Puerto Ricans: Spanish and English in Puerto Rico Conflict (Essay Sample)

How do Puerto Ricans who are living on the island, or who have lived on the island, feel about the conflict between Spanish and English in Puerto Rico?
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Institutional Affiliation:
Puerto Ricans
Introduction
Puerto Ricans feel that the conflict between Spain and American and the subsequent colonization of their island by the latter continent led to their unique state in America as immigrants. Technically, the Puerto Ricans do not fit the description of immigrants- "a person who comes to a country and takes permanent residence." Since 1917, Puerto Ricans standards have been diminishing when they visit other countries, especially the U.S, as they are often pictured as immigrants. This fact tarnishes the picture of the country as a whole subsequently hurting the feelings of the citizens living in the country. A person moving from Puerto Rico to Texas is no more considered an immigrant than a person moving from New York to Massachusetts. The Puerto Rican experiences in their motherland is a constant reminder of what color and language are capable of achieving; with respect to discrimination.
This essay examines the language use among Puerto Ricans living in the island and how it has been affected by the relationship between herself and the United States. It also presents evidence that suggests that the islanders are shifting to English faster than other Latino groups. The idea that these individuals are the group that takes the lead in bilingualism loss among Latinos is a source of debate for many scholars in the sociolinguistic departments. A particular focus on the Islanders and how the interaction with the Americans has affected them provides a brief overview of Puerto Ricans immigration, assimilation, and history.
Taking these factors into consideration, it is evident that the racial identification among the people of Puerto Ricans is not uniform. It varies depending on their settlements. Most of them, especially the ones living in Puerto Rico, identify themselves as white more than their counterparts in the USA. This paper also compares the effects of either residing in Puerto Rico or other countries (specifically the US) with regards to racial identification among the islanders. Based on the Microdata sample data from the Puerto Rico Community Survey and the American Community Survey 2006-2008, I find that there is no single pattern of uniform effects. Those individuals that are grounded on the island’s racial system are more likely to identify themselves as White than those that are less grounded (who identify themselves as multiracial or by another racial descriptor). On returning home, these individuals revert to the prevalent pattern of racial identification while at the same time exhibiting the effects of their sojourn on their ethnic identities. (Massa, 1970)
Literature Review
According to Paul (1991), a prominent historian and established advocate for a new paradigm for understanding the Puerto Ricans and their movements and migration patterns to other countries as well as their history, "…..there exists a fundamental difference between the experiences of peoples of color and those of White immigrants." He acknowledged that assimilation model could not work for people of color, and no amount of wishing could change this notion.
Over the centuries, European powers such as the Dutch, French, and the British all tried to take Puerto Rico from Spain due to the obvious reason its strategic position. As the easternmost island in all Antilles, Spain used Puerto Rico as a gateway to the Caribbean and its other assets located in America. The fear of losing this valuable asset drove Spain to fortify and cover Puerto Rico in forts. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, Spain had lost all of its colonies expect Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Cuba, Guam and a few other Pacific islands. (Barreto, 2001)
During the nineteenth century, inspirations by prolific leaders such as Simon Bolivar and other independent movements in the Latin country led to rebellions and uprisings that pushed for independence from the weakened Spanish crown. Though unsuccessful, the resistance resulted in an agreement that gave birth to the Carta Autonómica making Puerto Rico an overseas province of Spain. This agreement allowed Puerto Rico an opportunity to have its first semi-autonomous government which was governed by a Spanish elected governor whose function was to maintain the power to annul any law or legislative decision.
According to Brau (1969), the traditions and beliefs of the Puerto Rican people were heavily influenced by the Afro –Spanish history. Many Puerto Ricans superstitions and customs blend the Catholic religious traditions of the pagan and Spaniard religious beliefs of the West African slaves who were brought to the island at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Though most of the islanders are strict Catholics, the local customs have spiced and flavored standard Catholic ceremonies. Among these were weddings, baptisms, and funerals. They also believed in the notion that the world was populated with spirits who would communicate with the living through dreams, a traditional belief known as spiritism. The Islanders in addition to the holy days observed by the Catholic Church also celebrated other days of particular interests to them. They included "Candlemas," a ceremony that was celebrated on every 2nd day of February and entailed building of massive bonfire around which they drunk, danced and had merry.
History of Puerto Rico
The history of the Puerto Rico Island began by the occupation and settlement of archipelago by the Ortoroid people between 3,000 and 2,000 BC. Other tribes such as the Arawak and Saladoid Indians had populated the region between 430 BC and 1000 AD. In 1942, at a time when Christopher Columbus arrived in the new world, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Tainos. The numbers of the Taino people in the later years, during the latter half of the 16th century, decreased drastically due to exploitation by Spanish settlers, warfare, and diseases carried by the Europeans. (Golding, 1973)
Strategically located in the northeastern Caribbean, the island formed an essential part of the Spanish Empire during the exploration stage of the subsequent conquest and colonization of the New World. The island provided a major military base for many wars between Spain and other European powers for the control of the region from the 16th to the 18th century. Puerto Rico was a stepping stone from Europe to Mexico, Central America, Cuba and the northern parts of South America. Throughout the 19th century up to the conclusion of the Spanish-American war, Cuba, and Puerto Rico were the last of the Spanish colonies in the New World as they served as Spain’s final outposts in the struggle to take back the control of the unicorn island territories. The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 was revived and written in English, Spanish and French so as to it could attract other European to the island. This was in the hope that the independence movements would calm down, consequently reducing their popularity and strength with the arrival of new settlers. To motivate settlers, free land was offered to anyone with an intention of populating the region on the condition they swear loyalty and allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church and the Spanish Crown.
Puerto Rico’s conquest and colonization by the US
During the Spanish-American war of 1898, Puerto Rico was invaded, conquered and subsequently became a colony of the United States. The bigger part of the 20th century was characterized by Puerto Rican’s struggles to obtain a democratic state from the US. The enactment of the Foraker Act in 1900 and the Jones Act of 1917 established a civil government that made Puerto Ricans US citizens. This paved way for the construction of Puerto Rico’s constitution which was approved by voters and the Congress in 1952. However, the political status of the island, which is a commonwealth country controlled by the US, remains an anomaly. (Schweers, 2000)
English and English Education in Puerto Rico
The official language of the Government of Puerto Rico is English alongside Spanish. Spanish has been the official language since the island’s colonization by Spain in the 15th century. English, on the other, was introduced in Puerto Rico after the US conquest and occupation of the island during the American-Spanish war. Since the conquest, the Puerto Rican government declared English as the official language while at the same time removing it from that status on as many occasions as possible, but unfortunately as of 2016; English remains to be the official language for all Commonwealth nations. Incorporation of English language in Puerto Rico’s education system was propagated by the American programs for building up modern economic infrastructures such as modern schools, roads ports, telephones and telegraphs, electric power systems as well as hospitals and agricultural programs.
The emphasis on modern schools was imp...