In N.K. Jemisin’s fantasy novel The City We Became, Bronca represents the Bronx.
The novel personifies New York City’s five boroughs through human avatars. Bronca, whose name evokes the borough she embodies, is the avatar of the Bronx. She works as a curator and director at the Bronx Art Center and becomes part of the city’s supernatural defense.
Jemisin’s premise draws on the idea that a city can gain a living identity. Each borough has its own history, culture, and personality, while the borough avatars must cooperate to protect New York from an otherworldly threat. The city itself is represented by Manny, the avatar of New York City.
Readers may mix Bronca up with the other borough avatars: Brooklyn is represented by an elderly music figure, Queens by Padmini Prakash, Manhattan by Manny, and Staten Island by Aislyn Houlihan. Bronca specifically stands for the Bronx.