Coca Cola and Coco Frio

In the end of the poem, Espada makes it clear to show that the speaker has come to a full-realization of his family and the culture they are neglecting. Espada describes a scene where, “So many coconuts in the trees sagged heavy with milk, swollen and unsuckled.” For the speaker to witness “so many coconuts” not being used to serve their purpose, is saddening. Espada makes it clear to see that the native people of Puerto Rico are taking for granted their natural gifts for a processed product. Not only are they taking for granted the coconuts, a fruit that is natural, unprocessed, and healthy, but they are also neglecting their own cultural roots. The people are so consumed in entertaining themselves through this commercialized product that they are forgetting the true beauty surrounding them and do not realize the actual harm they are doing. Not only to themselves but also to the land that lies right in front of them. The speaker in the poem also makes it sound like a child neglecting his mother's own milk for something that already comes pre-made in a bottle. The mother is able to provide something fresh and nurturing but the child, or the natives, choose to drink a foreign

Puerto Rico is an island that is impacted by not having enough land for cultivation. The Three thousand four hundred and ninety-two square miles of this island is about seventy-five percent hills or mountains (Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States b). With the large amount of land consisting of hill or mountains, Puerto Rico has limited amounts of natural resources. While under Spanish colonial rule, the island was largely neglected because of its limited mineral resources. Following the Spanish-American war in 1898, the U.S. took over control of the island. The U.S. found itself in control of an island that produced small scale amounts of sugar and coffee. The U.S would then expand the sugarcane operations and establish markets to use as a viable trade resource.

1899 marked the year when America set its sites from the Spanish to the First Philippine Republic plunging American into yet another war ending with the temporary annexation of the Philippine Islands spreading American imperialism to the Far East. Within one year of winning their independence from

10, 1898), Spain renounced all claim to Cuba, ceded Guam and Puerto Rico to the United States, and transferred sovereignty over the Philippines to the United States for $20 million.” Cuba also became an United States protectorate. The treaty ended up causing a heated debate in the U.S. However, there were Philippine insurgents who fought the Spanish rule in the war who quickly turned against the new residents. Almost 10 times more American lives were lost subduing the insurgents than in beating the Spanish. “Nevertheless, President McKinley's expansionist policies were supported by the American public, who seemed more than willing to accept the blessings and curses of their new expanding empire.”

The United States gained control of the island of Puerto Rico as a result of the Spanish American war in 1898, claiming its intention to "free" the island from Spanish colonialism. When the United States took possession of the island, Puerto Rico became merely that, a controlled possession given little or insignificant power in many facets of Puerto Rican life. In a matter of a few months, Puerto Rico moved from being a Spanish possession to an American one, and this changing of hands had many implications on the status of Puerto Rico, politically economically, and socially.

The Spanish-American war occurred in 1898 between the United States and Spain where the U. S. interrupted Cuba’s struggle for independence which resulted into the Philippine revolution. Some historians explain that the war publicized by the Hearst and Pulitzer newspapers which blame the sinking of the ship U. S. Maine on Spain, which had been sent to protect America’s interest and Americans living there. There was rising pressure on Congress to push the President to retaliate and go to war with Spain, but the main reason was for Cuba to gain their independence from the Spanish colonization. By defending their move they said that Spain attacked them first. The U. S. came out by using strategy to impose a naval blockade of Cuba and attack the Spanish Navy in the Philippines which was successful. (America goes to war, 2016). The war ended as a result of a treaty signed in Paris which allowed the U. S. to have provisional authority over Cuba took over Guam, Puerto Rico and purchased the Philippine Islands for $20,000,000. (America as World Power, 2016) The U.S. emerged from that war as a world power.

The Spanish-American war of 1898, although short in duration, effected policy in the United States for years to come. As part of the Treaty of Paris, the United States acquired Puerto Rico and the Pacific island of Guam while Spain granted independence to Cuba (Divine 694). The United States demanded the Philippines as a condition of peace and quickly attempted to annex the islands (Pearson 19). This led to the Philippine-American War which lasted three years and claimed many lives on both sides.

