About Me
GUERRERA STORYTELLER
66% Iberian - 14% African - 13% Taino
100% Boricua
I am Maritza Arroyo Pérez.
My story, like so many diaspora Puerto Ricans, begins not on the main island, but with the fierce insistence of my parents and grandparents that Puerto Rico would always be the cultural anchor for our family.
I was born in St. Croix, a child of the Viequense diaspora on my maternal side and from the south of Puerto Rico (Coamo, Salinas, Guayama, Juana Díaz, Ponce) on my paternal side.
My maternal grandparents were among the many forced to leave Vieques and Fajardo in the 1930s when the collapse of the sugar industry unraveled their world.
They left behind their home in search of work, but they carried their heritage with them.
A map cannot contain a culture. Though we lived in St. Croix, my siblings and I were raised in a world that was unapologetically Puerto Rican.
Our evenings were filled with the sounds of Telemundo and Wapa TV, often punctuated by the passionate political debates between PNP and PPD relatives.
Our most cherished memories were the ones we made during summers and Christmases spent back In Puerto Rico: Santa Isabel, Ponce, Rio Piedras, and Fajardo.
For most of my adulthood, I have been a part of the large and beautiful diaspora of New York City, holding onto the same dream that so many of us share: the dream of returning to Puerto Rico.
This constant latido - heartbeat, this connection to a history that is both distant and deeply personal—is why I founded Nanichi Roots.
My own story of migration and reclamation taught me that our legacy is a fortress and our history is an act of resistance.
My life's work is now dedicated to helping you find the names, faces, and stories of the ancestors whose unbreakable strength beats in your heart.
¡Mil Gracias! ¡Pa'Lante!
MI JORNADA
My family ancestry research began over a decade ago, not as a hobby, but with a great sense of urgency. Having lost my parents when I was in my twenties, with each decade, our family was getting smaller.
With the passing of each elder, we were losing the threads that connected us to our past—the ancestral stories were vanishing with them.
What began as a personal mission became a labor of love and immense patience.
I learned that every record, no matter how faint, holds a piece of a larger story, and that a meticulous attention to detail is the key to weaving together the tapestry of a family tree.
This commitment led me on a path deep into our island's history.
Following the threads of my own maternal line, I was able to document my family's presence all the way back to Puerto Rico's FIRST Spanish settlers: my 14th great-grandfather, Juan de Espinosa.
He was a man from Becerril de Campos, Palancia, Castile and León, Spain. In 1511, he lived in Caparra, the original settlement founded by Ponce de León in 1508. Caparra was offcially moved to modern day San Juan in 1521.
To find his name in a record from the dawn of modern Puerto Rico was to find our own beginning.
This is the depth of discovery and reverence I bring to your family's story.
My expertise is not just academic; it is born from a personal mission to ensure no legacy is left behind and no voice is forgotten.
Mission
Preserving Puerto Rican heritage through my comprehensive genealogical and historical research services.
Is the story of your family calling to you?
I am here to help you answer.
I founded Nanichi Roots to reconnect you with your Puerto Rican heritage on a deeply personal level.
I move beyond names and dates to discover the heart of your lineage—the love, the struggles, and the incredible resilience.
This is the gift of knowing who you are.
Let me help you begin.
My Commitments to You
To Honor Your Legacy
I am committed to preserving and celebrating the resilient stories of your Puerto Rican heritage for all the generations that follow.
To Uphold the Truth
I am committed to delivering meticulously researched, fact-based family histories. Every story I help you build is grounded in accuracy and the deepest professional integrity.
To Bridge the Distance
I am committed to using innovative and accessible methods to connect you with your past, bridging the gap between the diaspora and the island, and between you and your ancestors.
To Empower You as a Storyteller
I am committed to doing more than just delivering a report. I empower you with the knowledge and understanding to become the confident steward and storyteller of your own family's living history.