Puerto Rican National Identity

       Sidney W. Mintz describes the Caribbean as "a scattering of some fifty inhabited units spanning nearly 2, 500 miles of sea between Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and the north coast of South America, constitute the oldest colonial sphere of Western European overseas expansion... these territories were dominated and navigated and explored, their aborigines had been thrust into the consciousness of European monarchs, philosophers, and scientists" (17). The islands in the Caribbean might have some common historical patterns of conquest, slavery and the development of multi-cultural societies but each island has its own history, culture and identity. As part of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico can identify with some of the other Hispanic colonies but in reality the issues of ethnicity, race and nationality are unique in Puerto Rico. In the essay, "Ethnic Conflict and Levels of Identity in the Caribbean: Deconstructing a Myth" Ralph R. Premdas writes, "Ethnic identity emerges from collective group consciousness that imparts a sense of belonging derived from membership in a community bound putatively by common descent and culture... Identity as belonging can be acquired through memberships as various communities bound by one or more social attributes such as race, language, religion, culture, region, etc" (24). The question for Puerto Rico is what is the identity of the people if the island has experienced 400 years of Spanish colonialism and 100 years of US sovereignty? How has and still is American colonial intervention affected or affects Puerto Rican culture? The Puerto Rican national identity has been challenged every since Columbus arrived on the island. To better understand the issues and the changes in identity, we need to divide the history into four parts or as Jose Luis Gonzales puts it in his title Puerto Rico: The Four-Storeyed Country. The first storey deals with the issue of the "first" Puerto Ricans, the mestizo culture of a predominantly Afro Antillean type. The second storey is from the 18th to the 19th century and the second wave of immigration, the third storey deals with the invasion of the United States in 1898 and finally, the fourth storey deals with an advancement American capitalism, industrialization and migration. The United States plays an important role in the issue of Puerto Rican national identity. Nancy Morris in her book Puerto Rico: Culture, Politics and Identity, writes, "The collective identity of Puerto Ricans has been influenced by the island’s relationship with the United States, but Puerto Ricans have retained an identity that is distinct and separate from their sovereign power" (1).

The Taino Indians, The African and The Spanish

The Puerto Rican culture has three historical roots; the Taino Indian, the African and the Spanish. The Africans became the most important for economic and social reasons. As part of the Spanish conquest most of all the Taino Indians were exterminated. Both the Tainos and Africans were trapped in the most oppressed stratum of the social pyramid, this allowed for cultural exchange between the two group. Due to the lack of Spanish woman, the Spanish men also became involved with both the Tainos and Africans. Gonzalez claims that, "when the descendants of the first African slaves had already become black Puerto Ricans... the first Puerto Ricans were in fact black Puerto Ricans" (10). It is interesting to read how the white campesinos which became the first "jibaros" "was a poor peasantry that found itself obliged to adopt many of the life-habits of those other poor people already living in the country, namely the slaves" (10-11). Jibaros began to use guayabera because it was simple, comfortable and cheap unlike the white campesinos, the Spanish landowners, who wore European clothing. At this time Puerto Rico's national culture was evolving like the other Caribbean islands, a popular mestizo culture of a predominantly Afro-Antillean type.

A new wave of immigrant

Gonzales writes, " At the beginning of the nineteenth century, when no one in Puerto Rico was thinking about a "national culture," what one might call a second storey- in social, economic, cultural, and as a result of all these factors, ultimately political terms- was being added on to our national culture" (12). A wave of immigrants from; South America, fleeing from Spanish colonies then fighting for independence; English; French; Dutch; Irish; Corsicans; Majorcans and Catalans began to settle in Puerto Rico. This wave created a second colonization. These immigrants settled in the mountainous central area of the island unlike the first Spanish settlers who settled in the coastal areas. The main crop in the mountainous area was coffee therefore these immigrants became the owners of these plantations allowing them to become rich. Gonzalez writes, "The world of the coffee plantations, in this century mythicized as the epitome of "Puerto Ricaness," was in reality a world dominated by foreigners, whose wealth was founded on the expropriation of the old creole landlords and on the ruthless exploitation of a native campesino-class then existing on a subsistence level" (12). Most of these immigrants were not rich in their own country, some like the Majorcan were converted Jews, the Corsican were peasants in their own country and then in Puerto Rico they became the landowners. How could immigrants which are discriminated against in their own country become privileged minority in Puerto Rico? These are the attitudes that began to form between the new landowners and the social elite in the coastal areas which were descendants of the first settlers. When compared to the social elite of the coastal areas the new immigrants, Gonzales writes, "reveals a class, in social and human terms, that was basically uncultured, arrogant, and conservative, and that despised and oppressed the native poor, and were in turn, hated by them" (13). These attitudes and differences created a divided Puerto Rico.

