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What is it with white americans to want to be treated like royalty whenever they go? You dont have the white privilege that you have in the states you will have to work as hard as everybody else or maybe harder to get good treatment sorry if you're not receiving the same treatment than in the states if you don't like the heat get out of the kitchen. Now you know how minorities feel on the states.
Seems like you're reviving old threads to hammer in a point which was never even inferred by the original posters. You might consider starting your own blog to get your message out there ...
Hi every one I came across this thread and I was hoping to find English speaking ppl that are here
for work or any other reason. I'm 33 yrs old and I had lived here several times and this time I'll be here for a while.
My goal is to provide very helpful info like where to find safe living areas and even learn and practice Spanish.
I know it can be very stressful these changes, and only having who to come for questions can ease the process.
Just let me know. Good luck!
[email]ipeanutz@gmail.com[/email]
The first thing you have to get straight is that , although Puerto Rico is a territory or colony ( have your pick) of the United States it functions like no other U.S. area you've been to. Think better like going to Costa Rica, Venezuela or El Salvador, certainly not like Texas, Hawaii, or Arizona. Yes you'll need a car, but knowing rudimentary Spanish is a must because ALL ROAD SIGNS ARE IN SPANISH! In addition roads are measured in Kilometers and gasoline in liters, not gallons.
If that's clear now on to English. English is spoken like any other country in the world in which English is not the main language. Its spoken by the educated classes, business and the infamous nuyoricans, but not by the majority of the population. Although Guaynabo has English as the first language of the municipality, most Puerto Ricans you talk to think it's a joke, not even the mayor speaks it well. In fact he has an accent so strong you could cut it with a scissor and most people say, after he speaks, "what the hell did he say"!
Crime. Although the island has a bad crime rap, like some one here said, its mostly concentrated with the drug trade, If you don't have anything to do with the drug trade you'll have no problem, like most people who live in Chicago , Hartford or New York.
Yes there are Gringo ghettos, where gringos stick to each other and complain, complain and complain. But if you're adventurous and go out and meet the people you'll really get a sense of what Puerto Rico is really like. People are friendly, helpful and really like Gringos, but strange as it might seem to many gringos, most Puerto Ricans despite knowing English keep to other Puerto Ricans because they prefer to socialize with others who joke around in Spanish. However they'll be polite and will never tell you to speak their language, like gringos demand Hispanics do in the U.S.
Bottom line, Learning Spanish is a must if you're going to live there, but if you live in a gringo ghetto, no need to learn the language.
I am going to visit PR [again] later this year. Spend some time on the ground [not just Old San Juan] and get to know a little about place as a possible future place to live. I just wanted to comment, apologies, that no one should ever go to Venezuela. Life is too short to spend any time in Venezuela. I have traveled a bit in my days and have visited Latin America for months at a time. I consider Venezuelans the worst Latinos I have ever met. I spent a total of five months in Venezuela from beaches to deep jungles to tops of Tepuis [special mountains in Venezuela]. Beautiful absolutely amazing fauna and flora and places that will blow your mind... then it is all ruined by having to deal with the Venezuelans. You cannot help them so you are best to just avoid them especially in their own country. Remember you have been warned. It's the only country I have ever visited, no matter where I was at, I felt the eyes burning in the back of my head and the hair on the back of neck almost never went down. I would rather visit Nigeria than go back.
To me Venezuela is the Latin American country, together with Cuba and the Dominican Republic that most resembles Puerto Rico. Its racial mixture is similar, its accent is not too different, and the infrastructure of its cities are also like Puerto Rico. Venezuelans are addicted to Miss Universe contests, its upper middle class also resembles Puerto Rico's, and its poor are not too far behind. Although hills around Caracas are non stop slums, we also had them not too far back in the swamps. Now-a days rampant poverty is in the housing projects, much like it is in the huge housing developments built in Caracas in the late 50's. Crime is rampant in these areas also, like in San Juan.
Everybody has their quirks about countries they visit, mine is with Jamaica, I''ll never go back. I guess since Chavez won and took an anti-american turn most Gringos despise the country.
On the other hand, Puerto Ricans are friendly towards gringos , on the average, but you can also find lemons. But it goes both ways.
I can't figure out how a country of 13 million can be so rotten, not even Jamaica is that bad. Maybe YOU are the problem.
I am going to visit PR [again] later this year. Spend some time on the ground [not just Old San Juan] and get to know a little about place as a possible future place to live. I just wanted to comment, apologies, that no one should ever go to Venezuela. Life is too short to spend any time in Venezuela. I have traveled a bit in my days and have visited Latin America for months at a time. I consider Venezuelans the worst Latinos I have ever met. I spent a total of five months in Venezuela from beaches to deep jungles to tops of Tepuis [special mountains in Venezuela]. Beautiful absolutely amazing fauna and flora and places that will blow your mind... then it is all ruined by having to deal with the Venezuelans. You cannot help them so you are best to just avoid them especially in their own country. Remember you have been warned. It's the only country I have ever visited, no matter where I was at, I felt the eyes burning in the back of my head and the hair on the back of neck almost never went down. I would rather visit Nigeria than go back.
