A topic that I believe is relevant to the excerpts from Ahmad and Ortiz-Cofer is the surge in immigration from Puerto Rico to the United States in the 1950s. This connects to both readings as Ahmad talks about the differences, or lack thereof, in “Third World” and “First World” countries. In addition, Ortiz-Cofer speaks on her experience of immigrating from Puerto Rico to the United States. Since we consider Puerto Rico to be a Third World country, I believe that this was an appropriate choice. In the following paragraphs, I will speak on why there was a surge specifically in the 1950s and some struggles these immigrants might have faced when moving here.
In 1917, people in Puerto Rico officially became US Citizens. However, even prior to the Second World War, there was very little Puerto Rican immigration to the United States. According to data from Lehman College, from 1920-1950 there were only approximately 211,000 Puerto Rican immigrants where in 1950-1960 there were 470,000. A main reason for this surge is because of “Operation Bootstrap.” Operation Bootstrap shifted of employment in Puerto Rico to manufacturing rather than agricultural. While this was successful and produced $627 million by 1967, and was known as “Puerto Rico’s economic miracle”, this did take away a lot of jobs for others. The result of this was moving to the mainland and finding opportunity in a First World country. L, kn
However, the transition from Puerto Rico to the United States was not always pretty. The Library of Congress did an interview with Rafael Sorio, an immigrant from Puerto Rico in the 1950s who moved to Paterson, NJ, the same city that Ortiz-Cofer lived in as a child after immigrating. Some key and striking things he stated were that his teachers changed his given name, Rafael, to Ralph. This is what he goes by even today. His father worked in agriculture and raised pigs, cows, and horses. They moved from Puerto Rico because of the lack of opportunity. In addition, they lived in a one-bedroom apartment with friends that charged $3-$4 a week.
All in all, it was definitely a tough move for Puerto Ricans to come to the United States. However, because this move was a necessity for them, I believe that the new opportunities given helped cope with the newfound struggles brought by being an immigrant in the 1950s.
Works Cited
Lehman College. “Puerto Rican Immigration: Why the 1950s?” Lehman Edu, lcw.lehman.edu/lehman/depts/latinampuertorican/latinoweb/PuertoRico/1950s.htm.
The Library of Congress. “Migrating to a New Land : Puerto Rican/Cuban : Immigration and Relocation in U.S. History : Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress : Library of Congress.” Migrating to a New Land, www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/puerto-rican-cuban/migrating-to-a-new-land/.
“Puerto Rico’s Operation Bootstrap.” Modern Latin America, Brown University Library, library.brown.edu/create/modernlatinamerica/chapters/chapter-12-strategies-for-economic-developmen/puerto-ricos-operation-bootstrap/.
As a child of first-generation Americans, I can understand how much of a struggle it must’ve been during this mass immigration of Puerto Ricans. I still remember growing up and witnessing how my parents had to adapt to a new situation and culture, but they were always financially stable. Adapting to a different way of life especially when one is not financially stable is a whole different struggle. Acceptance of other cultures is important as immigrants should not have to suppress their identity to feel welcome. I remember when I was younger, I had a math tutor who was Indian but went by the name Bob to appear more relatable to clients. I just thought that was really ridiculous that he couldn’t even feel comfortable using his real name.
I found this post really interesting because I really hadn’t learned about the struggles that Puerto Rico had faced in the 1900s. Given the timing of this mass immigration, I have to wonder how the movement of that many people affected different cultural aspects of society at the time, specifically with the civil rights movement following shortly after.
I really liked this context presentation because in a way I can relate to it. My mother immigrated from Honduras in the 70’s. She also moved to Jersey just like Rafael and although it was 20 years later, she still faced the adversities that Rafael did. Although there are instances when moving to the US changes your culture, there are times that it can go the opposite way. Now over 60% of Paterson is Hispanic or Latino. Those immigrants definitely changed the culture of that part of New Jersey.
