Puerto Rican Culture & Identity - Case Study Example

Puerto Rican Culture & Identity It is impossible to imagine human history without the continuous struggle to define the opposite of “we” or “I”. Throughout its existence the humankind feel the need to determine national from foreign, known from the unknown. Language, art and religion are main tools to distinguish peoples from one another. Such concepts as race, ethnicity, community, nationalism emerged over time to explain certain aspects of human’s obsessive concern with the other. These concepts are to explain the “sense of belonging”, which may be seen in groups, neighborhoods, primitive tribes and nations. Throughout the history these concepts had been used to foster legitimacy and identity among individuals or groups, as well as to create divisions and conflicts. In the Roman Empire people were defined according to trichotomy: the civilized, the barbarians and the “monstrous people”. Since Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the fourth century A.D., the trichotomy of people gained the religious aspect. Now people were divided in three groups of faithful, i.e. the Christians, the unredeemed and the unredeemable. Such peoples as Slavs, Germans and Franks were considered unredeemed. According to the Christian concepts of the time, they were heretics but they are able to join the category of faithful in case of acceptance the word of God, because they had a soul. On the contrary the category of unredeemable had no soul and could not be transformed into Christians. The third category was applied to tribe-based peoples like Mongols and Tatars who attacked the Christians. As all the events of the time were interpreted solely on the biblical grounds the attacks of unredeemable were considered as the attacks of evil forces. Alongside with the Mongols, Huns and Tatars, black Africans were also inserted to the unredeemable category. The belief that black African had no soul culminated in slavery and little resistance towards it. The beginning of the era of voyages and discovery of far-away nations, such as China and India, brought new categories of otherness. Peoples in those areas were considered civilized, but unknown. Meanwhile, the division of people in different categories never was solely European phenomena. All nations and communities are inclined to the ethnocentrism – the idea of considering the nation/community as the center of humanity. Before the discovery of America, which pushed China, on the European maps to the right hand edge, the Chinese thought that China was the center of the world. In India the society was divided into segments and castes according to hierarchical method. This hierarchical system lead to cases when highest caste would never set foot on the land of the lower, because of the angst of physical and cultural contamination. Many Muslims still consider the birthplace of Muhammad birthplace to be the centre of the world. The theory of raciology appeared in the XIX century, giving scholars the opportunity to interpret history as continuous struggle between races for dominance. The victorious race was superior to the defeated one. Finally the racial theories culminated in Nazism with the theories of the “superior race”, based solely on biological treat. Only after the World War II scholars started to admit that explanation of cultural forms only on biological basis is doomed. Nowadays identity can’t be viewed avoiding the culture. In anthropology culture is defined as the study of all aspects of human life, past and present. Culture also refers to the patterns of behavior and thinking that people living in social groups learn, create and share. In this sense, culture and society are interchangeable in anthropology. The definition suggests that we all have a culture and that at some point as members of a larger society, we share certain traits. Some scholars see the process of globalization as a threat towards cultural identity. Almost all agree on the point, that globalization cannot be turned back. Whether we are in favor of globalization or are against it, it is definitely an ever-expanding process. Whether we are in favor of globalization or are against it, it is definitely an ever-expanding process. When we look at historical developments, particularly capital and labor movements, which are still with us today, we see that since the end of World War II free circulation has increased significantly. Economic and political entities such as the European Union and EFTA stand before us as the most important indicators of this current status. With the fall of the Socialist Block, the largest barrier impeding this process was removed, and we witness the nonexistence of an opposing fundamental ideology. As we all know, politics and economics are processes, which directly affect and determine each other. As economic integration increases, political integration will intensify. The weakening of the national state model is a natural result. Today in place of referring to total independence, countries speak of their mutual dependence on each other. Total independence has become impossible and is viewed as a third world country approach. Particularly in developed countries, where the population is becoming more and more aged, coupled with the rise in unemployment, the obligations of being a social state and providing systems of social security have become an unbearable burden. As a result of this, developed nations and popular name brand manufacturers have begun locating their production sites in other countries where labor is inexpensive. Multinational companies/brands, which formerly only sold products to countries, now as active operatives in a country, either affect the country’s entire economy, or are affected by its economic makeup. With the increase in possibilities of international capital, communication and transportation, and in the face of growing