Puerto Ricans have contributed much of the fabric that has helped weave the great American quilt, helping to shape and develop America while retaining and celebrating much of their own rich heritage over the years. This 4 part article explores the proud history and heritage of Puerto Ricans in America as they have helped build one of the greatest nations this planet has ever known, with their own unique flare, strong personality and proud lineage. In part one; we explore the early history of Puerto Rican Americans.
Causes of Migration
Puerto Ricans have migrated to the mainland of the United States since at least the 1830's. During the 1890's, one of the first small groups of Puerto Ricans arrived in East Harlem. The United States took possession of Puerto Rico at the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898 and has retained sovereignty there ever since. In 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act gave the islanders U.S. citizenship along with the obligation of serving in the American armed forces. This newly acquired citizenship and the rights that accompanied it allowed native Puerto Ricans to work and live in the United States while being able to travel without the need of a passport between the island and the United States mainland. They did not have to go endure the Ellis Island Immigration processing headaches which Europeans and other Latin Americans had to submit to.
Poverty and difficult economic times drove these people to the United States. The men who could not find jobs had the option of joining the United States Military. One of the most noted military units at that time was New York's 369th Infantry, to which many Puerto Ricans and African-Americans belonged. Puerto Ricans, in search of a better existence than what they found in Puerto Rico, continued to migrate to the United States after both World Wars. Many displaced Island workers were initially lured to New York and other cities by the booming postwar economy and the opportunities that it afforded.
As a result of the commercial air travel boom in 1945, a one-way ticket from San Juan to New York all of a sudden cost less than $50. This added to a steady stream of Puerto Rican migration which had begun during World War I, reaching a population zenith for Puerto Ricans in the United States, circa 70,000 to 250,000 people, between 1940-1950.
Trying to Adjust to Their New Home
Oblivious to the fact that they would be facing a highly racial labor market that would deny them the opportunity to move front and center into the American mainstream, a large number of Puerto Rican families made New York City's East Harlem their first mainland destination. As the Puerto Ricans continued to move to East Harlem, they encroached many existing communities and began forming their own distinctive neighborhoods, establishing their own values, traditions and cuisine. Though they inhabited dilapidated neighborhoods living in old broken-down houses left behind by the previous immigrant residents, they still managed to establish a cultural life full of great vitality and gregariousness. The people of "El Barrio" always banned together as a group united in their common interests. Assimilation into the American culture was not their priority.
As long as they lived here, they were going to preserve their heritage by speaking Spanish, with their unique, colorful music, and by instituting traditional cultural activities. They never completely cut their ties with their homeland. Since they were able to go back and forth with ease, there really was no need to sever ties. Their only major anxiety at that time was to find the means of surviving economically. Puerto Ricans by the thousands found employment in the factories as unskilled operators and as seamstresses in the garment industry. They competed with other ethnic groups for unskilled labor jobs. They became maids, maintenance workers, dishwashers, janitors, doormen and laundry workers.
Many, though, became entrepreneurs establishing religious shops, bodegas (grocery stores), carnicerias (meat stores), restaurants and other shops. These stores mushroomed all over East Harlem. During the summer months one would see on every corner the familiar sight of a man selling "Piraguas," (shaved ice with a thick flavored syrup over it). In New York, especially within East Harlem, the Puerto Ricans suffered the same hardships and racial discrimination that earlier immigrants such as the Irish, the Italians and the Jewish community had to endure. Good paying jobs were not available to them due to an inability to master the English language and specialized working skills. They were labeled as minorities suffering widespread discrimination by the hiring practices of businesses.
Hello Spanglish
Puerto Ricans not only had to cope with racial discrimination and cultural differences, they also had to face the language barrier. It was very difficult and frustrating for migrating Puerto Ricans to speak English. This became a racially discriminating factor for them as they adjusted to their new environment.. Out of extreme necessity, in order to survive in the midst of a highly prejudiced society, a new form of communication with its own vocabulary was created. It was called "Spanglish." Spanglish was common throughout Puerto Rican neighborhoods, as frustrated Puerto Rican residents struggled to pronounce strange English words correctly. Some say it is a mixture of Spanish and English commonly used by the Puerto Ricans of New York, better known as "Nuyoricans." The dialect is really a jumble of English and Spanish words and phrases that jumps back and forth between the two languages. Also, if a Spanglish speaker is unsure if a word is correct or not, then a Spanish suffix is added to the end of English words, such as in the word "plataforma," which means platform. Here are a few examples of Spanglish phrases that were used then and even more so now.
1. Jorge, mi cari?o, what are you doing here?
2. Oye nene, ya comiste el lonche?
3. Mami, hecha me la bendici?n, que voy chopin. (cho-ppen)
4. Hay bendito, Ernesto lost his job y est? bien pelao.
5. Hey honey, va a chequear el newspaper para ver si el show est? all??
6. Te veo ahorita, me voy de shopping para el mol.
7. Oye mi negro, Que vas hacer this weekend.?
8. Oye Marta, el hijo tuyo le gusta bulear a los otros ni?os.
9. Petra, voy al banco, to cash my check...vengo enseguida.
10. Juanito, come here and give abuelita un beso.
In part two of this 4 part series, we'll explore how Puerto Ricans struggled to assimilate into American society.
History in all its manifestations is Miriam B. Medina's passion. She loves nothing more than sharing it. If you want to learn more about today's subject matter and lose some weight while you're at it, she suggests that you bring your dancing shoes and crank up your speakers to get a great history lesson with a Latin beat! So click on that first video at: http://thehistorybox.com/ny_city/harlem_spanish_nycity.htm Don't worry if you don't have a partner, just get up and shake that booty! Close your eyes and you are in "Spanish Harlem, spicing it up the Puerto Rican Way." GO BABY GO!
No comments:
Post a Comment