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A lighthearted question for all the puertorrequeños on this board?
Am I considered a gringo when I visit PR. My grandmother was born and raised in PR but I was born in the states. My family immigrated from Spain to PR in the early 1700's and I have many family members still in PR. So I may be a yankee, but am I a gringo?
Yes I am a little envious, at heart I'm a puertorrequeño but not growing up on the island I know I will never capture the full essence and spirit of puerto rican culture.
I'll say that it depends more on what's inside of you than in where you were born. So, if you were born in NYC, but your parents taught you to love the island, its customs and traditions, its food and music, then you should fit right in. I know of foreigners that can be considered more Puerto Rican than many who were born on the island (i.e.: Tony Croatto).
On the other hand, most of the New Yorkers of Puerto Rican descent that I have met, have developed a distinct "Nuyorican" culture that is quite different from what you see on the island. Being Puerto Rican is more than just waving the PR flag on the PR day parade.
I'll say that it depends more on what's inside of you than in where you were born. So, if you were born in NYC, but your parents taught you to love the island, its customs and traditions, its food and music, then you should fit right in. I know of foreigners that can be considered more Puerto Rican than many who were born on the island (i.e.: Tony Croatto).
On the other hand, most of the New Yorkers of Puerto Rican descent that I have met, have developed a distinct "Nuyorican" culture that is quite different from what you see on the island. Being Puerto Rican is more than just waving the PR flag on the PR day parade.
It seems that you have never been to NYC. You cannot go by what you see. If you would come to NYC, you will see we do more than just waving the flag. Many of us speaks Spanish, and knows how to "parrandear" like in PR.
A lighthearted question for all the puertorrequeños on this board?
Am I considered a gringo when I visit PR. My grandmother was born and raised in PR but I was born in the states. My family immigrated from Spain to PR in the early 1700's and I have many family members still in PR. So I may be a yankee, but am I a gringo?
Yes I am a little envious, at heart I'm a puertorrequeño but not growing up on the island I know I will never capture the full essence and spirit of puerto rican culture.
Muchas Gracias - unPescador
You should be proud! Plus, the gringos get all the chicas.
My gratitude to each of you for your comments. I especially enjoyed the video posted by T7, very cool, thank you. Yes, like each of you I am very proud of my heritage. It's a powerful feeling to walk the streets of Old San Juan knowing I walk in the steps of my abuelos y antepasados. There is a strong pull, a calling back to the island, it is in our blood.
It seems that you have never been to NYC. You cannot go by what you see. If you would come to NYC, you will see we do more than just waving the flag. Many of us speaks Spanish, and knows how to "parrandear" like in PR.
I've been several times. It's only a two hour drive from where I live. Also, many NYricans have moved to NE PA in recent years. From my observations:
1. The first generation (those who moved from the island as grown-ups) keep their Puerto Rican traditions and culture alive.
2. The second generation knows verbal Spanish, but are more fluent in English. They know a little bit from PR from visiting with their parents.
3. The third generation knows barely any Spanish and the only thing that they know about PR is that the flag has 3 red stripes, 2 white ones, a blue triangle with a white star in it. And don't get me started on how many times I've seen it inadvertently flown upside down. They might enjoy some PRican cuisine, but they are also more likely to listen to hip-hop and R&B than salsa and bomba y plena.
The exception that I have seen is when families move back and forth between PR and NYC, exposing their kids first hand to both cultures. People that are raised in a different environment are bound to develop different attitudes. You get some from your parents, some from school, and some from your neighborhood. It is not necesarilly a bad thing, it's just the way it is.
I'm experiencing this myself with my kids, who are being raised in the mainland US. A few months back, I was eating at a Mexican restaurant, and they had live mariachis. They swung by my table and I asked them to play "En mi viejo San Juan". Listening to it brought tears to my eyes. As for my kids, they couldn't care less.
I lived from 1950-54 in old Fort Brooke which was located inside El Morro fortress. Know almost every square foot of that place.
Loved going to Padine's Department Store in downtown Old San Juan, Condado Beach, the new Caribbe Hilton Hotel, Phosphorescent Bay, Ponce, El Yunque, riding in "pubicos", etc.
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Why!!
