What is it to feel American?

[Jorge]

If you're born in Puerto Rico or the US (to a parent from P.Rico); then you are an American.

[Nubeluz]

I am a U.S. born american of Puerto Rican and,Chicano decent

[LongIslander1987]

I don't disagree but some people continue to believe otherwise.

Today it is very popular to hyphenate, people call themselves "Irish-American", "Polish-American", "Italian-American", "African-American", etc yet there is nothing Irish, Polish, Italian, or African about them. Unless one is born in Ireland, Poland, or Italy they are a plain old AMERICAN.

American is not a skin color, language, or background but rather a set of ideals that formed a nation.

[mysterysilence]

LongIslander1987 wrote:

I don't disagree but some people continue to believe otherwise.
Today it is very popular to hyphenate, people call themselves "Irish-American", "Polish-American", "Italian-American", "African-American", etc yet there is nothing Irish, Polish, Italian, or African about them. Unless one is born in Ireland, Poland, or Italy they are a plain old AMERICAN.
American is not a skin color, language, or background but rather a set of ideals that formed a nation.

I don't think that will ever change, I've always called myself Puerto Rican although I was born in NY because of what you just said we are not considered fully Americans, Unless you're white . I'm always asked what are you? I should answer I'm a martian damn it!!!

[Jorge]

LongIslander1987 wrote:

I don't disagree but some people continue to believe otherwise.
Today it is very popular to hyphenate, people call themselves "Irish-American", "Polish-American", "Italian-American", "African-American", etc yet there is nothing Irish, Polish, Italian, or African about them. Unless one is born in Ireland, Poland, or Italy they are a plain old AMERICAN.
American is not a skin color, language, or background but rather a set of ideals that formed a nation.

None of us who post here (except maybe you) are of Polish, Italian, Irish or "African American" descent.

What do you think about Puerto Ricans?(which is what concerns us).

[Jorge]

mysterysilence wrote:

<quoted text> I don't think that will ever change, I've always called myself Puerto Rican although I was born in NY because of what you just said we are not considered fully Americans, Unless you're white . I'm always asked what are you? I should answer I'm a martian damn it!!!

LOL

hahahahahahahahaahahahahahahah ahaha

Good answer to a stupid question.

[Jorge]

Nubeluz wrote:

I am a U.S. born american of Puerto Rican and,Chicano decent

I am a US born American (descending from so many different races...LOL)...from Arab, European, African, American indigenous (Taíno), even Jewish...(heck, you really want me to go on?)....LOL

But, first and foremost-I am a US American!

[LongIslander1987]

Like I said, Puerto Rican = American.

Im curious, what would an older Puerto Rican person like your mom or dad say in response to this question?

[mysterysilence]

Jorge wrote:

<quoted text>
LOL
hahahahahahahahaahahahahahahah ahaha
Good answer to a stupid question.

Lmaooo, I can't count the times people ask me, what are you? What kind of question is that? Or I get "oh you don't look Puerto Rican, I thought you was Asian and black." I'm like what does a suppose Puerto Rican look like? Oh god lol

[Nubeluz]

Jorge wrote:

<quoted text>
I am a US born American (descending from so many different races...LOL)...from Arab, European, African, American indigenous (Taíno), even Jewish...(heck, you really want me to go on?)....LOL
But, first and foremost-I am a US American!

It is all an exotic,unique and beautiful mixture.

[Jorge]

LongIslander1987 wrote:

Like I said, Puerto Rican = American.
Im curious, what would an older Puerto Rican person like your mom or dad say in response to this question?

Great question!

Most of my grandparents were imposed the American citizenship when they were either babies or around 10 yrs. old.

Some of my greatgrandparents either refused to give up their Spanish citizenship, renounced their American citizenship after being imposed or embraced it altogether.

When my parents were born, in 1929 (Dad) or in 1933 (Mom), their Americanness was enforced (as an old Spanish saying goes-"thru blood and fire")...English was the language of teaching in island public schools (when all my grandparents were in grade school and thru their high school).

When my parents reached middle and high school (in the early 40's), Spanish replaced English as the island's main language of teaching....

And then...bang-come 1948, and the colony confused them by teaching Puertoricanness, while persecuting those who embraced their Puerto Rican flag.

Dad went to a stateside college, once he graduated from high school in San Juan.

Mom was sent for a couple of years, during her high school years to New York, to polish her English...

So, both were very Americanized, to the point that when my sister and I were small, Mom and Dad would hold their disagreements in English (so that my we wouldn't understand them)....LOL

Needless to say, my parents sent us to American schools and stateside colleges.

[Jorge]

Nubeluz wrote:

<quoted text>It is all an exotic,unique and beautiful mixture.

For me, the bland European, pure indigenous and pure Black African looks are exotic.