competition, the desire for greater mobility and the preference to counter changing rules from country to country with protective measures is apparent. Under present day conditions, the domestic capital of nations is no longer sufficient and an ever-increasing need for foreign resource capital exists. Thus the economic success of countries is measured by how much foreign capital they receive. The most important developments in recent years in respect to globalization within the framework of the European Union are free travel, the opening of borders between countries and the removal of all trade hindrances. Additionally, the positive qualities of globalization can be cited as examples meriting notice. The fact that opponents in the last two large wars have united politically and economically is for the sake of world peace a very important occurrence. Economics is the most important dimension of globalization, which affects politics, and politics in return affects economics, and both of these affect the cultural dimension of globalization. The cultural trade of goods and services between countries is conducted within the framework of a global economic system. The problem of cultural trade lies in its one-way operating manner. Cultural goods of rich and powerful countries invaded all markets in the world, leaving some at a disadvantage. Countries, unable to present their cultural goods to international market are not able to stand a competition. The result is that these countries are unable to enter the areas of influence occupied by multinational companies of developed countries. Language can be a good example of how globalization can damage separate cultures. The most frequently used language in the world is English. English is the common language of use on the internet and if one is expressing oneself on information technology, it is the English terms, which become inserted into the local language. If with present day communication opportunities you are unable to reach your people with your folk songs and your literature, this means that the cultural identity of a generation ago and that of the current generation will be different. If the native fairy tales, songs, celebrations and stories of your childhood are completely replaced with cultural goods produced on a different continent, then you have already become part of a global culture. On the other hand some scholars argue that globalization enhances cultural identity as culture does change in dialogue with changing economic and socio-political circumstances. A culture changes with other cultures with which it is brought into contact through commercial or political relations. However, cultures are constructed by people. Nevertheless the problem of saving cultural identity existed always. Puerto Ricans existed between few cultures. By the virtue of the Jones Act of 1917 Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, and can freely travel to and from the mainland. Thousands of Puerto Ricans have emigrated to the U.S. as a result of the American intervention and the exploitation of the island’s natural resources, that declined Puerto Rico’s economy. Puerto Ricans have experienced the adjustment issues in the new society, from the time of their inception to the mainland dating back to the 1960s. They continue facing ethnic, racial and religious prejudice in the American society. We may speak of a new Puerto Ricans that emerged in the U.S., mainly in the New York City, where there a large concentration of people of Puerto Rican descent. A pressing matter for Puerto Ricans in the United States is that of their identity. The debate among Puerto Ricans originated from question of with what they identify in terms of culture and ancestry. The differences between racial hierarchy of such as the United States and other world is that the former produce clear demarcations of racial groups and avoid “we versus them” situations, thus racialized people are less likely to gel into groups and to develop racial consciousness. The United States allows the creation of strong racial consciousness, which, itself, allows rethink peoples history. Mainly, arriving to the United States, Puerto Ricans, even with no racial consciousness, quickly become a “minority” that forces the development of the self-identification. In the same time, some scholars consider the dual citizenship of Puerto Ricans causes the ultimate self-identity crisis. The flag that represents the commonwealth of Puerto Rico was originally created to be a symbol of Puerto Rican independence but today it is seen as a symbol of ethnic pride, which can be viewed as a quite ambiguous frontier between expressing your ethnic pride and presenting a demand for self-rule. There is a bigger problem of cultural identification as a “minority” among “minorities”, because Puerto Ricans easily get lost among number of more than 20 million Spanish-speaking people in the United States. There are people of different cultures and different races among those 20 million. There are few terms to describe Spanish-speaking people in the U.S.: Spanish-speaking: Used to refer indiscriminately to any person who speaks Spanish. Some believe it is imprecise and inappropriate because it clusters together people from two dozen countries, spanning the entire American continent, the Caribbean and Spain. Hispanics: This term is used to refer collectively to all Spanish-speakers in the U.S. Officially, it identifies people of Latin American and Spanish descent living in the U.S. It specifically connotes a lineage or cultural heritage related to Spain. It was created by state agencies after 1970. Latinos: This term describes a geographically derived national origin group. It refers to people originating from or having a heritage related to Latin America.  