This is the second piece of our fourpart series on American Latinos’ places of origin.
This issue we profile Puerto Rico, an island with a rich mix of cultures that has produced some of the most popular dance music in America.
Quickly answer this question: “How many states are there in the United States?” If you guessed 50, you’re correct, but not if Puerto Rico can help it. If certain Puerto Ricans get their way, it will become America’s 51st state. Think about it for a second, a new state in America… where would they put the extra star on the flag? This is not all Puerto Rico is famous for: All-night dance parties, white beaches, beautiful green mountains, and world-famous celebrities make this cool Caribbean island one of the world’s true capitales latinas!
A rainbow of people
With over seven million Puerto Ricans living at home and in the United States, they represent one of the Caribbean’s largest Latino populations. Puerto Rico’s people are a mix of Indian, African, and European ancestry. This interesting mix traces its roots to the year 1510, when Ponce de León, the famous Spanish conquistador, captured most of the male Indians and enslaved them to work at horrible gold mines.
Spanish landowners then married the women that were left behind and had mixed offspring. Within a few years many of the Indian slaves had died of overwork, so the Spanish brought in African slaves to replace them. By 1600, a large part of the island’s population had mixed ancestry, a trend that continues today, with almost 65 percent of the island’s population still possessing some Indian heritage. What came out of this mix of peoples is an amazing Latino culture full of flavor and excitement.
La capital de la cultura Latina
Baile y música are ways of life in Puerto Rico. In the capital, San Juan, you can hear the thump of crowded dance clubs till the early hours of the morning. From big-time singers like Mark Anthony and Ricky Martin to local bands in garages, salsa es la música más popular en la isla.
But Puerto Rico has other dance styles too. One dance popular with Afro-Puerto Ricans is called the bomba. Played with two drums, a singer, and seedfilled shakers called maracas, the dance was brought by slaves from West Africa in the 1600s. Spanish masters told slaves they could not worship their old African gods so they created this dance as a way to keep some of their old customs. Dancers even wear a scary mask called a vejigante that is supposed to scare away evil spirits and pirates.
La Estrella de la cultura latina
Challenging salsa for the title of the island’s most popular music is the incredibly popular Latino hiphop known as reggaeton. Big with the younger generation of Puerto Ricans, it is a crazy mix of Jamaican beats, West Coast rap, and even a little bomba. Kings of reggaeton Don Omar and Daddy Yankee both were born in Puerto Rico and have helped to popularize their awesome homeland around the world.
The 51st state?
Will Puerto Rico become America’s newest state? Will flag makers have their looms full making 51star flags? To become a state, voters over 18 must decide to apply to the federal government in Washington for statehood. In the 90s Governor Pedro Rossello tried to make this happen. He organized two elections, one in 1993 and another in 1998, but could not put together a big enough majority to close the deal. For now, Puerto Rico will continue to remain as a “commonwealth associated with the United States.” No matter what happens, this awesome island of salsa and sandy beaches will continue to be una estrella de la cultura latina.