right: Alcaldia (mayor's office)By: Haley Hernandez
Before I got to Puerto Rico I wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by the exotic Caribbean culture but technically still in the same nation. Although the culture is quite different from anything we experience in the United States, when people speak to me in English and I pay for things in American dollars, I don’t blink an eye and question which boundaries I’m within.
Today, Monday May 21, I had an interview with the vice-mayor of San German about this sensitive subject of whether or not Puerto Rico wants to become a state. Prior to today I tried to get opinions from nice people I’d meet from Puerto Rico and ask how they felt about this topic. Nobody responded with indifference. With most people that I questioned, it was obvious with their reaction that I struck a nerve of passion within them. I’d be answered with an eager positive response or with a jumble of frazzled English as people searched for the right words to tell me specifically why Puerto Rico should remain independent. So as I sat in the press room of the Alcaldia (Mayor’s office) I took some deep breaths and hoped he’d respect my desire to become more educated on this subject instead of shunning my questions which I’d already experienced others doing quickly when I brought up politics.
“In your opinion, do you think Puerto Rico should become the 51st state of the United States?” I asked.
Vice Mayor, Damien Morales gave me a patient smile as he explained this “ancient” and continuous question that floats over the heads of the Puerto Ricans on a daily basis. He said he believed the ties with the United States were strong enough as they are and felt they should remain independent.
However, the story takes on new meanings every day. I came into this excursion having very minimal information compared to what I know now. Every day I learn something new that changes the angle of the story. Either people telling me they didn’t want to be a state because they didn’t want English to be the main language spoken here or they wanted to be a state because they felt protected and wealthier as Americans. I’m enjoying learning more about this with each person I meet. Nonetheless, it doesn’t change the group’s question of “what is this?” Are we studying abroad, or not?
