Spotlight on... #12 Puerto Rico Pennsylvania State University SPAN 131
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Course
SPAN 131
Institution
SPAN 131
“¡Yo soy boricua, pa’ que tú lo sepas!”
1. Puerto Rican Pride: Taínos
a. Puerto Rican Day Parade
i. Everyone is dressed in the colors of the flag, red, blue, and white.
ii. The history of the ancestors resonates with the citizens in Puerto Rico and instills the Puerto
Rican pride – ...
1. Puerto Rican Pride: Taínos
a. Puerto Rican Day Parade
i. Everyone is dressed in the colors of the flag, red, blue, and white.
ii. The history of the ancestors resonates with the citizens in Puerto Rico and instills the Puerto
Rican pride – it’s a feeling.
b. Taínos
i. The ingenious people of Puerto Rico – mixed with Black, Spanish, Irish, German, and more.
ii. When Christopher Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico in 1493, he was welcomed by a 4,000-year-
old native culture, the Taínos.
1. They had their own religion and government, were skilled famers, expert fishermen and
navigators of the seas.
2. In the 1500s, they created a dance for the reason of passing time.
iii. When the Spaniards began to rape the Taíno women and enslaving them to mine gold, that is
when the Taínos fought back.
1. The Spaniards were strong and took over – calling the island Puerto Rico (rich port),
making Spanish was the official language and catholic the official religion.
2. Facing Adversity
a. In 1898, Puerto Rico came as a gift to America during the Spanish-American War.
b. Puerto Rico today is like a colony, it is not a state, but it is not a country. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth.
i. This confusion makes Americans believe that Puerto Ricans are immigrants.
c. Puerto Ricans were seen as if they came from the jungle, and that they were inferior to Americans.
d. America’s Conquest of Puerto Rico
i. The island was turned into a military base and sugar plantation.
ii. Many people were taken out of their land, making the cities over crowded and increasing the
poverty level.
1. Today, close to 50% of the island lives in poverty.
iii. Although the Puerto Ricans could die for the President in the army to make money, they cannot
vote for the President.
3. Operation Bootstrap
a. Operation Bootstrap was to lure American industry to the island, but also send Puerto Ricans to the states.
i. Since they were U.S. citizens, there was no complications in having them move to America to
work on the farms.
ii. In the 1950s, close to half a million Puerto Ricans left for the U.S.
4. Nuyoricans
a. Puerto Ricans who have settled in New York became known as Nuyoricans.
b. This was difficult because English was not their first language, and they typically lived in poverty ridden
areas like the Bronx.
i. Also, Nuyoricans had to fight segregation form being considered darker skinned.\
5. Pedro Albizu Campos
a. A Puerto Rican hero – he spent his life fighting for the life of Puerto Ricans.
i. A Puerto Rican Harvard graduate of African decent
b. In 1930, Pedro became president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and pleaded for independence and
civil rights.
c. In 1935, police open fire to a group of protesters at the University of Puerto Rico.
i. In retaliation, a cop was assassinated along with his assailants.
d. In 1937, the government responded by arresting Pedro Campos.
i. These events sparked a massive massacre killing 21 and wounding over 200.
e. The song the nationalists played that day is not the Puerto Rican national anthem.
i. Since this became a revolutionary tune, it was illegal and repressed during this time of
independence.
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