The puerto rican culture has proven to be a melting pot of european, indigenous, and african cultures. Puerto rican nationalism and the drift towards statehood. Its known for its charismatic beauty and pleasing climate. It was such nationalistic sentiments, indeed, that inspired puerto rican. Englishspeaking caribbean during the twentieth century. As a result, puerto rican bloodlines and culture evolved through a mixing.
Rico from making commercial treaties with other nations or setting its own tariffs. Nov 06, 2007 puerto rico s cities and towns enjoy vibrant cultural lives rooted in their many museums and cultural institutions. Puerto rico is an island in the caribbean, a territory of the united states, but home to a vibrant culture that mixes elements of native american, european american, and african influences. It became known as puerto rico after 1521, when the city of san juan had been founded and given the islands original name. Puerto rican culture puerto rican culture research papers discuss the history that makes up the culture of puerto rico. The influence is pervasive in puerto rico s cuisine, architecture, dance, music, art, and literature.
Culture is a series of visual manifestations and interactions with the environment that make a region andor a group of people different from the rest of the world. Traces islands political trajectory in its relations with us pt. Puerto rico is a beautiful country with rich cultural diversity. Thus begins this major examination of cultural nationalism as a political construct involving party ideologies, corporate economic goals, and grassroots cultural groups. As we teach the traditional music and dances of the puerto rico, we also teach the history and cultural significance behind them. Nov 06, 2007 puerto rico began to produce cattle, sugar cane, coffee and tobacco, which led to the importation of slaves from africa. Negotiating empire the cultural politics of schools in puerto rico, 18981952 solsiree del moral a new look at puerto rican approaches to public education in colonial schools during the first half of the twentieth century. Puerto rico in a historical and cultural context 123 help me. In just over 500 years, puerto rico has gone through many social, cultural, economic, and political changes.
Puerto rico is a territory of the united states, but the islands ambiguous status in relation to the united states has driven heated debate over the years between those who support its. The influence is pervasive in puerto ricos cuisine, architecture, dance, music, art, and literature. Puerto rico in a historical and cultural context by tracing the roots of puerto rican development from the spanish invasion to today, one can see the influence of the dominant power in the interaction between different races of puerto rico, effecting how they viewed each other, and themselves. It analyzes how and why puerto ricans have maintained a clear sense of distinctiveness in the face of direct and indirect pressures on their identity. Jul 01, 1983 the people of puerto rico today are caught in a centuriesold dilemma of identity. Im a puerto rican studying the history of the island and this is the best book out there by far yes i have several others which provides many facts going back to the days of the arawak and following through to fairly.
On the contrary, jorge duany, a professor of anthropology at the university of puerto rico in rio piedras, explains that puerto ricans imagine themselves as a nation although they do so despite the lack of a strong movement to create. Puerto rico is the only rumproducer in the world to maintain a minimum aging law for its rum. The politics of puerto rico take place in the framework of a democratic republic form of government that is under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the united states as an organized unincorporated territory. See the puerto rico research suggestions and resources and possible student readings on puerto rico to assist students in their research. By cruz miguel ortiz cuadra find, read and cite all the research you need. Now everybody loves puerto rican culture, says a puerto rican schoolteacher and festival organizer, but thats exactly the problem. Culture is a series of visual manifestations and interactions with the environment that make a region and or a group of people different from the rest of the world. Puerto rican culture a melting pot of influential lifestyles.
It is our history, it is our cultural affirmation, it is a declaration, it is a term of. Puerto rico cultural destinations travel smithsonian. Manny ortega, who has devoted a large part of his life to political activism, remarked, its difficult to put it into wordsbut you get a sense of enrichment from puerto rican cultureyou just feel proud. Statehood issue stirs passions about puerto rican identity. In 1869, political parties began to form on the island, and in 1873 the monarchy was replaced by a republic in spain. Puerto rico at the dawn of the modern age, contains firstperson accounts, political writings, and histories drawn from the library of congress s general collections. Events and classes are held at the dance center on a regular basis. History of puerto rico christopher columbus reached the island and claimed it for spain on november 19, 1493. The political and cultural conflict between the united states and puerto rico.
In contrast, puerto rico continues to be the unwanted child that is more of a nuisance and for. Pedreiras interpretation of puerto rican culture, 1980. One year after the united states invasion of the island, dr. The current status of puerto rico, an unincorporated territory of the u. Starting from a definition of culture that emphasizes its material elementsas opposed to the semiotic approach used by clifford geertz and other social scientiststhis paper examines united states cultural influences in the commonwealth caribbean. Puerto rico has a history of blending that dates back to columbus, and the spanish. Puerto rican culture research papers on the history of. The early history of puerto rico is monopolized by a number of different indigenous tribes. Puerto rico has been described as a melting pot of cultures due to the influence of different cultures like spanish, taino indians, and africa. In what is a culmination of this art history, one of the latest works is in the capitol san juan. Puerto ricos legal and political status has not, however, precluded the development of a national ethos. While the island has been influenced by many different cultures, the dominant cultural force on the island is spanish. Although puerto rico had just begun its experiment with selfgovernment granted by the spanish rulers in 1897, its citizens initially greeted the transfer of ultimate authority from spain to the united states in 1898 with much enthusiasm because of the promise of the expansion of american democratic values and economic development. The spaniards enslaved the tainos who were the native inhabitants of the island and many of them died as a result of the cruel treatment that they had received.