The traveler relating the experience said she would "never forget his words" or the embarrassment she felt as a fellow American.
Was he an ugly American? No doubt about it. And incidents like that only enforce that image in the eyes of Europeans.
Of course, the majority of travelers would never do such a thing . . . at home or abroad.
"Overall, people who are ugly Americans overseas tend to be ugly Americans here at home," said Ed Perkins, a consumer travel expert and veteran European traveler. "They just don't stand out as much here."
Perkins characterized an ugly American as one who is "loud and more assertive than they should be. Someone who speaks before they think."
They have an "ignorance of their destination area and lack of concern for the local people. They're sort of under the assumption that, `Everyone is here to cater to my needs, and if they're not satisfied immediately, then someone's going to hear about it.' They have their personal view, and nobody else in the world matters." Ugly Americans - Chicago Tribune
There is no similarity between Puerto Rico and Venezuela except language. I live in PR and have lived briefly in many areas of Venezuela. Venezuela is a very stratified almost racist society totally unlike the non-racist easy going PR society which is a combination of mainland and Spanish culture.
Racial name-calling is always out of place, and us not common in PR unless you encourage it or participate in it.
In 12 years in PR I got called "gringo" only two times and that by rather uneducated types.
Puerto Rico is a mixture of many kinds of people, races, and mixtures. A good number of locals are completely white maybe 30%, so a white European is just as indigenous here as on the mainland.
Racism is a big thing in the US mainland , but not here. We keep it that way without name-calling.
Living here for 12 years in a small town I never once felt unwelcome or discriminated against--never, so I reject that an Anglo moving to a small town would have rejection problems. Puerto Rico culture is very respectful, so any outsider should make certain he also gives respect to all.
I think a mainlander moving here would find greater acceptance than moving to many other states.
San Juan is a big city. That influences behaviour more than anything else.
Certainly a car is a necessity in PR. Only in San Juan is there a sufficiently developed public transportation system making it relatively easy to get around without the car. Elsewhere you usually drive where you want to go or stay home!
There is no similarity between Puerto Rico and Venezuela except language. I live in PR and have lived briefly in many areas of Venezuela. Venezuela is a very stratified almost racist society totally unlike the non-racist easy going PR society which is a combination of mainland and Spanish culture.
Racial name-calling is always out of place, and us not common in PR unless you encourage it or participate in it.
In 12 years in PR I got called "gringo" only two times and that by rather uneducated types.
Puerto Rico is a mixture of many kinds of people, races, and mixtures. A good number of locals are completely white maybe 30%, so a white European is just as indigenous here as on the mainland.
Racism is a big thing in the US mainland , but not here. We keep it that way without name-calling.
Living here for 12 years in a small town I never once felt unwelcome or discriminated against--never, so I reject that an Anglo moving to a small town would have rejection problems. Puerto Rico culture is very respectful, so any outsider should make certain he also gives respect to all.
I think a mainlander moving here would find greater acceptance than moving to many other states.
San Juan is a big city. That influences behaviour more than anything else.
Certainly a car is a necessity in PR. Only in San Juan is there a sufficiently developed public transportation system making it relatively easy to get around without the car. Elsewhere you usually drive where you want to go or stay home!
You have a good grip on PR.
If you are nice you will be welcomed as a fellow Puerto Rican. Many non-Puerto Ricans have been treated as such. Like the IS PR is very diverse and you may find folks that are very sophisticated who studied in Jesuit Schools and went to Ivy League schools in the states. But, we also have our ralea of uneducated folks. No different than anywhere in the world.
Yes, it certainly is all about not making oneself into someone special or unique.
Unfortunately, many governments like to brainwash people into thinking they somehow are better than others. The US is good at this propaganda, as is Germany. That is why people from these countries can be insufferable when they travel, but not all!
The free thinkers amongst all human beings accept any and all with judgement coming only from the abuse given them undeservedly. This is why name calling in any form for any intent is wrong. Language is very powerful. That is why I reject and campaign against "gringo". It is nasty and derogatory, simple fact! I call nobody by any name, and expect the same courtesy and respect.
Back to the Venezuela issue. The commentator was correct. He did not necessarily have to be acting superior. There are many nice Venezuelans like anywhere, but in my extensive travels there I always said that I seldom saw anyone smile. There are serious problems in that country making many people unhappy.
Just to clear things. I liked Chavez no matter what the US government did or propagandised against him. He just had huge problems not easily solved.
If you want to visit a happy tropical American country, go to Brasil. No matter the difficulties, the people by nature are festive!
Oh yes, thank you Julian.
Discrimination in any form is unacceptable when we wish to live in harmony.
One reason I really like Puerto Rico is that the vast majority of folk are friendly, accepting and non-discriminatory.
I have always felt welcome here. I may have come from the states, but I like PR better and here I will stay.
There are always sour apples who think any Anglo from the states is guilty of all US sins, but these are very very few.
Puerto Rico is fast becoming very cosmopolitan people emigrating from many places. This only serves to enrichen it.
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