The world is filled with many gorgeous lands, but Puerto Rico absolutely tops them all. This land is particularly intriguing due to its vast variety of beaches filled with people of all different ethnicities as if it were a melting pot. When experiencing these beaches the senses are overwhelmed with the smell of fresh salt water, foods ranging from fruits that are both sweet and tangy like candy. As soon as person steps on to one of these beaches, he or she can instantly hear people splashing and playing as if he or she were kids in a swimming pool during the summer. Whiles music playing the sounds of the island a music that is infectious and made your body want to succumb to the sounds of the all while the sun warms the air around them like a heater in the winter. …show more content…
These beaches provide a place of rest and relaxation from the minute person steps on to one. One in particular that is the most famous of all of Puerto Rico would the Flamenco beach. This is the most attractive. The sand is warm as the summer sun and so soft your feet just sink. The water is crystal blue and shimmers as the sun sets on it. Even as the sun sets you can still see the coral reef with a spectrum of colors throughout these reefs house exotic fish and birds. Puerto Rico has many markets some of which are run every day and some that are only run certain days of the month. The most popular one that is run only on the first Sunday of the month is Ventana Al Mar. as soon as you arrive at this outdoor market there are cabanas that specialized in different merchandise or food stationed over this widespread area. I immediately noticed the Fruits and Vegetable stands they had every color imaginable it was a rainbow of juicy mouthwatering sweet and savory treats. It awoke my senses I felt as if I was standing in a garden everything smelled natural and
OUTLINE I. Introduction a. Should Puerto Rico become America's 51st state? b. Many politicians have different views on what Puerto Rico should do. Should the island become a State, stay a Commonwealth, or become independent? Either way, it would benefit the island.
The debate on Puerto Rican Identity is a hot bed of controversy, especially in today’s society where American colonialism dominates most of the island’s governmental and economic policies. The country wrestles with the strong influence of its present day colonizers, while it adamantly tries to retain aspects of the legacy of Spanish colonialism. Despite America’s presence, Puerto Ricans maintain what is arguably their own cultural identity which seems largely based on the influence of Spain mixed with customs that might have developed locally.
Upon continuing the discussion of what it means to be Puerto Rican, it is clear that the early US colonial rule fundamentally shaped the character of this definition. At the conclusion of the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico became a possession of the United States subject only to the privileges that the US was willing to grant it. The dichotomy between Puerto Rico’s expectations and what it actually became after 1898, helped to formulate elite definitions of what it meant to be Puerto Rican. This new Puerto Rican identity, which was in large part based upon historical myths, served as defense mechanisms to combat the elite’s dissatisfaction with the new political, social and economic relationships under US rule. Although Puerto Rico under early US colonial rule never met the elites’ expectations, this new emerging nationalist identity never served as an effective challenge to US capitalist hegemony.
Do you think Puerto Rico should become the 51st state? 61% of Puerto Ricans say yes. Puerto Rico as a state of the United States could benefits both the US and PR. Through fixing both crime rate, to bringing more economic success. Although both the US and PR had their own pros and cons on whether Puerto Rico become the 51st state or not. Puerto Rico has been a commonwealth of the United States for over many years. Many Americans and Puerto Ricans think that Puerto Rico should not be the 51st state because it has their advantages and disadvantage. So, Should Puerto Rico become the 51 state of the US or stay as they are, as a commonwealth.
The Pandora’s box of information that I have discovered about Puerto Rico under early U.S rule provide some fascinating details on the background of contradictions that characterize debates on the political, economic and social issues concerning the island. Since its invasion in 1898, the United States has shaped the policies of the island according to its own discretion in spite of the people of Puerto Rico. The country did not have time to shed the skin of Spanish colonial rule before the United States set foot on the island to add its own layer of imperial legacy. The island was taken as a compromise to end the Spanish American War. How the newly acquired territory would take shape, and some of the local and international influences that might have contributed to the evolution of the Puerto Rican political, social and economical structure are some of the issues that I hope to address. As is customary an attempted commentary of this sort cannot be complete without the subject of identity, after all, this issue seems to be at the core of the status of the island.
Puerto Ricans are typically very festive people with several events on the calendar filled with dancing, feasting, singing, and celebrating! Below are several days throughout the year a Puerto Rico citizen might participate in.
