Puerto Rico

[Dominicanese]

Puerto Rico

Culture:
The culture of Puerto Rico is the result of a number of international and indigenous influences, both past and present. Modern cultural manifestations showcase the island's rich history and help to create an identity which is a melting pot of cultures - Taíno (Aboriginal/First Nation/Indigenous), European (Spanish, Canary Island, Corsican and Irish), African (West African), Anglo American (U.S.A.), Latin American/Caribbean Asian, Hawaiian and other influences.

Cuisine:
The Puerto Rican cuisine is a fusion of the European, Afro-Caribbean and Latin American cultures and traditions. For this reason alone, the Puerto Rican cuisine is noted to be the most palate tempting cuisines throughout the Western Hemisphere today. The Puerto Rican style of cooking is quite similar to that of the Spanish as well as the Latin American cuisine preparation. Over the decades the Puerto Rican cooking has developed a unique style of cooking that uses native seasonings and ingredients in its cuisine such as coriander, fresh papaya, nispero, apio, plantains, cassava and vampee. The Créole cooking method that is used in the Puerto Rican cuisine can be traced back to the Arawaks and Tainos who were the original inhabitants of the Puerto Rican island. These ancient people thrived on a diet which consisted of corn, tropical fruit and basically seafood. However, when the Spanish arrived in 1493, soon the plantation of Sugar began in the region. The Spanish introduced other ingredients such as Beef, Pork, rice, Wheat and olive oil to the island of Puerto Rico, and all of these ingredients were then incorporated into the diet of the native people of Puerto Rico. The Spanish also started to import slaves from Africa, who brought with them okra and taro which is known as yautia in Puerto Rico. This change and blend of flavors and ingredients were then passed from generation to generation, and finally this resulted in the exotic blend of the cuisine of Puerto Rico today.

The cuisines of Puerto Rico are undoubtedly very scrumptious and delicious. There is a huge variety of truly mouth savoring dishes in the cuisine of Puerto Rico. Most of the meals in the cuisine of Puerto Rico are made from a blend of herbs and spices that give many of the traditionally native foods their true distinctive taste and color. A popular dish known as Adobo, is prepared by crushing peppercorns, oregano, salt, olive oil and lime juice and sometimes vinegar all together, and then it is rubbed into various kinds of meat varieties before they are roasted. This dish in the cuisine of Puerto Rico is a favorite among the locals in the region. It is prepared with a little tact but does not require a lot of hassle. Most of the dishes in the cuisine of Puerto Rico are extremely easy to prepare and serve. Another common cuisine is the Sofrito, which is basically an assortment of onions, garlic, coriander and a lot of pepper which are browned in olive oil. The cuisines of Puerto Rico are unquestionably really lip-licking and a truly a delight to have.

Even though no specific method which is ‘special’ that used while preparing your Puerto Rican cuisine, nonetheless there are various methods used in the preparation process of the Puerto Rican cooking. If you are looking for perfect results to stem out then it is better to stick to the old traditional manner of preparing your Arabian cuisine. The traditional ways of Puerto Rican style of cooking is easy and quite hassle free. As most of the dishes in the cuisine do not require any specific tact, therefore you will find yourself truly enjoying preparing your Puerto Rican cuisine. It is useful to have the right kind of equipment for making your meals. As the cuisine of Puerto Rico can vary from being hot and spicy to mild, be sure to use the exact amount of spices and herbs while you prepare your Puerto Rican meal. Other than all that has been mentioned above, there is no distinctive preparation method for Puerto Rican cuisine.

Music:
The music of Puerto Rico has evolved as a heterogeneous and dynamic product of diverse cultural resources. The most conspicuous musical sources have been Spain and West Africa, although many aspects of Puerto Rican music reflect origins elsewhere in Europe and the Caribbean. Puerto Rican music culture today comprises a wide and rich variety of genres, ranging from essentially indigenous genres like bomba to recent hybrids like Latin trap and reggaeton. Broadly conceived, the realm of "Puerto Rican music" should naturally comprise the music culture of the millions of people of Puerto Rican descent who have lived in the United States, and especially in New York City. Their music, from salsa to the boleros of Rafael Hernández, cannot be separated from the music culture of Puerto Rico itself.