Latin: refers to the romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese and French) spoken by the majority of Latin Americans. Origins: The term began to emerge among grassroots sectors of the population, created as an alternative to what was perceived to be an imposed label: Hispanic. It is preferred by health practitioners and policymakers for describing populations of Latin American descent. So, Spanish-speaking Americans aren’t representative of one cultural form. The only thing most of them have in common is the repeated U.S. military interventions to their native lands. There have been U.S. interventions in Guatemala, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Panama. There was an overthrow of democratically elected leaders as in Chile and the constant policing of Latin American governments. The U.S took over Puerto Rico in 1898 with intentions of making it a naval base. Despite pleas to end the military regime, Puerto Rico remained colonized by Americans and the military governors soon began the process of “Americanization” of Puerto Rico by implanting U.S. institutions, influencing education, culture and economy. One of the tools of Americanization was the teaching of English as the primary language in the public schools. Apart from identification of Puerto Ricans in the U.S., there is a problem of identity of Puerto Ricans among Puerto Ricans. Skin color and other physical characteristics are used by residents in the island of Puerto Rico to identify themselves in terms of race. The terms trigueno, blanco and moreno are perceived by Puerto Ricans as racial classifications. Other aspects considered for racial identification are color, class, facial features and texture of hair, thus resulting in a variety of racial classifications that are not recognized in the North American society. In Puerto Rico, not only is the racial classification very different from that of the United States, but that a black or white Puerto Rican, for instance, is not considered a distinguishable ethnic group. Race in American society has become equivalent and the dominant source of human identity, in many cases superseding all other aspects of identity. The problem is that no social ingredient in our understanding of race has allowed for mixed-races expressions of which are recognized by many Spanish-speaking cultures as in the Puerto Ricans triguenos and morenos. This problem is highlighted by the misunderstood attempts in the American census to establish a mixed-race category. The result is that a large group of people is left feeling an absence of identity because they do not exist formally.  One sources claim that Puerto Ricans of all colors and ancestry would say that they are just Puerto Ricans. The most telling fact about Puerto Rican culture in the U.S. is its emphasis on difference, and most notably, on the distinction between cultures of colonial peoples and that of imperialist society. Contrary Eduardo Bonilla-Silva argues that Puerto Ricans not only identify themselves as a nation of few races but have severe problems with racism in their state. During the twenty-seventh International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association, the representatives of Puerto Rico denounced the idea of the singular race. Afro-Puerto Rican face racism both in Puerto Rico and in the United States. According to Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Afro-Puerto Rican may face next racial problems in the United States: An Afro-Puerto Rican in the U.S. is more likely to be treated as a “Black” (Afro-American), than as “Latino”. Despite the prominent interactions with Afro-American in the mainland (the kinship that was strengthened by the group’s socioeconomic positions, struggles, and similarity in racial background), Afro-Puerto Rican may be treated by them as “lesser blacks”. White Americans treat “Latinos” better than Afro-Puerto Rican. Silva concludes that Afro-Puerto Rican in the U.S. must develop rather triple than “double consciousness”, to remember the fact that they Puerto-Ricans, but have American citizenship, they are “latinos”, but Afro-Latinos, they are people of African descent, but Afro-American may consider them as not of their skin. In Puerto Rico, race matters in ways that are not visible to those who experience discrimination. Racism in Puerto Rico occurs not in the familiar way of teachers giving opportunity in the class regarding the race, or employers do not hire people because of racial considerations. In big mixed Puerto Rican family “white” members can be distant form Afro-Puerto Rican members. Racial perceptions occurs at Puerto Rican weddings, in sort of “soft segregation”, where “white” guests of the wedding sits separately from the mulattos and Afro-Puerto Rican. Mainly people on leading positions (in political, cultural, social or economic fields) in Puerto Rico would likely be a “light skinned” ones. Puerto Rican identity is a complex issue, because the island appears to be a melting pot of several cultures, that include Taino (Native Indian), Spanish, African, Jamaican, West Indian, Caribbean, and also other European, Asian, Middle Eastern and North American. Taino is a subgroup of the Arawakan Indians (a group of native Americans in northeastern South America), inhabited the Greater Antilles (comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico) in the Caribbean Sea at the time when Christopher Columbus arrived to the New World. In order to understand Puerto Ricos prehistoric era, it is important to know that the Tainos, far more than the Caribs, contributed greatly to the everyday life and language that evolved during the Spanish occupation. Taino place names are still used in many towns in Puerto Rico. Many Taino implements and techniques were copied directly by the Europeans, including the straw hut and the hammock, the musical instrument known as the maracas, and the method of making cassava bread. Many Taino words persist in the Puerto Rican vocabulary of today, such as names of plants, trees and fruits. The