Puerto Ricans

1
Puerto Ricans

• By Jeffrey Cryor-Howard
• Kevin Whitley

2
Origins

• Taino Indians
• Spanish
• Africans

3
Taino Indians

• Lived scattered around the Island known as
  Boriquen (which means land of the brave and noble
  lord)
• Primary mode of transport was a canoe.

4
Taino Indians

• Diet consisted of fish, vegetables, and fruit
  such as Yucca, Pineapple, Corn, and Sweet
  potatoes.
• Culture maintained a system divided into 3
  distinct levels.
• Caciques (top officials)
• Nitainos (high class)
• Naborias (lower working class.

5
Spanish

• Christopher Columbus first landed on the island
  of Boriquen (Puerto Rico) in 1493.
• In 1508 Juan Ponce de Leon arrived to become the
  first governer.

6
Spanish

• Soon after arrival, the spanish settlers quickly
  depleted most of the gold on the island and
  enslaved the indians.
• They began producing large plantations, so they
  had slaves brought over.

7
Africans

• The Africans were brought over to help the people
  on the island work the sugar and coffee
  plantations.
• They worked until slavery was finally abolished
  in 1873.

8
History

• Puerto Rico was a colony of Spain From 1598
• In 1898 it was acquired as a War Payment to the
  US after the Spanish-American War

9
Freedom is near for all

• 19 years after the U.S. invaded Puerto Rico,
  during the Spanish American War, all Puerto
  Ricans were granted citizenship.
• They were offered independence, however the
  Puerto Rican Government felt they could not
  handle it and decided to stay as a commonwealth.

10
Life in a Commonwealth

• Foreigners in their own home
• "Cuba and Puerto Rico are natural appendages of
  the United States.
• John Quincy Adams, 1823
• "English spoken here
• Sign posted by U.S. troopsin Ponce, 1898
• Source Rwor.org

11
Islander Puerto Ricans

• Live as a commonwealth of the US

12
Misconceptions

• Many Americans believe that Puerto Rican
  residents get a free ride from the US
• They do not pay federal income tax
• They do not vote in presidential elections
• They do pay social security
• They can receive federal welfare
• They can serve in the armed forces.

13
Puerto-Rican Americans

• Over 9,000,000 US residents identify themselves
  as Puerto Rican
• Cities with large Puerto Rican Populations
• New York
• Chicago
• Philadelphia
• New Jersey
• Boston

14
Latino Grouping

• In studies, Puerto Ricans are often grouped with
• Cubans
• Mexicans
• Various South Americans
• This makes it more difficult to get purely Puerto
  Rican statistics

15
Puerto Rican
16
Islander Vs. Mainland

• Islanders Assume that Mainlanders
• Can Not speak Spanish
• Are not as Puerto Rican as they are
• Mainlanders Assume that Islanders
• Can not speak English

17
Culture
18
Family

• One of the most important aspects of their
  culture.
• Tend to live in extended families.
• Families are larger then those living in the
  United States.
• Most families fall into the middle class of
  society.

19
Religion

• Many are Roman Catholics.
• Practice their religion in church settings.

20
Foods

• Rice
• Pigeon Peas
• Peanie
• Pinchos
• Pataleos
• Pascados
• Tos Tones

21
Forms of Entertainment

• Movies
• Theatre
• Dancing

22
Forms of Entertainment

• Salsa
• Created in New York City in the 1960s, but is
  now centered in Puerto Rico.
• A combination of different instruments form
  different nations all combined.
• Spanish, African, Cuban, and Puerto Rican music
  are all comprised to make salsa

23
Holidays

• Christmas
• Thanksgiving
• New Years

24
Holidays

• Misas de aguinaldos
• Nine days before Christmas Eve, people sing
  traditional Christmas songs accompanied by
  instruments such as cuatro, guiro, and maracas.

25
Holidays

• Santos Inocentes
• In Commemoration of the day King Herods soldiers
  were sent to kill the first born boys from every
  family.

26
Famous Puerto-Rican Americans

• Jennifer Lopez
• Marc Anthony
• Rosie Perez
• Fat Joe
• Big Pun

27
Famous Puerto Ricans

• Felix Trinidad
• Ricky Martin
• Raul Julia
• Tito Puente
• Juan Chichi Rodriguez
• Roberto Clemente

28
Stereotypes

• Big lips
• Big Butts
• Lazy
• Lots of gold
• Big earrings
• Ghetto
• Uneducated