What does it mean to be Puerto Rican?

I’ve been debating about what to write for a while now, and when I really think about it I can’t think of anything that I find concrete to say about this topic. What does it actually mean to be from somewhere? Is it the food, the culture, where you live? I could go on and on about how being Puerto Rican for me is eating alcapurrias in my grandmother home and going to the beach on weekends, but that’s just really what it means for me. That’s not the reality, but the truth is being Puerto Rican for me could just consist of any random assortment of activities I as a person like to do.

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You could say that in general it could be considered that it means taking part in the activities that the average person in the island takes place in, but what about immigrants? Are they Puerto Rican if they take part as well? Or a mix of two or more cultures, something completely different to what they were before they arrived. Now imagine the differences between immigrants to Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans of differing religions, from different parts of the island. What could possibly singularly define us as a people, aside from the geographic area we live in?

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I’m obviously not saying that “Puertorricans” don’t exist, I know I am one, and you can usually notice one out in the wild. My point is that it’s one of those things that you just can’t describe, you just know it when you see it. Either you identify yourself as one and try to emulate the customs of the people around, or you do your own thing. But I believed that either of these behaviors could describe a Puerto Rican. What you do, where you do it, and with whom are, are not nearly as important as what you think you are.

About me

    I was born in Manati, but spent most of my life in Vega Baja, not that there’s much of a difference between these cities.  When I was less than a year old my parents moved with me to Florida for a year or two, so I managed to learn English and Spanish at the same time, which I think explains why I’m horrible when it comes to speaking either language. I really can’t remember much about my childhood, other than my grandparents, who took care of me most of the time.

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    I went to Brigida Alvarez for high school, which I really enjoyed because it was focused on Science and Math, but mostly because of the math. Being a part of the math and science teams was a godsend, since we got to skip out on some class days for competitions and there was usually a pretty well stocked buffet or full course lunch at these. We usually didn’t place too high in these, but the experiences are some of the most memorable from my time in High school.

Senior year my best friend and I managed to win first place in the Math Science fair, and we both got to travel to Los Angeles for the International competition.  That was a great way to end senior year since we managed to practically not do anything for our regular classes during our last semester, on the pretext that we were “working” on our project, when in reality we usually just ate BBQ and spent time at the beach.  That’s not to say we didn’t give a good presentation in LA, but honestly that was mostly second fiddle to having fun and meeting new people.

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    After graduating I started studying Mechanical Engineering in the UPRRP in a program where I take my general classes during two years here, then finish at the UPRM. So far I’ve really enjoyed my stay at “la IUPI” and I’ve made a lot of friends from all walks of life, from fellow MechE students, professor, and exchange students. I’m excited for the change of scenery next year, though I’ll miss the friends I’ve made here.