Throughout history, lots of immigrants have experienced difficulties being expected. Times including Ellis Island, Puerto Ricans in the 1900s, and even people from Asia and Mexico today. One thing Americans could improve on as a society is being more open and educated about others cultures. In my school, I was taught with a very ethnocentric approach, and that Americans knew best. It saddens me because just because someone believes in something else, grew up in a different environment, and has a different culture doesn’t mean that their opinions and ways of life need to be changed or given a lesser value. I have some friends that are ashamed of their ethnicities culture and don’t talk about it as much because they want to fit in. I wish society was more accepting so then everyone could learn more from people with different traditions. I hope our generation is leading into the direction where people can be more excepting of others and different cultures, but we still have ways to go.
I really enjoyed reading this context presentation because, like someone said before me, I can also kind of relate to it. My grandfather and his family immigrated from Belgium when he was young. They went through a very rough time and had to work incredibly hard to make a living for themselves. Throughout my life I have met people who are both accepting of other cultures and discriminate against others for their religion, race, and so on. I feel lucky that I grew up in Queens, NY because I always knew everyone had different backgrounds and views. It is sad that not everyone grew up in a place where we didn’t need to be taught acceptance because everyone was already. I too hope that we start moving in a direction where people can be more excepting of others.
I found this discussion post really interesting because I am from Puerto Rico, so I can relate to the struggles many Puerto Ricans go through when moving to the US. The surge of immigrants to the United States in search for better opportunities did not end in the 20th century: it is something that still happens today. In the last decade alone I have witnessed several of my family members move with the hopes of living somewhere that has better job opportunities and a better economy. I can also relate to the struggle Rafael faced regarding his name. My name is mispronounced constantly in order to sound more “American”. Even though I correct people when they say it wrong, it still happens daily. While it is frustrating, I would rather correct someone ten times a day than adapt my name in order to make it easier to pronounce.
I think this is a very interesting post because it proves the importance of being employed and living in a country where there is enough jobs for everyone. While this was a while ago and the economic state in Puerto Rico then varies a lot from today, it can kind of relate to today’s world during the pandemic. While the Puerto Ricans struggled to find or maintain jobs while a transition in technological advancements was occurring, people in the U.S. and all around the world, nowadays, are struggling to find or maintain their small businesses or everyday jobs during the global pandemic. They connect in that a transition, whether good or bad, in any country will effect the employment of its citizens. The solution for many Puerto Ricans was to immigrate to the United States and the solution of small business owners was to reach out to the community for help in raising awareness for their businesses. These differ greatly but prove the point that employment is a main stressor in almost everyone’s lives.
I find this post as a time to reflect on the privileges I have had while growing up. I have always understood that most people that come to the United States have challenges, but reading new to me information, is eye-opening. I feel as though Rafael’s name changed to Ralph was unnecessary. Being able to keep your given name is a part of you and makes up who you are as an individual. If he was requesting his name to be changed, I completely understand that it would allow him to create a new identity in the new country at his own will. When people come to another country such as The United States, there is a lot of adapting and learning that they have to do to feel as though they fit in, and even after so many years, they might not even feel connected to the country. Seeing that there are individuals who would do whatever it takes to leave their country to have a better life for them and their family is an inspiration to me to never take things for granted.
I found this blog post very interesting. Although I didn’t know the specific struggles Puerto Rican immigrants go through, both my parents immigrated from Nepal and they tell me about the struggles that they had to go through. Often they were discriminated against due to their religion and their skin tone. It is very common for immigrants to go through these things. One thing I particularly related to was the name switch. Growing up in an all white school, I was not comfortable in my own skin. I often tried to suppress my culture to fit in better. All throughout school, I used a whitewashed version of my name so it was easier for kids to say. I only started correcting others my senior year of high school when I started embracing who I was more. I think often times Americans do not know how hard it is to completely uproot your life and move to a different country is. I think we as a society should be more accepting to those who do. Although since the 50’s we as a country have been doing better with accepting immigrants, we are not nearly close to where we should be.
This topic is very interesting to me. I did not anything about this, so this is new information about the surge. Operation Bootstrap seemed like a success until it wasn’t because of the jobs that were taken away. I also have heard about immigrants moving to the United States for their names to be whitewashed. When taken from Africa, they became slaves, and they too had their last names change as well. I can go back in my mind, and think of why so many black activists changed their name back like Malcom X or Cassisus Clay to Muhammad Ali. Their families just like the Puerto Ricans were given white names to make it easier for other people. I also have an example in media. If you look at the Godfather Part II, there is a scene where Michael, an Italian man, has gotten his named change. So, it is nothing new when it comes to immigrants getting their names changed for it to be pleasurable the superior race.
