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What century was puerto rico under spanish rule
Impact and influence of Spanish colonialism
Essays on the background of puerto rico
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Puerto Rican Identity and Spanish Colonial Rule The debate on Puerto Rican Identity is a hot bed of controversy, especially in today’s society where American colonialism dominates most of the island’s governmental and economic policies. The country wrestles with the strong influence of its present day colonizers, while it adamantly tries to retain aspects of the legacy of Spanish colonialism. Despite America’s presence, Puerto Ricans maintain what is arguably their own cultural identity which seems largely based on the influence of Spain mixed with customs that might have developed locally. The features of the formation of the Puerto Rican people under Spanish rule are therefore critical in addressing questions on Puerto Rican identity. The migration of thousands of Spaniards both from the mainland and its islands to Puerto Rico, the development of subsequent Creole populations, the formation of the agricultural sectors and their labor needs are some of the contributing features that will hopefully lead toward a better understanding of the complexities that surround the concept of Puertoricaness. The early years of Spanish rule began with the gradual development of a settler society as well as the native Taino Indians. The Taino population was soon drastically reduced and the structure of this society, diversified with the introduction of African Slave laborers. Race is therefore a core element in the discussion of the Puerto Rican identity. The early settlers came from Europe in search of riches that were soon diminished and therefore a natural need for other economic means had to be developed by the people who decided to remain behind. Some of the people who remained in Puerto Rico were coerced into doing so because of... ... middle of paper ... ...r legacy of Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rican society. Works Cited Bergad, Laird. "The Coffee Boom,1885-1897," from Bergad, Coffee and Agrarian Capitalism in Nineteenth-Century Puerto Rico (Princeton: Princeton U Press, 1883) 145-203. Figueroa, Luis. Lecture, September 1998 Gonzales, Jose Luis. Puerto Rico: the Four Storeyed Country and Other Essays (Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishing Inc.)1-30. Scarano, Francisco. "Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico, 1815-1849: An Overview," from Scarano ,Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico: Plantation Economy of Ponce,1800-1850(Madison :U of Wisconsin Press,1984) 3-34. del Valle Atiles, Francisco. "The Spiritual Life of the Jibaro" form :Iris M. Zavala and Rafael Rodriguez (eds.), The Intellectual Roots of Independence: An Anthology of Puerto Rican Political Essays (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1980), 95-103.
Laura Briggs's work Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico continues a recent trend in connecting colonial histories to that of domestic issues affecting imperial powers, “colonialism was not something that happened ‘over there,’ with little or no effect on the internal dynamics and culture of the imperial power itself …. On the contrary, colonialism has had a profound effect on the culture and policy of the mainland.” Additionally, Briggs work pushes back against the traditional belief that U.S. colonial policy forced the sterilization of a large segment of the island’s female population. This argument was made famous by the documentary film “La Operacion”.
Puerto Rico. The. Tarrytown: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2007. 2.
The intention of this essay is to demonstrate to a vision rational, concordant political leader to the Puerto Rican, American and worldwide reality. It responds to the necessity that to the statehood it is necessary to imagine it and to expose it with all the evidence available, since many Puerto Ricans, including many political leaders, do not know like defending it or exposing it before the peculiar ones or our adversaries.
Upon continuing the discussion of what it means to be Puerto Rican, it is clear that the early US colonial rule fundamentally shaped the character of this definition. At the conclusion of the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico became a possession of the United States subject only to the privileges that the US was willing to grant it. The dichotomy between Puerto Rico’s expectations and what it actually became after 1898, helped to formulate elite definitions of what it meant to be Puerto Rican. This new Puerto Rican identity, which was in large part based upon historical myths, served as defense mechanisms to combat the elite’s dissatisfaction with the new political, social and economic relationships under US rule. Although Puerto Rico under early US colonial rule never met the elites’ expectations, this new emerging nationalist identity never served as an effective challenge to US capitalist hegemony.
The history of Puerto Rico under Spanish rule is one of European exploitation of non white peoples for the purpose of economic gain. The ‘discovery’ made by Columbus in 1492 had a great impact on the highly competitive countries in Europe who saw, in lands like Puerto Rico, the possibility of prosperity and advancement. More than hoping to spread their influence or religion, Europeans wanted to take advantage of the lands and resources which seemed unused. Actually the lands were being used quite successfully, but in unfamiliar ways which did not concern many Europeans. With little regard for the native people, Europe began conquering the eastern hemisphere in the name of colonization. Areas which had only known one race for centuries were flooded with people from all over the world seeking money and status. As the stakes grew, and select people and countries heavily prospered off their colonies, ethical and moral restraint declined. The result was a world filled with a diverse group of races, extreme distinctions in class differences, and mixing of culture. This was the case for Puerto Rico, which was just as much affected by colonialism as other areas, but has certain qualities which make the Puerto Rican identity unique.