"Puerto Rico was a country so divided racially, socially, economically, and culturally, that it should rather be described as two countries than as one" (Gonzalez 14). This division makes it hard for everyone to get along and help fuse into a true national synthesis. The division also makes it hard to agree on the final political organization of the country. There was clearly two different societies in Puerto Rico and even amongst the societies there was divisions. The social elite was divided between the plantation-owners and professional men. At this period of time Puerto Rico had some strengths, weakness, immaturity and maturity. What gave some strength and maturity was the fact that the Puerto Ricans had recognized that they all had roots in an old European culture mostly Spanish and they began to put its own creole stamp, in an Hispano-Antillean sense on whatever they produced. As the divisions between all the societies created set backs in the Puerto Rican society it allowed for an American invasion in 1898.

The American Invasion

The American invasion affected the different social classes that composed Puerto Rican society. For example, Gonzalez writes, "the Puerto Rican propertied class welcomed the American invasion when it occurred with open arms. Every political spokesman of that class saw that invasion as bringing to Puerto Rico liberty, democracy, and progress, and as the prelude to the annexation of Puerto Rico by the richest and most powerful… nation on earth" (19). When this propertied class realized that the invasion did not mean annexation of the island and that they would not be benefiting from the expansion of the American capitalist economy is when "nationalism" began to form among this class. Most of them would not profit from the new economic order because instead of having the economy based on coffee there is a shift to cultivating sugar cane. The working class welcomed the American invasion for different reasons than from the property-owners, "the workers saw in the arrival of the Americans was an opportunity for an all-out settling of scores with the property-owning class on all fronts, and on the cultural front, which is the one that now immediately concerns us, this settling of scores has been the motive force for all the cultural changes in Puerto Rican society from 1898 until our own day" (Gonzalez 21). The ideal of "Americanization" was imposed on the Puerto Ricans. As some Puerto Ricans began to resist the idea of "Americanization" they viewed independence as necessary "to protect and shore up a national identity that the Puerto Rican masses have never felt as their true identity" (Gonzalez 24).

Independence has always been on many Puerto Ricans mind. First they wanted independence from Spain and attempted in 1868 the first pro-independence uprising known as "El Grito de Lares". One of the major leaders was Dr. Ramon Emeterio Betances. In 1895 under American colonialism in New York a group of Puerto Rican part of the Cuban Revolutionary party, felt that there was a need to replace the Spaniard flag with one of their own to symbolize their aspirations. The flag was similar to the Cuban revolutionaries but reversed in colors. Today the single five-pointed white star to represent the commonwealth of Puerto Rico to the United States, the star is set in a three sided equilateral blue triangle that represents the three branches of the government. The three red stripes represents the blood that feeds those parts of the government and the two white stripes stand for the rights of man and the freedom of the individual. This became the first symbol of national pride and identity. The flag would allow for Puerto Ricans to associate with an object of their land.

Even though some wanted independence for Puerto Rico others like in 1899 formed the Puerto Rican Republic Party swearing loyalty to "our new nationality" and the American flag . As part of the Americanization, English would become the official language of the island and it would be taught in the schools. In 1900 The Foraker Act created a civilian government which did not allow the Puerto Ricans to run their own government. All the governors were elected by U.S government. Under this Act the island’s name was changed from Puerto Rico to Porto Rico until 1930's. The status of the island became a big issue because the Puerto Rican Republic party favored statehood while others wanted independence. Citizenship became the next big issue. It had been denied since 1900. In 1917 under the Jones Act Puerto Rican became citizens of the United States but it is a statuary status where Puerto Ricans are not allow to vote for US president. Citizenship still did not resolve the question of Puerto Rico's status instead it continued the pressure to adopt US ways and the English language. As Puerto Ricans fought to bring back the Spanish language to the school system others began to support the independence party. The unofficial Puerto Rican flagwhich was not recognize was used by liberals and independence supporters as a symbol of their opposition to US rule. Morris writes, "These party realignments and demand reflected the Puerto Rican frustrations with US rule, a frustration that intensified in the 1930's" (38).

Industrialization, Modernization and Migration

This would be what Gonzalez considers the fourth storey in which shows "an advanced American capitalism and opportunistic Puerto Rican populism began to build onto the island's social structure from the 1940s on" (27). This was a time of social and economic transformation for Puerto Rico. The political realm was also changing .In 1938 the Partido Popular Democratico was created. Luis Muñoz Marin, the party's founder. "took as the symbol, for the party, the straw hat worn by Puerto Rican peasants, representing Muñoz Marin's aim of incorporating the rural population into the island's political life" (Morris 40). Muñoz Marin advocated to find a way "to end Puerto Rico's colonial political relationship with the United States while retaining a beneficial economic relationship" (Morris 41). In 1948 Luis Muñoz Marin became the first elected governor in Puerto Rico. In 1952 Puerto Rico's first constitution called for a new arrangement as "Estado Libre Asociado" (Free Associated State). There were also economic changes. One of the major changes was caused by "Operation Bootstrap". This converted the Puerto Ricans economy base from agriculture to industry, textile, clothing, and other manufacturing plant. The government also created tax breaks to attract commercial development to propel rapid industrialization. This period also marked the beginning of mass emigration from Puerto Rico to large cities like New York.

