for a Borinqueneer" Campaign at Arlington Cemetery
On Sunday, May 24, 2026, FOURTEEN volunteers (accompanied by family and friends for a total of 26 people) participated in our “A Penny for a Borinqueneer” event at Arlington Cemetery in honor of Memorial Day. The 13 teams dispersed to visit ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEEN (117) graves and left a penny on top of each grave. Thank you to these wonderful, dedicated volunteers who took time from their busy schedules to pay tribute to our departed service members. Duration: 29:12 mins.Leaving pennies (and other coins) on graves is a gesture of respect, remembrance, and a way for visitors to signal they have visited the resting place and that the individual’s military service is being honored . The graves visited included: 23 Puerto Rican Borinqueneers; 21 65th Regimental Commanders; 36 65th Continental Officers and 37 Puerto Ricans who served in other units. May these souls rest in peace for they were remembered on May 24th.
These are photo collages documenting the visit with biographical highlights of each grave visited:
https://vimeo.com/1198504139?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci -
Nov 13, 2025 -Facebook Live Event “A Legacy of Family Service”
Did you miss our Live Event? View the Live Event recording here: https://youtu.be/KZ91AleJlrsIn honor of Veteran’s Day, please join us for our second Facebook Live Event “Honoring YOUR Borinqueneer Veteran: A Legacy of Family Service” on Thursday, November 13th at 6pm (Eastern time). Our focus will be profiling Borinqueneer families with a long history of military service from various time periods (WWI, WWII and Korean War); either siblings who served together or veterans who made the military their careers, as well as generational military service (from grandfather to father to sons/daughters/nephews/grandsons). You will hear from Borinqueneers and various family members’ experiences and includes photo slides and videos. This event will honor our Borinqueneers and their families through their extensive service and dedication to our military. A fact that many people may not be aware of. Let’s thank them for their service!BORINQUENEERS PROFILED:
SGT Ramón Torres-Villafañe (Ret., USA) & Family
Raul Reyes-Castañeira & Family
SGM Victor López-Nieves (Ret., USA) & Family
Marcelino Cruz-Rodríguez with son Carlos Cruz & Family
CPL Pablo A. Marrero-Boccheciamp with nephew Col. Alberto Lugo (Ret., USA)
COL Enrique Benitez-Rexach (Ret., USA), Jaime M. Rosario with SGM Eric Hunt-Benitez (Ret., USA)
SSG Victor M. Vargas (Ret.) and son LTC Edwin Vargas (Ret., USA)
SFC Restituto Loran-Alicea (Ret., USA) and daughter Dalila Loran-Parker & grandson Lt. Cmdr. Josh Devers (Ret. US Navy)
SSG Gabriel Soto (Ret., USA) and son LTC Bart Soto (Ret., USAR)amongst dozens of other Borinqueneer familiesDid you miss our Live Event? View the Live Event recording here: https://youtu.be/KZ91AleJlrsFACEBOOK LIVE EVENT LINK to share with family and friends: https://www.facebook.com/events/24842181302103236WE’LL BE HAVING A CHALLENGE GIVEAWAY FOR A FREE
THE BORINQUENEERS, A VISUAL HISTORY BOOK!!View last year’s event “Honoring YOUR Borinqueneer Veteran” where we profiled 25 Borinqueneers with family members speaking about the Borinqueneers in their lives: -
Nov. 6, 2025 – HISTORICAN PODCAST INTERVIEWS NOEMI FIGUEROA SOULET
Nov. 6th at 6pm. Upcoming Premiere! HISTORICAN Podcast interviews Noemi Figueroa Soulet. In this episode, we sit down with filmmaker, historian, and author Noemí Figueroa-Soulet — the visionary behind The Borinqueneers, the groundbreaking documentary that brought national recognition to the Puerto Rican soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment, the only all-Hispanic unit in U.S. Army history. Watch and chat live with other viewers as this upload is shown for the very first time.HISTORICAN is a living archive and podcast dedicated to preserving and amplifying the voices of the Puerto Rican diaspora. Through storytelling, history, and culture, we uncover erased narratives, explore identity, and celebrate the resilience of our people across borders. Each episode connects the past to the present, creating space for learning, healing, and reclaiming our collective memory.VIEW THE RECORDED INTERVIEW HERE:Instagram: instagram.com/historicanpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@historicanpod
Borinqueneer Photos
Events
Social Feed
Film Festivals & Awards
Click on icons to read press
Orgullo de Puerto Rico , el 65 de Infanteria, han sido condecorados por su heroismo y su galardon. Asi cantaba mi papa la cancion dedicada a ese batallon lleno de orgullo, valentia y amor por su patria. Muy orgullosa de ser Puertorriquena de pura cepa.