VivirLatino

So, in the opinion of a New Yorican, what is PR "pride" and "culture"?

Pride is usually a product of accomplishment, and the terms Puerto Rico and accomplishment are rarely used together.

I've lived on Vieques for nearly a decade and what I’ve discerned as the Viequense culture has to do with our typical music and paso fino horses.

What are New Yoricans celebrating? What are they proud of? This is not rhetorical; I would like some honest opinions.

In Vieques, most locals don't consider New Yoricans as "real" Puerto Ricans. Viequenses are typically quiet, soft-spoken, and move with slow deliberation. When we observe New Yoricans, they embody the antithesis of these qualities.

Most New Yoricans I speak with have only been to PR a few times on vacation. They have no idea of the real culture here. Not one knew that 86% of our economy is from free federal grants, funded by the federal taxes paid by workers in the States. Not one knew that PR doesn't produce anything for sale or export except rum and Medalla. We import all of our food (even fish and vegetables) and pay for it with US taxpayer’s money.

I've studied PR history here at the UPR. Unless I've learned wrong, PR has never been independent. First as a colony of Spain that slaughtered all of the indigenous people, then as a colony of the States.

At every "cultural festival" i've been to in PR the only constants are salsa music, poor quality leather hats/wallets/beaded necklaces under the title "artisanos", and mountains of empty Coor's Light cans.

I've never been to a PR Day parade in NY, so I’m extremely curious as to what exactly all of these people who have never been to PR, are celebrating as their "culture" and what exactly they are proud of?

I am not begrudging anyone his or her right to celebrate anything and my intention is not to offend anyone. When I raise these questions to NY visitors to my island, they generally agree that they are just in it for the party, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm just curious about other people's opinions...

I purposely did not include my own opinion about the majority of what goes down at the festivals and parades. Generally I personally do not go or participate unless I am doing specific work (leafletting, petition gathering etc). I personally find that many of the people who go have a very superficial understanding of puerto rican culture and just go for the food, drinks, and festive atmosphere. Let me say that there is nothing wrong with that but there is something wrong with celebrating your culture nce a year. I feel Puerto Rican culture should be celebrated daily and I do so as a Rican. That said I don't buy into the separations between NY Ricans and Island Ricans. While obviously because of geography and historical happenings we have been separated and migrated but as the poeta mariposa says in ode to the diasporican - yo no naci en puerto , puerto rico nacio en mi. I know many a Nuyorican , I happen to be one, who do go back to the island often and not just to party , but to be with family and reconnect. I know many a Nuyorican , myself included who understand the cultural and political realities of the island because many of us still have families their. So I agree with your assessment of the commercialization and commodification of Rican culture. I think that is a consequence of colonialism. But I don't think it is fair to lump all Nuyoricans together and stereotype. That kind of divide and conquer attitude doesn't serve us as a people and benefits the colonizer.

well put. thank you.

i appologize for generalizing. our exposure to off-islanders is limited to the vacation crowd.

after a little more thot, i think that the actual party represents the culture more than anything. on vieques we look for any reason to throw a big party. a three-year-old's birthday will bring out over 100 people and the partys go all night.

celebration is an art here actually. people definitely have more fun and enjoy themselves in PR than any party or celebration i've been to in the states.

well, thank you again.

The way holidays are celebrated on the island is one of the reasons I try to spend all my navidades with my familia over there on la isla.

"Sadly" there were sexual assaults?! Over 50 women and girls were sexually assaulted. That makes me outraged and despaired. Sad is far too mild a word for the emotions one should feel about those crimes.

You're right. That isn't a strong enough word and for that I apologize. I have written about the sexual assaults that took place and in fact was active in speaking out against them and also how those assaults were used against Latino communities as an excuse for further racial profiling. I think that's part of the reason why I didn't go into it in this post, because of the complicated nature of how the sexual assaults were played out in the media and in different communities.