Thoughts and Opinions

         Puerto Rican culture is typically associated with the Spanish Europeans, which isn't terribly shocking considering the legacy of Spanish colonialism. What is less known however, is that Puerto Rican culture did not start with the Spanish. When the Spaniards colonized Puerto Rico centuries ago, they did so over the backs of the little known Taíno. In fact, according to the Smithsonian, “Across the Caribbean, in Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Haiti, you can find indigenous influences: herbal traditions, local spiritual or religious traditions, memories associated with the landscape, traditional agricultural crops and farming methods, home-building techniques, crafts like basketry and fishing nets, and Taíno words.” Additionally the Smithsonian adds, " Many words today, especially in the Spanish Caribbean, reflect Taíno influence, including the names “Cuba,” “Haiti,” and everyday vocabulary like “barbeque,” “canoe,” and “hurricane.”"  (Sm...

Puerto Rico is currently a territory of the United States of America. As it stands, it does not have representation within it's main legislative branch, Congress.Nor does it have the ability to vote for President of the United States of America. This makes the subject of statehood a rather contentious one. Several attempts in the territory's history have been made trying to attain statehood, but so far they have repeatedly failed. That is, until recently. As a result of the conditions that permeated under former President Trump, Puerto Rico held a referendum on the territory's potential statehood. According to the final tally, the referendum was passed by a 52% - 48% margin (rounded up). From what we can infer about those results (“CEE Event”) , the desire for statehood is split down the middle, though the problematic actions of the Trump administration likely had a lot to do with the increased desire for statehood. However, Puerto Rican statehood is not an issue that is un...

                             Puerto Rico has a rich and interesting history. Although they don't exist anymore, the Ta íno were the original indigenous people of Puerto Rico, as far as we understand. However, as Columbus and his men made short work of the land and the people of them, it quickly lead to their downfall. According to various research, " By 1514, barely two decades after first contact, an official survey showed that 40 percent of Spanish men had taken Indian wives. The unofficial number is undoubtedly higher," (Poole). The island wasn't captured immediately one in one big, dramatic fight, but incrementally over time. Columbus met the Ta íno sometime in 1492, but as Poole describes it, " In short order, Columbus established the first American colony at La Isabela, on the north coast of Hispaniola, in 1494. After a brief period of coexistence, relations between the newcomers and nati...