My "everyday", "normal" look is this beautiful mixture.

Just take a long look at yourself in the mirror tonight and discover the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas all rolled up into yourself and your beautiful looks (and the ways Latinas and Latinos behave, wear their make up and clothes and carry themselves)...Its all there!

I'm very proud of being an American of Latin American roots.

[mysterysilence]

My mom was born and raised in Puerto Rico, she is still in her 40s and moved to Ny as a teenager and calls herself Puerto Rican. My dad was born in NY but moved back to Puerto Rico in his 30s and he's in his early 50s and considers himself Puerto Rican. We never used the term American which is weird. My mom probably when I was young said I was a Newyork Rican. There shouldn't be this much confusion in this day and age.

[Jorge]

mysterysilence wrote:

<quoted text> Lmaooo, I can't count the times people ask me, what are you? What kind of question is that? Or I get "oh you don't look Puerto Rican, I thought you was Asian and black." I'm like what does a suppose Puerto Rican look like? Oh god lol

I wonder what the "Puerto Rican" stereotype is (which I think is what some people mean by "looking Puerto Rican).

Is it being an island mountain jíbaro?

An urban islander?

An urban stateside "Puerto Rican"?

A suburban stateside "Puerto Rican"?

A stateside mountain (redneck) "Puerto Rican"?

A newly arrived to a state "Puerto Rican"?

All of the above???

LOL

[Jorge]

LongIslander1987 wrote:

Like I said, Puerto Rican = American.
Im curious, what would an older Puerto Rican person like your mom or dad say in response to this question?

Your question got me thinking about my Dad's Dad (my abuelo) and my Dad's older brother (my tío and godfather).

I was very close to both of them, especially to my Dad's father.

Tío Benny and my abuelo were both so proud of belong to the Elks, being veterans and belonging to the statehood party....

Don't ask me about my uncles, cousins and abuelo on my Mom's side...(that's a completely different story).

Some of my cousins fought alongside Albizu and the nacionalistas (in the Utuado uprising); some of my cousins renounced their American citizenship back in the 1970's and left the island for Cuba...etc. etc. etc....

LOL

I got communists family living in communist Cuba...LOL (how does that sound?).

And some of my Utuado family still resent the populares and the Americans for bombing Utuado, back in 1950...and long for the 1 day old Republic of Puerto Rico.

[Jorge]

mysterysilence wrote:

...There shouldn't be this much confusion in this day and age.

You know I love to disagree (as if you don't know by now).

I bet back in the Roman forum, they would have stoned me to death or feed me to the lions for being confrontational...LOL

But, we-as a people (stateside and island boricuas, alike) are as confused as ever....thanks to the colony!

Longislander is right!

[mysterysilence]

Jorge wrote:

<quoted text>
I wonder what the "Puerto Rican" stereotype is (which I think is what some people mean by "looking Puerto Rican).
Is it being an island mountain jíbaro?
An urban islander?
An urban stateside "Puerto Rican"?
A suburban stateside "Puerto Rican"?
A stateside mountain (redneck) "Puerto Rican"?
A newly arrived to a state "Puerto Rican"?
All of the above???
LOL

LOL apparently I don't fit to any of those categories hahaha I'm so use to it by now. The newly arrive they call them "fresh off the boat" oh man

[mysterysilence]

Jorge wrote:

<quoted text>
You know I love to disagree (as if you don't know by now).
I bet back in the Roman forum, they would have stoned me to death or feed me to the lions for being confrontational...LOL
But, we-as a people (stateside and island boricuas, alike) are as confused as ever....thanks to the colony!
Longislander is right!

oh yeah I do know you love to disagree its one of your trademarks lol...

[Jorge]

mysterysilence wrote:

<quoted text> LOL apparently I don't fit to any of those categories hahaha I'm so use to it by now. The newly arrive they call them "fresh off the boat" oh man

"are we still-on the boat"????

LOL

Didn't know that...LOL

That's so funny!

In fact, when the Puerto Rican migration was in full swing, my Dad's family lived in San Juan (the street in front of the Metropolitan cathedral) and they could hear the whistles from the ships (like the famous Marine Tiger) leaving for New York with thousands of our mountain jíbaros being "thrown" to the urban jungle of the world's largest Anglo city (some of them with their summer clothes on in the dead of a New York winter).

When Dad left for college in New York, he went by plane (from the Isla Grande airport); 8 hrl flight.

Our migration (the Puerto Rican migration) was the world's first massive air migration.

[Jorge]

mysterysilence wrote:

<quoted text> oh yeah I do know you love to disagree its one of your trademarks lol...

The Spanish Inquisition would have pushed a stake up my butt and fried me (in the middle of San Juan's main plaza)....LOL