Before reading this post, I had not actually considered that Puerto Rico is a ‘Third World’ country. The First World definition seems so American/Eurocentric as it measures the rest of the world in its own scales of what is developed and civilized. Many have been conceiving America as ‘us’, and Puerto Rico as ‘them’, which leads Puerto Ricans to be considered the ‘other’. As we are learning, singular stories take place and make it hard for immigrants to this country.
One would think that Puerto Rico’s relationship to America would have helped Puerto Rico to develop much faster. It was really disappointing to see that America did not do much more for Puerto Rico after the devastating hurricane. With our last Presidents immigration policies and the pandemic, I am now really wondering how Puerto Rico is fairing.
I appreciate this post. It reminds me that I know very little about Puerto Rico, and need to know more.
When I see talk about Puerto Rico, my first thoughts always go to statehood. I think many of the problems this U.S. Territory faced, especially in the last century, are due to the lack of funding and support from the federal government. If Puerto Rico was allowed to be represented as a state, the immigration away from the “Third World country” may not have been necessary in the first place. It is shameful that something like “Operation Bootstrap” even had to take place. In my opinion, the failings of the U.S. are why Puerto Rico has had so much trouble maintaining stability. A prime example of failed federal support was when Puerto Rico had the massive power shutdown from Hurricane Maria in 2017. I remember how power took almost a year to come back online. If the state had resources such as a well-funded national guard unit or more appropriate resource and financial support from the government, the damage could have been minimized.
This context presentation was really intriguing to me because it is one that I can relate to massively as I come from a family of immigrants myself, and my grandfather often tells me stories about the hardships that came with working as an immigrant in the United States. My grandfather often talks about working intensely as a farmworker having to get up early to go to work and working until late hours all while getting paid very poorly. He mentions how easy it was to get hurt and how painful it was to be out on the scorching heat all day. Nevertheless immigrants often accept these harsh conditions and worked extensive hours to chase a dream that “American Dream” we often hear about is why so many people have immigrated to America from third world countries they are willing to sacrifice everything for the mere hope of a better future. The story of Rafael Sorio reminded me of my grandfather’s hardships and that is why I found this presentation so appealing.
I really enjoyed this context presentation because I had a lack of knowledge about Puerto Rico and becoming U.S. citizens. The struggles some of these people were faced with were unfair and unjust just to be a citizen and life in a free country. I often think people forget to look at immigration as a whole and understand the difference in treatment and opportunity between born citizens and those who came to live a happier and better life. Everyone wants the same thing and that’s equal treatment and fair rights. I think it is necessary to look what people had to endure especially in the 1900s because people were effected differently during these times.
As a child of first-generation Americans, I can understand how much of a struggle it must’ve been during this mass immigration of Puerto Ricans. I still remember growing up and witnessing how my parents had to adapt to a new situation and culture, but they were always financially stable. Adapting to a different way of life especially when one is not financially stable is a whole different struggle. Acceptance of other cultures is important as immigrants should not have to suppress their identity to feel welcome. I remember when I was younger, I had a math tutor who was Indian but went by the name Bob to appear more relatable to clients. I just thought that was really ridiculous that he couldn’t even feel comfortable using his real name.
This was a very interesting read for me as I was unaware of Operation Bootstrap prior to reading this. Still to this day I meet people from other countries who use “americanized” names. This saddens me because everyone deserves to be called by their name, and it should not be difficult for someone to learn a person’s name. This presentation revealed to me that sacrificing their name was not the only sacrifice immigrants from puerto rico had to make. This reminds me that more work needs to be done so that people coming to this country to not need to sacrifice their heritage to be successful here.
