P.O. Boxes? The Puerto Rico assessment
I really miss Puerto Rico; and my family. After coming back to Boston I feel so out of place. Every other word that comes out of my mouth is in Spanish, and I miss that need to speak half Spanish half English. I also miss the people there. Everything is more relaxed although they drive like they have to get some place in .01 seconds it's still different in Puerto Ricans are much more compassionate to others than the majority of Americans.
I did the typical tourists things because the last time I went to Puerto Rico was when I was 10, and at the time we went, Old San Juan was closed off due to the filming of the movie Assassin. I fell in love with Puerto Rico again, and it made me realize how proud I was of being Puerto Rican. My cousin Jean Carlos and I got in a discussion about how most Americans get intimidated by those who show pride in being something than just American. He had a bad experience of the states when he lived in Georgia because many thought they were Mexicans, and faced many racial battles. My first thought was "duh" it's the South. Then it made me realize how much it must suck to live down there. I told him come to Boston. I mean you'll find closed minded assholes here too, but people are a bit more tolerable than down South where the Confederate flag is still being raised.
I also did not like what my cousin Rosie was telling me about some immigration happening in Puerto Rico. Apparently Dominicans come illegally to Puerto Rico, and stay illegally in Puerto Rico. Border patrol will only do so much since it is only a territory, but only about 20% of the other 80% attempted immigrants coming to Puerto Rico don't get caught by Border Patrol so I suppose they are doing something about it. This bothers me though and I guess Americans wouldn't fully understand except they'd get pissed off about other immigrants coming to America because it's land of opportunities. Well so is Puerto Rico. People born in Puerto Rico are born as U.S. citizens and given a social security number when born...basically the same shit as in America. So why shouldn't Puerto Ricans and other Americans get pissed that Dominicans first get on Puerto Rico illegally then come to the U.S. and play themselves as Puerto Ricans because they speak Spanish anyways? Maybe I'm being defensive because I don't want my culture spoiled by Dominicans. Seriously though I know I'm not the only Latina who would get pissed off about others coming to take advantage of my culture and defacing that country/islands history. To me it's just not right, and I hate how they have already messed up some areas of the island.
Another thing that makes me sad is Puerto Rico might finally become a state which changes MANY things in Puerto Rico. For one English would have to be the primary language in Puerto Rico, and that irritates me. Our culture would be washed up by generic American traditions. I don't know how Hawaii has handled that transition and whether their culture has been washed up altogether, but I don't want that to happen. My mom says it won't happen, but apparently Congress is giving Puerto Rico only 2 options next time they ever vote on the situation, and the last time they voted was in 2002. In 2002 they had 3 choices; Independence, Statehood, or Territory. Puerto Ricans voted Territory avoiding being washed down culturally as a state, and not fucking themselves by gaining independence. The problem about independence is maybe just MAYBE Puerto Rico could run as an independent country, but after 56 years of having help from the U.S. there is no way Puerto Ricans will ever get used to its own government system, currency, laws, education, etc. So as you can guess the only 2 options that will be put on a ballot if that day ever comes is...Independence or Statehood. I know mi gente in Borinquen are not that stupid to see Puerto Rico is not the island it is with out the U.S. governments financial help (whatever little money that is like what a freakin' dollar?) plus territory incentives that comes with being a U.S. territory. This one really takes the cookie.
For now though I will enjoy mi orgullo of being Puerto Rican, and I will always wave that flag first before an American flag. I'm sorry, but same colors, same concept, different raza.
I did the typical tourists things because the last time I went to Puerto Rico was when I was 10, and at the time we went, Old San Juan was closed off due to the filming of the movie Assassin. I fell in love with Puerto Rico again, and it made me realize how proud I was of being Puerto Rican. My cousin Jean Carlos and I got in a discussion about how most Americans get intimidated by those who show pride in being something than just American. He had a bad experience of the states when he lived in Georgia because many thought they were Mexicans, and faced many racial battles. My first thought was "duh" it's the South. Then it made me realize how much it must suck to live down there. I told him come to Boston. I mean you'll find closed minded assholes here too, but people are a bit more tolerable than down South where the Confederate flag is still being raised.
I also did not like what my cousin Rosie was telling me about some immigration happening in Puerto Rico. Apparently Dominicans come illegally to Puerto Rico, and stay illegally in Puerto Rico. Border patrol will only do so much since it is only a territory, but only about 20% of the other 80% attempted immigrants coming to Puerto Rico don't get caught by Border Patrol so I suppose they are doing something about it. This bothers me though and I guess Americans wouldn't fully understand except they'd get pissed off about other immigrants coming to America because it's land of opportunities. Well so is Puerto Rico. People born in Puerto Rico are born as U.S. citizens and given a social security number when born...basically the same shit as in America. So why shouldn't Puerto Ricans and other Americans get pissed that Dominicans first get on Puerto Rico illegally then come to the U.S. and play themselves as Puerto Ricans because they speak Spanish anyways? Maybe I'm being defensive because I don't want my culture spoiled by Dominicans. Seriously though I know I'm not the only Latina who would get pissed off about others coming to take advantage of my culture and defacing that country/islands history. To me it's just not right, and I hate how they have already messed up some areas of the island.
Another thing that makes me sad is Puerto Rico might finally become a state which changes MANY things in Puerto Rico. For one English would have to be the primary language in Puerto Rico, and that irritates me. Our culture would be washed up by generic American traditions. I don't know how Hawaii has handled that transition and whether their culture has been washed up altogether, but I don't want that to happen. My mom says it won't happen, but apparently Congress is giving Puerto Rico only 2 options next time they ever vote on the situation, and the last time they voted was in 2002. In 2002 they had 3 choices; Independence, Statehood, or Territory. Puerto Ricans voted Territory avoiding being washed down culturally as a state, and not fucking themselves by gaining independence. The problem about independence is maybe just MAYBE Puerto Rico could run as an independent country, but after 56 years of having help from the U.S. there is no way Puerto Ricans will ever get used to its own government system, currency, laws, education, etc. So as you can guess the only 2 options that will be put on a ballot if that day ever comes is...Independence or Statehood. I know mi gente in Borinquen are not that stupid to see Puerto Rico is not the island it is with out the U.S. governments financial help (whatever little money that is like what a freakin' dollar?) plus territory incentives that comes with being a U.S. territory. This one really takes the cookie.
For now though I will enjoy mi orgullo of being Puerto Rican, and I will always wave that flag first before an American flag. I'm sorry, but same colors, same concept, different raza.