Puerto Rice History

For most of its history, Puerto Rico has been controlled by an outside power, and its people oppressed. While Puerto Rico is currently a U.S. territory, Spanish colonialism has had a significant impact on the island’s development and identity. The history of the island itself is proof of this fact, demonstrating each step Puerto Rico took to reach its current state. By examining the stages of Spanish control that Puerto Rico experienced, we can determine how each stage affected the structure and identity of Puerto Rico.

Two other aspects of the Spanish and Puerto Rican culture are their governments and food. Spain and Puerto Rico have two different types of government. Spain’s government has both a parliamentary government and constitutional monarchy (Pena, 2012). Puerto Rica happens to be a commonwealth island of the United States (Puerto Rico, 2012). The influence on food found within Spain and Puerto Rico comes from many different backgrounds. Spain’s food background is influenced by the Roman, Greek, Celtic, Jewish, and Muslim backgrounds (Pena, 2012). Puerto Rican food comes from the influences of the Taino Indian, Spanish, African, and U.S. American peoples. Not only can similarities be found with the family unit, religion, and traditions. They are also found within the government and food within the countries.

It is not uncommon that you’ll hear Puerto Ricans refer to themselves as the mutts of the Spanish community, this is because of the island’s history. Soon after Christopher Columbus “discovered” the island in 1493, it became known as the “rich port” for the Spanish or Puerto Rico, due to the fact that it produced mass amounts of cattle, sugar cane, tobacco, and coffee, especially considering the island’s size. Such prosperity and wealth opened the door for the slave trade to enter the colony, and as a result Puerto Rican bloodlines and cultures evolved not only from the Spanish, but also from Africans, and indigenous Taíno and Carib people (“Puerto Rico- History and Heritage”). In addition, over the centuries many failed attempts where made by the French, Dutch, and English to conquer the island which even further changed the bloodlines. Of course, as history has it, at the end of the Spanish American war in 1898, the Treaty of Paris declared the the Spanish would surrender Puerto Rico to the United States, therefore infiltrating American culture and beauty ideals.

Puerto Ricans are another major Hispanic group that has also arrived to the U.S and brought less work for Americans. Puerto Ricans' current association with the United States, like that of the Mexican people, began as the result of the outcome of a war. The island of Borinquen, subsequently called Puerto Rico, was claimed by Spain in 1493. The native inhabitants, the Taino Indians, were significantly reduced in number by conquest, slavery, and genocide. (Schaefer, R. 2006, p.266). After Puerto Rico had been ruled by Spain for four centuries, the island was seized by the United States in 1808 during the Spanish-American War. The value of Puerto Rico for the United States, as it had been for Spain, was mainly its strategic location, which was advantageous for maritime trade. (Schaefer, R. 2006, p.226). The most significant difference between the meaning of race in Puerto Rico and on the mainland is that Puerto Rico, like so many other

Puerto Rico has variety of Spanish food that make you go there. Puerto Rico’s food is one of the best reasons to visit the island. It is diverse, rich, and flavorful with a combination of rice, beans, meat and fish fried. Puerto Rico cooking is somewhat similar to both Spanish and other Hispanic cuisines. It’s

To compare the similarities and differences between California and Puerto Rico you would have to fully understand how they both work. How they were made, what the laws are, and how exactly the government functions. Many people know that Puerto Rico is a U.S Territory, although many people do not exactly know what that means. A territory is defined as an area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler or state. The ruler for this specific territory is whomever the president of the United States is at the time. These territories are not single states and do not fall under the same jurisdiction as the states do. They have their own government that U.S. helps them run.