I really enjoyed your Context Research presentation. I believe these Puerto Rican immigrants in the 1950’s really paved the way for other generations to move to America and have a smoother transition. Both my parents are immigrants from Germany and there was little to no struggle in transitioning to the American lifestyle and being accepted. I understand this is not the case for all immigrants to this day but this was just my family’s experience. I thought it was very insightful that you spoke about the fact that they changed Rafael’s name to Ralph. This strips away Rafael from his identity and seems somewhat dehumanizing. I believe at this point in history there should not be greater acceptance for everybody in this world no matter their differences.
I thought this topic was very interesting. I was never really aware of the impacts of the mass immigration of Puerto Ricans in the 50s had on society. Furthermore, although I had heard of immigrants changing their names in order to assimilate into American culture, I never really considered the how difficult it must’ve been for them to leave their culture and part of their identity behind. I understand that they needed to move in order to have more opportunities economically and socially, by the risk involve, and the sacrifices needed in order to immigrant seemed extremely challenging.
I really enjoyed reading this context research presentation because I think it is a topic that oftentimes is overlooked. I personally did not know much about Puerto Rican immigration from 1920 to 1960 and why there was a surge in such a short period of time as well. The concept of whitewashing the names of immigrant children was not completely shocking to me, but it was something that is usually not considered by others who do not encounter this issue in their daily lives. I can definitely relate to this context research presentation because both of my parents immigrated to the United States when they were children from India. I’ve grown up hearing stories about their struggles and how difficult it was to be an immigrant sometimes. This presentation brought those struggles to light.
I think that is post was very informational and interesting. Before reading this blog post, I have known a little bit about the immigration of Puerto Ricans to the United States. One thing that I learned about was the reason for the increase in immigration. I did not know that Puerto Rico switched from an agricultural economy to a manufactural economy which resulted in the loss of jobs. I think this blog post helps to give background information about the texts/readings that will be assigned. It helped me understand that the United States provided immigrants with new opportunities that were not available before and helped overcome the possible struggles of being an immigrant.
I really valued this post because I have never been taught about the immigration of Puerto Ricans to the United States, and I think it is very important to learn about immigration in every way we can, with as much information as we can, so hopefully it can help to open up people’s minds. I also didn’t know that a switch in the economy is what caused the increased immigration. Something that really struck me is that teachers changed his name from Rafael to Ralph, because that is something that is extremely hurtful and unfair. I think that sentence holds a lot of weight because teachers, who are supposed to protect children and care for them no matter, changed him and part of his identity just to fit their interests.
This post gave me a better insight on the struggles that Puerto Rico faced about a hundred years ago. It’s crazy to think that lots of people today still face similar difficulties when trying to make a start in America. I feel that by now we should be more excepting as people want to come to America, if done the right way.
I didn’t really believe Puerto Rico to be a ‘Third World’ nation until reading this message. The First World concept seems too American/Eurocentric that it calculates what is produced and civilized in its own scales of the rest of the world. When we understand, special stories take place and make life tough for this nation’s refugees. I believe this blog post serves to provide background information on the readings that will be allocated. It encouraged me to realize that the United States offered new opportunities for immigrants that were not previously available and helped me transcend the future challenges of becoming an immigrant.
I thought this blog post was very informative and to the point. It was clear from the beginning about what would be addressed and gave facts and details supporting the main claim. Immigration from anywhere can be difficult but I had not known much about the immigration from Puerto Rico. Being forced out of your home in search for a better life is very admirable. It is a challenging but brave decision that many don’t understand. Learning about Rafael and the way he had to try to assimilate was interesting because many of us would like believe in embracing cultural differences but i many immigrants still feel like they have to hide or change up who they are in order to fit in.
I like this post as it brought realization to what was happening in Puerto Rico as I didn’t know much about this at all. I know I do have some immigrant relatives but I don’t know as much about that as I hope I did/ and should. Immigrants coming to the US may be controversial but they have a grand impact on the US at a political, social and economic standpoint. Immigrants are responsible for breakthroughs in medicine, majorly responsible for many of the car brands the US sells today and cultural evolution and growth.