Ideally Puerto Rico was to mold itself into the perfect American product. Politically Puerto Rico was to remain inferior by following American rules and regulations that restricted the liberties of the people. Economically it was expected to provide capitol growth for the United States while neglecting the popular masses. Through the process of Americanization, the hope was to create a second America on the island. Here the people would look to the mainland for inspiration and more importantly guidance. The general intentions and plans for the island, however, backfired in that the actual goals and feelings of the people were never taken into account.
which is a predominantly Hispanic area of the city. I myself am also a Roman
Oct. 29: Puerto Rican Music Between Rafael Hernandez and Rafael Cortijo. Guest Lecture by Prof. Lise Waxer, Music Dept., Trinity College
Puerto Rico and Cuba are known to be the two wings of the same bird, mostly because of their great similarities in history, culture, and struggles; yet, because of their differences in achieving their goals of self-government. Cuba was able to have full independence from Spain and have its own form of government; nonetheless, Puerto Rico, after achieving its independence from Spain, was annexed by the United States of America toward the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. Both of these islands, under Spanish rule, survived violent political policies and excessive military personnel in their lands and were able to achieve a form of sovereignty. Puerto Rico and Cuba were the final colonies of Spain in the Western Hemisphere; Cuba gained independence, yet Puerto Rico achieved a different form of sovereignty by becoming a territory of the United States. Moreover, this annexation of Puerto Rico with the US creates a democratic form of colonization; known popularly as a Commonwealth, but to the world Puerto Rico is still known as the oldest colony in the world.
In order to understand the current situation of Puerto Ricans one must look at their history and retrace the sequence of events that led to the current formation of the Puerto Rican people. An important component of this history is the time Puerto Rico spent under Spanish rule. Studying this portion of Puerto Rican history forces us to acknowledge the contribution the Spaniards, European immigrants, and African slaves had on Puerto Rican identity as we consider it today. This also addresses contemporary debates on Puerto Rican identity. An example of this is evident in an essay written by Jose Luis Gonzales entitled "Puerto Rico : Th Four Storied Country". In the article Gonzales points out what he feels is a disregard toward the African contribution to the Puerto Rican identity. He argues that the first Puerto Ricans were black , based on his interpretation that Africans were the first group to come to Puerto Rico and reproduce who did not have ties to a "motherland" because they were slaves. This is unlike the Spaniard elites and Criolles that demonstrated their commitment and loyalty to Spain. Since they had no other place to go, Puerto Rico was their motherland. Gonzalez also points out that the culture of a region is always the culture of the elite, not the popular culture.
Puerto Rico is a small island in the Caribbean that holds a vast, and rich culture. Due to its accessible geographical location, it is often called the key to the Caribbean. Puerto Rico enriched its people with one of the most innate and unique culture different from the rest of the world. The colonization of Spaniards left us not only with myriad architectural heritage, but also with language and cultural traditions that beholds Hispanic imagery and representations. Our music, our love of dancing and festivities, as well as our practice of Catholic beliefs represents
Puerto Rico, like the United States, is a land of immigrants. It is presently in the process of establishing a cultural statement. Because of the diversity of its inhabitants, no statement of a unified artistic expression can be made. In earlier times, the discovery, the colonization period, and later some stability in the nineteenth century, the artistic production was basically unified, that is, it portrayed Puerto Rico through single statements, its people, its vegetation, eminent politicians, religious beliefs, etc.
The colonization of Puerto Rico by the Americans resulted to a decline in the economy; the presence of the American took every opportunity that the people of Puerto Rico had. In addition, colonization made Puerto Rico a foreign country; this made the import tax to increase rapidly. The Americans took the economy of that country from their hands and into their own; they controlled everything for the time that they colonized the country. In addition, all the farmers were forced to work for the Americans under severe conditions and less wages, thus declining the economy of Puerto Rico. Below is a picture of the people of Puerto Rico on the streets demonstrating on the declining economy under
The weather in Puerto Rico is very warm. It is very warm because this country is close to the equator. This is a very good area for a hurricane to happen because to the west of Puerto Rico there is a very big stretch of ocean and the moisture from the ocean catches with the high winds that fly over the ocean and it just causes a big mess and usually causes a hurricane. Hurricanes have very fast winds and usually contain a lot of moisture and a lot of rain. The very fast winds are what causes buildings and debris to go flying through the air. But in this story the author describes the debris to be fruit flying through the air. The author is warning the readers to watch for flying fruit if you get caught in a hurricane. There is a big hurricane