Blog Post #2

The diversity that I have been able to encounter in Puerto Rico has challenged my initial expectations. From Luquillo to Yabucoa to Loíza to San Juan, each town has brought something completely new to my perception of the island and its people. There have been differences in lifestyles and priorities for the people that I’ve met. However, certain ideals have been present in all the Puerto Rican’s that I have had the privilege of doing service alongside. Each of them has had a deep-rooted passion for the island and protecting it, particularly in regards to the environment. The young people who organized in Bayamón were so admirable in their regard for the tragedy of the earthquake, when they could have easily chosen to be indifferent. 

I have been noting the the level of Americanization in each of the different locations during the trip. In the stores (themselves mostly American chains like Walgreens and Walmart), the vast majority of products have been the exact same as in mainland stores. There is little that I have seen that has been Puerto Rico-specific; even the labels for most things are in English. The American dominance over the Puerto Rican economy has meant that the people here receive little in the way of tailored products. In Walgreens, even the advertisements for sales were all in English. This only adds another layer of the indignity of being a colonized country. Plaza las Américas represents the pinnacle of American capitalism and the people who are able to thrive and benefit from it. However, the artisanal fair was a nice representation of the local economy. Additionally, I found a store on the 3rd floor named “Hecho en Puerto Rico” that sold only goods manufactured on the island-and they were regular, everyday things like flour, coffee, and sugar. I hope that the existence of the store in the upscale mall represents a growing demand for a more local Puerto Rican economy.