Jíbaros are small farmers of primarily Hispanic descent who constituted the overwhelming majority of the Puerto Rican population until the mid-twentieth century. They are traditionally recognized as romantic icons of land cultivation, hard working, self-sufficient, hospitable, and with an innate love of song and dance. Their instruments were relatives of the Spanish vihuela, especially the cuatro — which evolved from four single strings to five pairs of double strings and the lesser known tiple. A typical jíbaro group nowadays might feature a cuatro, guitar, and percussion instrument such as the güiro scraper and/or bongo. Lyrics to jíbaro music are generally in the décima form, consisting of ten octosyllabic lines in the rhyme scheme abba, accddc. Décima form derives from 16th century Spain. Although it has largely died out in that country (except the Canaries), it took root in various places in Latin America—especially Cuba and Puerto Rico—where it is sung in diverse styles. A sung décima might be pre-composed, derived from a publication by some literati, or ideally, improvised on the spot, especially in the form of a “controversia” in which two singer-poets trade witty insults or argue on some topic. In between the décimas, lively improvisations can be played on the cuatro. This music form is also known as "típica" as well as "trópica".

Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 70% White
* 22% Mulatto
* 8% Black

 

[Dominicanese]

People:
The culture held in common by most Puerto Ricans is referred to as mainstream Puerto Rican culture, a Western culture largely derived from the traditions of Spain, and more specifically Andalusia and the Canary Islands. Over 90% of Puerto Ricans at least partially descend from migrants from these two southern regions of Spain. Puerto Rico has also been influenced by African culture, with the majority of Puerto Ricans partially descended from Africans (and Native Tainos), though pure black Afro-Puerto Ricans are only a significant minority. Puerto Rico has also received immigration from other parts of Spain such as Catalonia as well as from other European countries such as France, Ireland, Italy and Germany. Recent studies in population genetics have concluded that Puerto Rican gene pool is on average predominantly European, with a significant Sub-Saharan African, North African Guanche, and Indigenous American substrate, the latter two originating in the aboriginal people of the Canary Islands and Puerto Rico's pre-Hispanic Taíno inhabitants, respectively.

The population of Puerto Ricans and descendants is estimated to be between 8 and 10 million worldwide, with most living on the islands of Puerto Rico and in the United States mainland. Within the United States, Puerto Ricans are present in all states of the Union, and the states with the largest populations of Puerto Ricans relative to the national population of Puerto Ricans in the United States at large are the states of New York, Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, with large populations also in Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Illinois, and Texas.

Languages:
English & Spanish are the two official languages of Puerto Rico. A local Spanish accent is spoken in the Island and it is known as Puerto Rican Spanish. Puerto Rican Spanish largely stems from Canarian and Andaluzian Spanish to the point where it can sometimes be indistinguishable. Minor influences that have contributed to Puerto Rican Spanish such as words and some vocabularies include Galician, Catalan, Portuguese, English, Arawak, and West African languages. Almost every Puerto Rican can speak English today whether it is fluent to just a few words.

Religion:
The Roman Catholic Church was brought by Spanish colonists and gradually became the dominant religion in Puerto Rico. The first dioceses in the Americas, including that of Puerto Rico, were authorized by Pope Julius II in 1511. In 1512, priests were established for the parrochial churches. By 1759, there was a priest for each church. One Pope, John Paul II, visited Puerto Rico in October 1984. All municipalities in Puerto Rico have at least one Catholic church, most of which are located at the town center, or plaza. African slaves brought and maintained various ethnic African religious practices associated with different peoples; in particular, the Yoruba beliefs of Santería and/or Ifá, and the Kongo-derived Palo Mayombe. Some aspects were absorbed into syncretic Christianity.

Economy:
The economy of Puerto Rico is classified as a high income economy by the World Bank and as the most competitive economy in Latin America by the World Economic Forum. The main drivers of Puerto Rico's economy are manufacturing, primarily pharmaceuticals, textiles, petrochemicals, and electronics; followed by the service industry, notably finance, insurance, real estate, and tourism. The geography of Puerto Rico and its political status are both determining factors on its economic prosperity, primarily due to its relatively small size as an island; its lack of natural resources used to produce raw materials, and, consequently, its dependence on imports; as well as its relationship with the United States federal government, which controls its foreign policies while exerting trading restrictions, particularly in its shipping industry. Roughly around 45% of the population suffers from poverty.

Videos:

^^ side note, i recorded that on my recent flight there ^^

 

[Leyva]

How come Puerto Rico doesn't have a successful tourist industry like other Caribbean islands ex. Dominican Republic? They have been dominating the Latin music industry with Latin Trap and Reggaeton so you would expect a large number of fanatics of those genres to travel to Puerto Rico to explore more on the culture of the island.

 

[Dominicanese]

How come Puerto Rico doesn't have a successful tourist industry like other Caribbean islands ex. Dominican Republic? They have been dominating the Latin music industry with Latin Trap and Reggaeton so you would expect a large number of fanatics of those genres to travel to Puerto Rico to explore more on the culture of the island.

yes, i think a lot of it has to do with how the US is handling PR, and PR imo is prettier than DR by nature

on top a that too i think PR is also very dangerous which affects tourism, for example the island of vieque which imo has alot of potential since it is basically the same shit as the virgin islands, but it is backwards and has a high crime rate problem