Political parties of puerto rico, founded 1898 through 1945. After gaining sovereignty over puerto rico from spain in 1898, the united states undertook a sustained campaign to americanize. Puerto ricos history dates all the way back to the days of christopher columbus when he landed on the island in 1493 and claimed the territory. Thus was the beginning of spains 400 year rule and influence on puerto rico. Through the study of puerto rico, the book investigates and challenges the widelyheard argument that the inevitable result of the export of u. Additionally, puerto ricos status as a commonwealth of the united states has resulted in american cultural influences. Puerto rico is not a nationstate, not an independent country, but still it has its own history, language, territory, culture and autonomy, said jorge duany, a dean and anthropologist at the university of puerto rico at rio piedras. This article posits that puerto ricos colonial statusparticularly its intrinsic legal and social constructs of secondclass citizenship for puerto ricansis incompatible with contemporary law or a. Congress ultimate power in the making of laws and trade relations affecting the puerto rican people. The history of puerto rico began with the settlement of the archipelago of puerto rico by the ortoiroid people between 3,000 and 2,000 bc.
The earliest political and sociocultural organizations stem from these encounters and indicate close connections between cuba and puerto rico. The puerto rican political economy james dietz latin american. Theres a new kid on the block cuba has become the darling of us economic and political interests. Christopher columbus landed in puerto rico in 1493, during his second voyage, naming it san juan bautista. United states cultural influences on the english speaking. Puerto rican nationalism and the drift towards statehood coha.
The puerto rican political economy james dietz latin. The tainos, the indigenous people, called the island boriquen tierra del alto senor land of the noble lord. The migration of the nomadic arawak peoples in 300 ad from present day venezuela began the next chapter in puerto rico history, before they were either replaced or adapted to include the first longstanding group of people to live on puerto rico. Explores how local political elites have shaped puerto rican identity during almost a century of us involvement. A brief history of the afroborincano by tony the marine santiago black history in puerto rico initially began with the african freeman who arrived with the spanish conquistadors. Hispaniola lies west of puerto rico and includes presentday haiti and the dominican republic.
Puerto rico, without a doubt has several unique characteristics that distinguish our culture from any other. Puerto rico began to produce cattle, sugar cane, coffee and tobacco, which led to the importation of slaves from africa. Taino indians who inhabited the territory, called the island boriken or borinquen which means. Puerto rico case study 2 introduction no area of the world has gone through more globalization in a short period of time than the small island of puerto rico.
In this nonpartisan text, arturo morales carrion discusses the islands social, institutional, and cultural evolution and provides a historical perspective on all political positions. The university of puerto rico library system 1903 is the islands main library, with more than four million holdings. The history of puerto rico, from the spanish discovery to. The first arawaks, the archaic indians from venezuela, are believed to have been in puerto rico as early as 4500 b. Cesar ayala and rafael bernabe, puerto rico in the american century. A political and cultural history, which he edited, is the latest example of that effort, a book written by puerto ricans who want to bring their outlook and scholarship to the. The ancient history of puerto rico begins with the ancient amerindians that first made the island their home. Pages in category political history of puerto rico the following 54 pages are in this category, out of 54 total. Pdf on dec 1, 2014, melissa fuster and others published eating puerto rico. Other tribes, such as the saladoid and arawak native puerto ricans, populated the island between 430 bc and ad. Additionally, puerto rico s status as a commonwealth of the united states has resulted in american cultural influences. See more ideas about puerto ricans, puerto rican culture and puerto rico history. Puerto rico and the united states in search of a national. Jun 22, 2009 8 poetry has played an important role in puerto ricos cultural and social history manuel a.
This article posits that puerto ricos colonial statusparticularly its intrinsic legal and social constructs of secondclass citizenship for puerto ricansis incompatible with contemporary law or a sensible theory ofjustice and morality. Footnotes general sources defining puerto ricos political parties, including visual interpretations, are available in richard e. Today this word used in various modifications is still popularly used to designate the people and island of puerto rico. Political parties of puerto rico, founded 1898 through. Puerto rico has 500 years of history and culture that has produced many works of fine art. Most of puerto ricos cultural institutions, including its major universities and libraries, are concentrated in the san juan area. Since the 1898 invasion of puerto rico by the united states during the spanishamerican war, politics in puerto rico have been significantly shaped by its status as territory of the. In san juan, the casals museum celebrates cellist pablo casals, whose life and. He named it san juan bautista and while the islands name was eventually changed the capital, san juan, is a reminder of the past.
During the first half of the 16th century, although remnants of the taino culture remain today, the population was diminished and diluted by the spanish conquest and the subsequent consequences of war, slavery, disease, intermarriage, and migration to other territories. Puerto rico history and heritage travel smithsonian. Puerto ricos history the christian science monitor. The puerto rican political economy james dietz latin american perspectives, vol. What impact has puerto rico had on the united states. The people of puerto rico today are caught in a centuriesold dilemma of identity. A cultural publication for puerto ricans index page credits 2 puerto rican poem 2 visit puerto ricotrivia, refranes 3. Puerto rican culture is somewhat complex others will call it colorful. The materials in the collection, published between 1831 and 1929, portray the early history of.