PR * #2

Before coming to Puerto Rico I have to say I had different thoughts regarding the people on the Island and I did not know what to expect. I thought that coming to PR I would find people who overarchingly fit the stereotypes on the mainland and I've always heard that the land was beautiful but I did not know it was THIS beautiful! All of those preconcevied perceptions I had were wrong and incorrect but I am glad that I could prove myself and society wrong by this experience.  Though PR is a US territory I find that they are individuals who are in love with their culture and history. They are proud and beautiful people who love their country and their fellow neighbors.  Over the past couple of days I have been able to see a broad range of different types of Puerto Ricans differing in social class and skin color.  Like other diverse lands they are experiencing issues with race and class relations. I also want to note that before this trip I did not know about the major tax on imports and exports.  That was absoulty mindblowing.  I was able to see myself reacting to the tax prices when we went shopping in the Walmart as well as the Mall. I found myself saying, "Wow that is so expensive, I am so glad we do not have to pay a crazy tax on food and clothes back in New Jersey" or "I might as well wait till I get back home because this is too expensive".  This blew my mind because these people are just minding their business and trying to make a living on that land that we as a United States "won in a war" and now taxs the heck out of to make a profit.
I found that by town we have experienced a different type of community.  On our first day we drove to Old San Juan to walk around. It was a beautiful town with art and history.  Then on our second day we got to go to a Eco-Farm to help around the farm and hear about their efforts in trying to engage with the community and young people who are fleeing to the cities due to limited work.  On the third day, our service was sadly canceled but we had an amazing cultural experience in the town of Loiza which held so much history. This town spoke to me a lot because they have kept their African history alive.  You could feel the history and proudness of the community flowing through the streets.  Then Then on the 4th day, we found an alternate form of service by buying then helping a group of young people make carepackages for the victims in the south.  It felt amazing to be surrounded by individuals who were young and so worldly.  They knew what they wanted for Puerto Rico and had the drive to push for it.  Then later that day we were able to go to a completely different world in PR.  Plaza Las Americas transported me into a different world.  In this mall I felt that I had escaped all of the issues that were going on outside of the mall. The people were clearly upper/middle class individuals or anyone well dressed.  They seemed to not have a care in the world like "earthquake what earthqauke?". This put everything in persepctive for me.  Just a few towns over a group of young people assembled on the fly to help their fellow Puerto Ricans and here in the mall the individuals who could afford to escape reality and PR were spending their day.  Lastly, today we were able to go back to reality.  We met went to APRODEC in Ceiba to find a passionate man on a mission.  This place had the vision but it was up to the continuous flow of volunteers to help make this place into something. One thing that has stuck with me throughout this entire trip is the issue of government.  Everyone whom we have done service with or for has made a comment regarding the government. Whether it was Puerto Rican or the US government. The people of Puerto Rico want their country to survive and want to unite to help one another.  They are distrustful of their 2 governments and the upper class individuals.   Today Manuel, who has a lease from the US Navy made a comment regarding the future use of the land. He said that the US and the PR government want to make profit off of this land. If he does not finish this in the next 25 years then they will take it for good and make things for the rich and not for the people of Cieba.  But, if and when he finishes it then he can fight to make it stay.  I found this so powerful and sad that these people have to fight to use their own land that would otherwise be empty.