I found it super interesting how you related the texts to immigration. My dad was born in Ireland and then immigrated to Canada and then the United States in the 70’s. I get to hear lots of stories about how his family came to America and the hardships they faced. They moved in search for better jobs. However, I can’t imagine how difficult it was for Puerto Ricans. Living in a one bedroom apartment and having teachers change your name is something most of us do not experience. The blog post makes me appreciate the life we have now. We are treated more fairly and have lots of opportunities for jobs. The blog post also helps us understand why the United States is called the ‘Melting Pot,’ due to all the different cultures we share here.
I found this post important, especially because I realized I do not know much about Puerto Rico or how it came to be a U.S. territory. It was important to bring light to the struggles immigrants must endure when moving to the United States. I have read books about immigration and have heard stories from my great grandparents about their journey to the United States. However, I know people have different stories and struggles depending on their job situation or even the country they come from.
I found this post informative because I was never aware of the economic struggles in Puerto Rico. In my head I am comparing what I just read to the movie Scarface when they put all the cuban immigrants in their own little homeless community and how difficult is was for all of them. This might not be exactly how it went for the Puerto Ricans migrating but I’m sure it was similar in many ways. For example they probably did not have much money coming to the US and they might not have spoke English. All these show how hard it is for people first migrating to the US.
This is something that I knew very little about before reading this post. I cannot imagine the struggles of immigrating from a different country and trying to establish oneself and their family. I find it interesting that something that was considered an “economic miracle” for the country/territory of Puerto Rick was a cause of so much strife for those not lucky enough to benefit from it. The first comparison that comes to mind is the treatment of immigrants in the industrial revolution. While they are two very different situations, the lack of opportunity and the living conditions offered to the Puerto Ricans seems to show that immigrants have never been treated with respect in this country.
I enjoyed reading this because I am not as educated on Puerto Rico’s history as I would like to be. I was not aware of Puerto Rico’s employment mainly shifted from agriculture to manufacturing. I think it is interesting that it created a lot of new jobs and boosted their economy. I can understand why many people would be moving to the mainland to find other jobs if they are not in the manufacturing business. I was also not aware that Puerto Ricans became US citizens in 1917, I honestly thought it was more recent. I do think that if Puerto Rico were to become a state of the United States there would be an increase of jobs there and that it would raise their economy even more.
As a student who comes from China, adopting United States’ culture and lifestyle is also struggling for me. Not even mention the barrier of language and how much I miss my family which is 13000 miles away from me. So I appreciate your post, it really comforts me a lot. And you help me know better about Puerto Rico, the economic straggle, has ever learned about that. But know I have the interests to go visit it when the Covid-19 over.
Hi, reading how Rafeal had to change his name in school reminded me how a lot of the asian exchanged students in my high school were encouraged to pick an American name to use and how a black friend of my had to shorten his last name because how teachers were not willing to learn to say it right. I believe that so many people are willing to leave their homes in different countries and live somewhere new are very strong people because they have so many hardships that they have face but do it for a better life for themselves and their families.
This context presentation was very interesting to read about simply because of my lack of knowledge about the topic of Puerto Rico and how it became part of the U.S. territory. I have heard of some of the struggles that many immigrants went through to become U.S. citizens but changing their original name to fit into American culture was new information to me. That would be hard for somebody who is traveling to a new place to live and not only leave behind some friends and family but also their name which resembles their culture. I was also unaware of “Operation Bootstrap” and how the employment in Puerto Rico shifted from agricultural to manufacturing. But the struggles that many Puerto Rican’s faced early on helped pave the way for opportunities and for other people to follow their lead.
Reading this context presentation gave me a lot to think about, but the thing that stood out to me the most was the story of Rafael Sorio. I can’t imagine the hardships immigrants had to overcome when they moved to America. The fact that his teachers changed his name seems absurd to me. This shows how unaccepting Americans were of other cultures at the time. I know the United States still isn’t as accepting as it needs to be, but I hope our school systems have evolved and eliminated situations like this. I really enjoyed reading your presentation!
This was a very insightful presentation. The story of Rafael changing his name to Ralph really struck me. It amazes me that 1st world countries will go so far to westernize all parts of somebody, even their name. I like how you provided info about why the surge in Puerto Rican immigrants occurred. It shows that they felt like they were being pushed out and looked to America for a new start