most profound European influence on today’s Puerto Rico is that of Spain. Spanish heritage has left an indelible mark on the island, and signs of this cultural exchange can be found everywhere, from the official language to the local culinary styles. The culture of European countries has also influenced the development of the performing arts on the island, especially in music. Many of the islands musical genres have their origins in the Spanish culture. With the introduction of slavery to the colony, the island experienced an influx of Africans who brought with them the cultural trappings of their own tribes. These influences are evident in the fields of dance and music. Also Africans brought Spanglish to Puerto Rico. Moreover, Puerto Rican’s literary history is tightly connected with the African tradition of oral storytelling. The shared heritage of many Caribbean nations is reflected in cultural pursuits like dance, as well as in local culinary styles. The neighboring islands that have had the most influence on Puerto Ricos dance and music are Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. A number of Latin American countries have also exerted influence on Puerto Rico, particularly in helping the island to develop its own distinct cultural identity. In the filmmaking community, co-productions between Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries have created an exchange of ideas and influenced their film conventions. For instance, the Latin sense of humor and fantastical elements are evident in Puerto Rican films. The influence of the United States on Puerto Rico can be divided in two: positive and negative. As it has been stated before, the status of the United States Commonwealth affected Puerto Rican’s economics, social structure, and culture. Before the United States captured Puerto Rico from Spain in 1898, the colony was agriculture based. Most worked on sugar cane, tobacco, or coffee plantations. Through the beginning of the 20th century, Puerto Ricans remained agricultural. Operation Bootstrap, an operation of the United States and Puerto Ricos Economic Development Administration, began in 1942 and was put in place to transform Puerto Rico into an industrial colony. Government owned factories were built to shift development to industrial factory work and, eventually, education of the factory work force. Also American jazz influenced much Puerto Rican contemporary music. But the alliance with the United States made Puerto Rican national identity complicated. First the growth of Puerto Rican industry changed the outlook on familiar social structure. Traditionally, the Puerto Rican family was a large, three generation family living in the same home or as neighbors. The family was built around a set of parents or a single mother, and the family was sustained through multiple wage earning jobs. As the industrial revolution progressed, women found factory jobs more easily than men, becoming the bread winners. The Puerto Rican family structure changed to a small, nuclear matriarchy consisting of only immediate family members. The United States ideal of small, patriarchal families also impacted the contemporary Puerto Rican family structure in policy. In an attempt to demolish poverty in shantytowns, the Puerto Rico Housing Authority established public housing by example of United States policy. The public housing further disenfranchised the large multi-generation family by dividing nuclear families into public, single-family dwellings. Links to extended family are still an important aspect to the culture of Puerto Rican family structure, however they have been significantly weakened. Puerto Ricans maintain United States citizenship while aligning with a uniquely Puerto Rican heritage. Although the islands culture is not heterogeneous, Puerto Rico establishes several binary oppositions to the United States: American identity versus Puerto Rican identity, English language versus Spanish language, Protestant versus Catholic, and Anglo-Saxon heritage versus Hispanic heritage. Another issue splitting national identity is political ideals on Puerto Ricos national status. There are three primary positions: pro-Commonwealth, pro-statehood, and pro-independence. Basically, Puerto Rican identity has been developed in rejection to American cultural identity. Since United States citizenship was instated, about half of the pre-Commonwealth population of Puerto Rico has relocated to the continental United States. Due to the cultural identification, that exist to the opposition of American, generally, those who have relocated to the United States are not considered part of the Puerto Rican nation. So we may see, that Puerto Rican culture and identity issues lies in the multi-cultural and multi-racial roots of the country. The complex relationships with the United States of America at one hand helps with the cultural identity (Puerto Ricans living in the mainland identify themselves as the “minority” of Puerto-Ricans among other Spanish-speaking people in the U.S.), on the other hand makes the national identity with distorted and complicated, as being more powerful and rich states it influences culture. Works Cited Capetillo-Ponce, Jorge “Defining the Other.” Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge Vol. 2 Art. 18 (2003): p. 122-124. Print. Tomilson, John “Globalization and Culture.” University of Chicago Press (1999): p. 269 – 277. Print. Sixty-Fourth Congress, Session II, Chap. 144-145. Web. http://www.legisworks.org/congress/64/publaw-368.pdf Keesing, Roger “Theories of Culture Revisited.” Canberra Anthropology Vol. 13 (1990): p. 44-46. Print. Luis, William “Dance Between Two Cultures.” Nashville: Vanderbilt (1997): p. 206-207. Print. Jiminez Roman, Miriam & Flores Juan “The Afro-Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the United States.” Duke University Press (2010): p. 445-450; 508-511. Print. Read More