In this story, the reader can see exactly how, many Puerto Ricans feel when living on other grounds. Throughout this time, the boy that Rodriguez presents us realizes he has his culture and that he wants to preserve it as much as he can. “Because I’m Puerto Rican”. I ain’t no American. And I’m not a Yankee flag-waver”
Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States which makes it easy for natives to travel back and forth. Puerto Ricans first began to arrive in the United States to fill the work void left but those who went on to fight in World War I. Operation Bootstrap was a series of projects that attempted to turn Puerto Rico; a known agricultural economy to one that would concentrate on industrialization and tourism. Puerto Rico enticed many U.S companies with tax exemptions and differential rental rates on industrialized properties and so the shift in the economy had commenced. The shift however did not help the high unemployment rate on the island. Rather than having to deal with the droves of people seeking work they noticed the active recruitment of Puerto Rican workers by U.S. employers. The government began to encourage the departure of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. by requesting the Federal Aviation Administration to lower the airfares between Puerto Rico and the United States. This was an attempt to ch...
Scarano, Francisco. "Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico, 1815-1849: An Overview", from Scarano, Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico: The Plantation Economy of Ponce, 1800-1850 (Madison: U. of Wisconsin Press, 1984), 3-34.
In the Christina Beltran’s story El pueblo unido she argues many different versions of political strategies between the mexican-american and Puerto Ricans in the early 1960s and 1970s. For instance in the early 60’s and 70’s the Mexicans started by sorting out how they were going to gain political rights as individuals of America. They strengthened their connections to the democracy parties and any other traditional defense of political power. Later on in the late 60’s and 70’s the mexicans took further steps into political strategies. They formed rallies, sit-ins, marches and even “blow out” on streets and campuses. They were activist who were demanded to get better
The rise of the sugar staple and downfall of coffee in Puerto Rico, as caused by the United States, resulted in a migration of Puerto Rican workers. They moved to sugar processing areas on the island, in search of jobs. Among these workers were musicians. Musicians could not sustain themselves on music alone. Therefore, just as the rest of the population had to follow the jobs, so did the...
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 id...
...oot bolwerk waar iedereen hetzelfde idee en dezelfde motivaties heeft is verkeerd. Zelfs het denken dat de islam uit twee bolwerken bestaat, het sji’isme en het soennisme, die tegen elkaar strijden is een foutieve opvatting. Vooral in de vroege periode van de islam en nadat het definiëren van het moslim-zijn schommelde. De vraag wie kon bepalen wie moslim was en wie niet was nog niet bepaald en volgens de auters was zelfs de rol van de Profeet nog niet bepaald.
In het tweede en laatste deel wordt er geprobeerd om een gepaste omschrijving te vinden om het begrip Spam te verklaren. Daarnaast wordt er nagegaan wanneer en waar dit aan de orde is. Verder worden de gevolgen aangehaald. Tot slot wordt er tevens nagedacht over hoe Spam tegengegaan kan worden.
Tot slot is de strijd die gevoerd wordt gedurende het tuchtproces. Deze strijdt is voornamelijk tussen de verenigingsorganisaties en verenigingen enerzijds en de arbeidsorganisaties anderzijds. Veel wordt er tegenwoordig gepraat over hoe de processen rondom tuchtzaken verbeterd kunnen worden en niet over hoe wangedrag van het excessieve geweld in het amateurvoetbal verbeterd kan worden.
It was as if Puerto Rico had a cover on it, an illustration trying to depict the story but hiding the secrets within. Traveling through the caves was like staring at the massive columns supporting the mansion; it was as if you were in a different world underneath the island. It was amazing how such an impoverished territory could have such beautiful landmarks, yet be so poor. When we arrived back to the hotel after a long day of exploring and conquering, I asked my dad, “if Puerto Rico makes so much money on their attractions, how come everyone is so poor?” The answer I received from my dad was short and simple, “government.” For the rest of the trip I pondered upon how the government could make everyone so destitute. Spending its money in all the wrong places the government of Puerto Rico, P...