What is ‘puerto rican’ culture?

According to Merriam-Webster, culture is defined as “a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business)”. Based on this premisses, a person who doesn’t have any idea of what culture is will be led to believe that since birth, a person is predetermined to belong to a way of thinking, behaving, or working depending where he/she resides. 

To be a puertorrican means, following the lines of the definition placed above, to follow the ideas of the Island of Puerto Rico. Usually that means that we are already given a(n) identity without our consent from childbirth. Someone in the brave new world thought it would be a great idea to keep these constant check-ups up to standard to keep everybody monitored and in place. 

The tightness of the bow can be seen and felt when you’ve reached a(n) age where your consciousness starts to kick in. To declare yourself with ‘puertorriquen’ means that you are the sole image of those who aren’t present with you in that moment, meaning that all the bad that somebody has done will always be carried around your shoulder, even though you can’t do nothing because resources (at least in the campus) are very, very, limited. 

The problem is that there can’t be a clear understanding of what culture is or what culture is not. It is one of those words or phrases that may have the power to define everything, but at the same time nothing. To be partake in the this culture (in the USA) means that a(n) individual is alive and well, always has some tan, he/she is very beautiful or “tropical” looking, likes to consume alcohol (heavily), and knows how to sway a person into falling in love or to do some crazy activity, which supposedly is fun. Photo Credit 

These characteristics just mentioned are product of how Hollywood has portrayed the puertorrican people throughout the years in their cinematic hits (Hollywoods Perceptions). The truth is very far from it. Here in the island there are few, to my understanding, who side with their roots, as definition states. There are too many problems that are inflicting who the people are to themselves. Many see salvation close to the time of the elections, candidates say they’re going to change what’s going on (currently) - each four years a new problem arises which the current administration doesn’t know how to fix - and come close to not doing a thing or puncturing the wound much more. We side with political vision that in a essence say what we are to the community, that being a thin line between left wing or right wing (Commonwealth), or right wing extremist (Statesmen). The only good thing these parties do (unwillingly) is make that what which made Puerto Rico the gem of the Caribbean into the the grey patch whose sight of who he was is lost in the abyss and can’t be found.