Puerto Rico, whose word meaning is “rich port” in Spanish, is a beautiful Island located in the middle of the Caribbean. Its strategic location made it a must have territory to the Spaniards who colonized it over four hundred years before the United States took a special interest. It all started in the year 1898, with the Treaty of Paris Puerto Rico now is property of the United States. After centuries of being led by Sevilla and Madrid, Puerto Rico was now forced to look upon Washington. The series of events leading the Spanish-American War changed Puerto Rico permanently. From changing the Island’s name from Porto Rico to Puerto Rico to Americanizing the Puerto Rican people in all ways possible, the acquisition of Puerto Rico from the United States had numerous economic, social and political impacts.

Tensions between the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Cuba had always been apparent due to the United States heavy involvement within the countries. However, our nation also had a tendency to turn the other cheek if the issue Cuba had been dealing with was in favor of the United States. Though Cuba was economically doing very well, their political system was in turmoil with itself. This made them vulnerable to attack, and the U.S. took advantage of this. After the U.S.S. Maine was attacked in the Spanish-American war, the United States entered, and demolished. We did not suffer nearly as many casualties as those of the Spanish army. Many Cubans migrated to the U.S., but found a large portion of their natural rights taken by new acts and regimes. Puerto

In 1898 the United States declared war on Spain after the sinking of the Battleship Maine in Havana harbor. Although there were many reasons as to why the war was fought, the main one was the acquisition of territories within South America. The war soon came to be known as “The Splendid Little War” to many because of all the benefits that came from fighting it for the United States, all the while not having many sacrifices in return. During this time period, the United States also went to war with the Philippines, although it is very often forgotten because of how horrible our troops handled the situation of their supposed liberation. Back in the time right before the Spanish-American war, Spain was pretty much conquering as many countries

The experience Puerto Rice has had in the few thousands has been rough to say. They have been under the control of two separate countries. Their native people practically extinct, and they still cannot again their own independence till this day like they had 5,000 years ago. To understand the history of Puerto Rico and how they became a part of the United States, you have to go back a few thousand years. There is not much ancient history surrounding present day Puerto Rico as there is with the ancient empires such as the Mayans, Aztecs, and the Incas. There are some scholars that suggest that a tribe of Ortoiroid people who came from South America arrived and inhabited the land, dating back to about 4,000 years ago. The more known history

At the beginning the Spanish thought that the US would invade Cuba. But they were wrong, Because the first battle to ever happen took place in a Spanish colony on the other side of the world. On the Philippines. The second war happened in the Caribbeans, after that the Americans troops invaded Puerto Rico on July 25. In 1898 both the United States and Spain met in Paris to agree on a treaty. While talking Spain freed Cuba and turned over the islands of Guam in the Pacific and Puerto Rico in the West Indies to the United States. Spain also sold the Philippines to the US for $20 million. The treaty of Paris is what ended the Spanish American

The battle took place on May 1, 1898 in Manila, Philippines. America, led by Commodore George Dewey, defeated the Spanish Army that was led by Contraalmirante Patricio Montojo. The battle demonstrated how strong America’s military force was compared to Spain. Further along in the war, on June 22, 1898, American troops landed in Daiquiri, Cuba. This signified America’s alliance with Cuba and their relationship when it came to overtaking Spain’s rule on the country.

Christopher Columbus discovered this European island, as he landed in Puerto Rico in 1493. This island was then claimed by the Spanish. The island was under a constant ‘fight’ for permanent possession, as Europeans fought for control by the French, English, and Danish. During the 19th century, the Spanish tried to gain full control of this island. In 1811 the governor of Puerto Rico, Don Salvador Melendez sent military commander Juan Ressello to try and gain control of this island. In 1898, after the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico and many offshore islands were given to the United States. The United States used this island for military training, just like the island of Culebra. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States started to reevaluate their controls of military bases on islands. The people of Vieques started to become worried about their own lives, as the Navy would be shooting guns in their island’s home. Vieques did not make this list, so the United States Navy returned the power back to Puerto Rico.

Morales talks about Puerto Rican cultures by explaining what Caribbean people like to do: eat, sing, how they have different ways to dance and enjoy different types of music. “I am Caribeña, island grown. Spanish is in my flesh, ripples from my tongue, lodge in my lodge in my hips; the language of garlic and mangoes, […] (Morales 1174). She associates with those specific tastes and her home culture. Food is an important element of cultural identity.