Are they Puerto Rico citizens or simply just United States citizens inhabited on the caribbean island? Puerto Ricans are actually required to pay many of the same federal taxes as United States citizens. “Considering Commonwealth government has their own set of laws, Puerto Ricans are still required to pay

Puerto Rico would get 2 senate seats, 5 in house reps & Puerto Ricans would be able to vote for the president. Puerto Rico would have lots of economic growth. Puerto Ricans businesses don’t pay corporate taxes. So the U.S would benefit & P.R. Puerto Rico has a debt of over 70 billion dollars. That’s a lot of money for a little island. So if Puerto Rico became a state It would slowly go away because it would be getting a extra 20 billion dollars. Puerto Rico’s economy isn’t growing because businesses don’t want to open up on the island. The reason is Puerto Rico doesn’t know if it will stay a commonwealth, become a state, or become independent. So if Puerto Rico became a state, the economic growth would be huge. Right now Puerto Rico’s average salary is around 20,00 dollars a year. If Puerto Rico became a state that average might double. Even though Puerto Ricans would now have to pay full taxes, their salary would go up , that goes to the U.S. but eventually the money goes back to Puerto Rico. That whole system in the end benefits Puerto Rico. It benefits the U.S. also because the U.S. gets a extra 2 billion. That money would eventually pull the U.S out of their debt to (Should Puerto Rico become America’s 51st state?).

In Reproducing Empire, Laura Briggs provides her readers with a very thorough history of the mainland U.S. and Puerto Rican discourses and its authors surrounding Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans, from Puerto Rico's formation in the mainland elite's "mind" as a model U.S. (not) colony in 1898* to its present status as semi-autonomous U.S.

The United States gained Puerto Rico in 1898 through the Treaty of Paris, signed after the Spanish-American. Although the Puerto Rican community initially embraced U.S. intervention in 1898, hoping that the land of the free would finally bring liberty to the island, the following years were full of disillusionment. The sad reality was that the U.S. had no intention of ever giving up control of Puerto Rico because of its strategic location in the Caribbean. The United States government tried to Americanize the island. Which was acceptable for the island in the eyes of the elite until their power was being threatened. The elite’s on the island looked to the Jibaro as their symbol of national identity.

The commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico), known to most Americans as simply Puerto Rico, exists as one of two territories owned by the United States1. Being a territory of the United States, Puerto Ricans possess common citizenship, currency, and defense. However, even though Puerto Ricans are United States citizens they do not pay any kind of federal income taxes. Therefore, they cannot vote in presidential elections. Puerto Rico is under the jurisdiction of the United States customs, and are allowed free movement of people and merchandise with the United States. They have established their own constitution, and have a greater amount of independence than possessions. Although

There are several economic reasons that can be argued against Puerto Rico becoming a state. First, the current unemployment rate is 11.7%, which would rank the highest in the nation. Puerto Rico has the lowest per capita income at around $7000, half of the poorest U.S. state (Mississippi). Thus it would cost the U.S. Government approximately 3-4 billion a year for 10 years to get Puerto Rico up to par with the other states. The 936 tax code, which grants U.S. companies federal tax exemptions for their operations in Puerto Rico,

Latino culture, specifically Puerto-Rican culture has changed through the course of history. Puerto Rico has witnessed a fusion of races and cultures spanning over many years, starting in 1898, after the Spanish-American war. Ultimately, Puerto Rico was annexed to the United States, the Puerto Rican people made United States citizens with limited restrictions and granted commonwealth status. The changes made during those eras did not come without consequences to the Puerto Rican culture. In "Poisoned Story", author Rosario Ferre depicts the political and economic changing norms and tensions between the social classes of the Puerto Rican's culture. In Ferre's story "Poisoned Story" several major themes are prevalent through the story:

Although Puerto Rico is not a foreign country, many Americans think it is and even the President seems of treating it like one. This is because, during the campaign trail, President Trump promised to put America first by slashing foreign aid and scaling back our international commitments. Meanwhile, many Americans think the US government wastes too many taxpayer dollars on aid. Americans believe this money could be invested in health and education in the United States rather than helping the foreign county. And since Puerto Rico is classified as a foreign county, helping has been limited.

Since July 1952, Puerto Rico has been a commonwealth of the U.S, which means that we are colonized under the United States but are still able to be self-governing. Commonwealth is