The 1952 constitution allowed Puerto Ricans to create symbols to represent the island. Morris writes, "The first law passed in Puerto Rico under the new constitution adopted the single-star flag, identified in the statute as the flag "traditionally known heretofore as the Puerto Rican flag" for the island. Once a proscribed symbol of independence groups, the flag became an official representation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The new commonwealth's second law adopted "La Borinqueña" as the island's anthem" (50). The Puerto Rican Constitution was inaugurated on July 25, 1952, the fifty-fourth anniversary of the US invasion of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rican Identity

Puerto Rican history has not been a stable one making the Puerto Rican identity dynamic and unique. It is shown through all the different stages that Puerto Rico has experienced, that identity is experienced differently by individuals in Puerto Rico and that the key symbols of Puerto Rican identity have not remained static over time. "Puerto Ricaness was the product of a mixture of characteristic elements such as customs, traditions, history, and language" (Morris 80). The characteristics which are very important to the Puerto Ricans are language, history, traditions and customs, music, personality, and sports presentation.

Language has been a very big issue all throughout the Puerto Rican struggle. US's plan to Americanize and make English the official language made Puerto Ricans more resistance to Americanization and more proud to be Puerto Rican. Cordova Davila said, "Language is a factor of unquestioned importance. The masses of the people of Porto Rico speak no other language but Spanish... The language of a people constitutes the voice of its soul, the means of expressing its feeling, and its personality. Love for the vernacular is ingrained in the individual. To deprive him of his native tongue would be heartless and cruel... Spanish will never be driven out of use in Porto Rico. It is our language and we will speak it as long as Porto Rico exists..." (Morris 36). Language is extremely important especially for "indepentistas". Those who support statehood feel that is important to have both languages but they still feel Spanish is important to their "Puerto Ricaness".

History is also important because it makes up who they are, for example the blend of cultures of the indigenous Taino Indians, Spanish colonizers and African slaves and the 400 years of Spanish colonization and 100 years of US sovereignty. Customs and traditions represent the elements of Puerto Rico's multiple cultures. The holidays, celebrations, food, music and combination of all of these make up a unique character amongst the people. Three King's Day is a special celebration which is like another Christmas for Puerto Ricans. You cannot forget the unique food which are cooked for the celebrations. The usual is "arroz con gandules" but for the holidays "pasteles", "pernil" and "alcapurrias" are made. Music is also very important in the culture. Salsa is commonly recognized as Puerto Rican but there is also the traditional Puerto Rican rhythms like "bomba", "plena" and "danza".

Personality is very unique to Puerto Ricans because it makes them alike. Some traits are their warmth, gregariousness, generosity, expressiveness, and hospitality. Puerto Ricans are very proud of their sports. In 1948 Puerto Rico was able to establish their own Olympics team and was able to be recognize. Most Puerto Ricans take pride in their teams and the Puerto Ricans who play in the big leagues. Roberto Clemente is a great example of the Puerto Rican pride in sports.The symbols of Three Kings, language, flag, anthem, traditional music and Puerto Rican food unite the Puerto Ricans and allows them to "share a sense of belonging to a group that is defined and recognizable through its symbols" (Morris 96).

The Challenge to Puerto Rican Identity

The presence of the United States on the island has an obvious affect on the island’s culture. Most of the things have been "Americanized" therefore Puerto Ricans have become adapted to American culture. Modernization in the island is due to the United States for example, having a car, TV, and cable TV. Whether or not US influence is great in Puerto Rico can be interpreted differently depending on your political party. The statehood party believe that the "essence of the Puerto Rican is crystallized in a vision of the future in which as United States citizens we can fully share in the rights, privileges , and responsibilities" (Morris 133). The commonwealth party feels that the commonwealth status is "the best thing for Puerto Rico because it allows the island to be aligned with the United States without losing its national identity" (Morris 133). Finally, the independence party feel that it is a "miracle that Puerto Rican identity has survived at all in the current colonial situation" (Morris 133).

As for customs and traditions there has also been many influences. You hear American music in the radio stations and see many American TV. As for food, there is many fast food chain restaurants. There is more on the island than in Connecticut. All of these fast food restaurants has altered the eating habits of the Puerto Ricans. Cable TV has caused many influenced to the Puerto Ricans, one is the celebration of Christmas. They introduced the idea of Santa Claus which became more popular than the Three Kings. The idea of Santa Claus replacing the Three Kings is seen as a threat to the identity. Language was and will always be an issue of great importance which has been influenced by the US colonialism.

Conclusion