Summary Of When I Was Puerto Rican By Emerlda Santigo

Like many Puerto Ricans before me, I have questioned my cultural identity. We claim to be a commonwealth, a free associated state, but we are neither free nor a state. This is where our dilemma lies. What are we if not a state? What are we if not free? We are stuck in the middle, we have become a paradox, a contradiction. Now the question here lies: what- or better yet- who are we?

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.

The autobiography When I was Puerto Rican, written by Esmeralda Santiago, tells a story of a poor girl trying to succeed. The settings in this novel have an important influence on Esmeralda. They influence her behavior and change her ideals as an adult. Negi goes through many changes based on the challenges she faces by moving to new locations where society is different. All of these changes allow her to become a stronger person. When she lives in El Mangle, Negi has to face extreme prejudice against her upbringing as a jibara. When she leaves Puerto Rico to move to Brooklyn, she is forced to face an entirely different society. All of these events that took place in Esmeralda’s childhood had a significant impact in shaping her into an adult.

In "A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood," Judith Cofer accomplishes three powerful achievements: she gives details on the stories of her family experiences, shows her family stories in a strong imaginative language, and points out how family stories can take over a person's life. This essay seems to be very tricky because she goes from one story to another. Cofer's claim would be very difficult to understand if she started with one story; instead, she should finish explaining the initial story before moving on to the next one. Instead, Cofer shows how a woman can potentially go crazy if her man mistreats her.

Minority struggle to break free from poverty, due to systematic oppression and racism established in America. There is an odd belief that granting minorities rights would allow them to be on the same playing field as the majorities. However, the various death and injustice sentencing that has occurred for decades, proves civil rights were not the only problem. Pedro Pietri’s Puerto Rican Obituary and Wanda Coleman’s South Central Los Angeles Death Trip, 1982 both shed light on what minorities face, with some stylistic differences.

Slavery was brought to America in the 1600’s taking millions of Africans from West Africa. But in 1804 the North voted to abolish slavery but the South refused making states escape the union.Slavery in the South had an effect on the economy, but also on the slaves.Frederick Douglass, who was once a slave with his family in Maryland suffered greatly, but still pushed on and finally escaped and became a national leader of the abolition in the south movement.He made a narrative about his life as a slave and stated that the purpose of the narrative is to “throw light” on the American slave system.The goal of this paper is to discuss three aspects his narrative discusses that he “throws light” on, his position against the feelings of defenders of

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” This famous quote is from a speech given by one of America’s most influential abolitionist speakers, Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery, this great American leader led a life many of us would find impossible to bear. After gaining his freedom from slavery, Douglass shared his stories through impressive speeches and vivid autobiographies, which helped America move forward as a country liberated from racial inequality. Although Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave allows readers to understand what life was like for slaves in antebellum America, the most important and relevant lesson to take away from this narrative today is the importance of perseverance. Douglass’s courage to resist and learn paired with his determination to keep his faith and ultimately find himself, is something to which people from every culture and time period can relate.

Another large component of Puerto Ricanness is Race. All of the different cultures that have throughout history combined to form Puerto Rico effect their nationality, history, lifestyles, traditions, music, and foods.

Boriqua! is a commonly used term among the people of Puerto Rico when referring to themselves or their country. Puerto Rico, formerly known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a U.S. Territory. It is a small island, only 100 miles long and 35 miles wide, located in the Caribbean Ocean. It is about 1,000 miles off the tip of Florida in between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands. The climate is tropical and mild with little variation in the seasonal temperature. The country is composed of one large island and many smaller islands. Puerto Rico is home to 3.6 million people, and its capital city San Juan is home to almost 400,000 people. Spanish and English are the two main languages spoken. The country is one of few in the world that is officially bilingual (NationFacts). The term boricua is linked with Puerto Rico 's native heritage. The word comes from Boriken, the Taíno word for the island (NationFacts), the Great Land of the Valiente and Noble Lord (prfdance.org).

What's a common location that comes up in discussion when someone thinks of a destination to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the Main land of the United States? Normally Puerto Rico isn't too far away from conversation. Puerto Rico is a beautiful place with the perfect climate and many historical sites to take that getaway that you have always wanted. Today we will discuss major issues in/of Puerto Rico, the significance of this research and data sources, and lastly I will describe the data collected and research found during my inquiry on the region known as Puerto Rico

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, brings to light many of the social injustices that colored men, women, and children all were forced to endure throughout the nineteenth century under Southern slavery laws. Douglass's life-story is presented in a way that creates a compelling argument against the justification of slavery. His argument is reinforced though a variety of anecdotes, many of which detailed strikingly bloody, horrific scenes and inhumane cruelty on the part of the slaveholders. Yet, while Douglas’s narrative describes in vivid detail his experiences of life as a slave, what Douglass intends for his readers to grasp after reading his narrative is something much more profound. Aside from all the

The historians Lynn Thomas and Laura Briggs explore how the colonial state attempted to control women’s bodies and reproductive capacities in Kenya and Puerto Rico. Thomas focuses on the concern of British colonial officers in Kenya, particularly in the Meru tribe, about low birthrates. The British Empire felt that it was part of their humanitarian obligation as colonizers to ensure the health of women and their babies, discourage abortion, and encourage reproduction. In Puerto Rico, Briggs traces the fear of sexually transmitted diseases, over-population and eventually over-sterilization. The United States was first concerned about various diseases that their soldiers would pick up from prostitutes in Puerto Rico, and then their worry

At that point, you’ve realized those edler men have been craving for someone to listen to the laments of their precious homeland. If you’re just there for the attractions, then maybe you should respectfully say your goodbyes and be on your way to the next place on the list. But if you’re really curious about what’s just below the surface, then you sit down on the cement benches in front of the fountain and listen.

One of the most interesting and exciting places I have had the pleasure of visiting was the Island of Puerto Rico. Getting on the plane and arriving on the island was the easy part, but learning to navigate the island and getting reliable transportation was a whole other ball game.

Throughout our lifetimes we are encouraged and discouraged through the experiences of our elders. The story, “A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood,” by Judith Cofer portrays how elders teach life lessons through cultural storytelling. Mama, the grandmother, narrates a true life story to her family. As the family women, who include Aunt Laura, sit in rocking chairs, Mama narrates the tragic story of Maria La Loca, a once beautiful young lady who fell victim to a hombre’s promise of love. This story is both a teaching and warning to all the women and girls.