...Abneil D. Alicea The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island and unincorporated U.S. territory, holds more than $73 billion in debt. According to United States Census Bureau and World Bank, the Island has only 3.337 million dwellers (2017). So, how an Island with this population is responsible for a debt of such large amount? There are several answers to this question and from different perspectives, but everyone can agree that Puerto Rico is facing a major economic crisis. I will be presenting the causes of this historic bankruptcy eyeing the economist's view, and the viewpoint of different civil society groups. Anne Krueger, an American Economist and first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), together...
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...Schwarz Mr. Whelan English IV 11-20-2017 Should Puerto Rico become a state? On August 21, 1959, Hawaii was admitted as the fiftieth state of the United States. In order for Hawaii to become a state, under Article 73 of the United Nations charter, citizens of the territory must vote in a special referendum. Hawaiians were not given the option of independence, so statehood won by a seventeen to one ratio (Best). Hawaii became a state, based on the results of the referendum. On the November 6, 2012 a referendum was held in Puerto Rico, 54 percent of citizens said that they do not like the current status of the island. The next question had three solutions following the United Nations guidelines. Of the three options, statehood received the highest vote getting 61 percent of the votes. Since the mid-twentieth century, the status of Puerto Rico has been in discussion both in Congress and on the island. With the three options proposed by the ballot, many believe that statehood was the best choice. With statehood; Puerto Ricans will remain citizens of the United States, they will receive all the benefits of a U.S....
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...Impacts of Imperialism in Puerto Rico On May 12, 1898, a fleet of twelve American ships attached San Juan. Shortly after on June 25, the U.S.S. Yosemite blockaded San Juan’s port; it prevented goods and people from leaving and entering the port. One month later on July 25, General Nelson A. Miles led 3,300 American troops into Guánica, a southwestern town in Puerto Rico. They were meet with little to no resistance. Spain and some Puerto Rican volunteers put up a small fight against the 6th Massachusetts in the Battle of Yauco. The only casualties were two Spanish soldiers. Overall, the United States was well accepted into Puerto Rico by the people. In the whole invasion, only seven American soldiers died. The Spanish-American War...
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...Dr. Jose Castrodad an ex-journalist now publisher and educator according to online sources; in 7/23/2014 published an article in a Puerto Rican newspaper named “El Vocero” in which he wrote an article titled “¿Es que ya no hay gente que piense?” where he comments and criticizes aspect of the harsh reality in Puerto Rico. Castrodad discusses topics ranging from the over focus of the Puerto Rican people in concern to their political status and some very shocking statistics concerning Puerto Rican citizens. Castrodad in his work informs his opinions and diligently displays information supporting his ideas. Further on we will be analyzing his article, not in terms of discussing his point of views, but in terms of structure and in his skills at developing his writing....
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...a wild elephant on the loose and it needed to be done. When reading this essay, I felt Orwell did a wonderful job making us feel what he was thinking and the setting he portrayed he also did really well. His struggle he was internally facing between the government and the Burmese people was really interesting to me. Because I’m sure many other soldiers at the time felt that way. Including my own grandfather. He was born and raised in Burma and served in the military and when reading this I was thinking of many similarities he’s told me about. He also wanted to be freed from British rule and when Orwell talks about a rampant elephant theres also similar stories. What struck me most was all of his feelings came out just because of an elephant. And made me wonder why was he scared of looking like a fool if he didn’t shoot the elephant? Why was it such a big deal if he didn’t shoot the elephant, it was his choice he was the authority in the situation. But, overall I really enjoyed this essay. In Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “Silent Dancing,” she talks about how immigrating from Puerto Rico to New York her life was in shades of gray and she only remembers one time when it was in color. She recalls her childhood through a film that was made when she was at a party when she was young. In the film `she idolizes her aunts, uncles, and cousins but is very young and naive to what’s actually going on. I thought Coher’s essay was really raw and open about her childhood. I’ve never had to move far...
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...15, 2015 Intermediate English Prof. Aponte Ingl. 3103-102 It’s Hard Enough Being Me The essay, “It’s hard enough being me”, by Anna Lisa Raya is about her experience when she went off to New York for college and she had to label herself as “Latina”. Anna Lisa explains that her dad was a second-generation Mexican, born and raised in Los Angeles, and her mom was born in Puerto Rico and raised in California. Raya herself was born and raised in Los Angeles in a Mexican neighborhood where she defined herself as Mexican. Only when she was with her grandmother and aunt from her mother’s side, she defined herself as Puerto Rican. When she went off to college, she had to answer what race she was and she had to pick “Latina”. She explains that it was the first time she had to think of that and put a label. She was confused because she did not have the physical aspects of a Latina, she did not know Mexico’s history or Puerto Rico’s, nor she knew how to speak Spanish. She felt like she did not have the “requirements” to be labeled as Latina but she couldn’t be labeled as an American because then she would be a “spic” (to Americans) or a “sell-out” (to Latinos). That thought bothered her until someone advised her that she had to be true to herself and not worry about what others think, and that she had to satisfy herself and not others. Raya finishes her essay by stating “Soy yo and no one else. Punto”; I am myself and no one else. That advice made her realize that...
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...Wildaliz Bermudez-Robles S00190130 Expository Essay The Influence of Puerto Rico Social Aspects in Teaching and Learning English as a Second Language. Humans have the ability to acquire a language that is necessary to defend them in their daily living. The domain of a language code will vary according to their social needs and opportunities that people have. In the process of planning a language education, it is vital to explore the social context to determine their real need to learn the language and the language mechanism to achieve that learning. In Puerto Rico, even when there is a consensus on the utility of English for purposes of employment, technology and global communication, natural situations that require English are limited, and some students do not want to take advantage of the learning English language opportunities. The importance of Puerto Rican students learning to speak English fluently is discussed in Puerto Rican community and by professional circles every day. Regardless of the efforts that the Department of Education has made throughout the years, the reality is that Puerto Rican children are not learning enough English in their schools. The students have not developed the basic English language skills to be able to uses effectively in oral, written and reading. In 1997, the Department of Education created the Project for the Development of Bilingual Citizens in order to remedy this situation. Besides, few years later the Department of...
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...Should Puerto Rico Become a State? Why Puerto Rico should become a state? This topic has been controversial for a while not only for the residents of Puerto Rico, but also for the residents of the United States. All coins have two faces and stories have two sides, and this is the case of this controversy. In this essay, I will discuss pros and cons of Puerto Rico becoming a state, I will also present my point of view. It will take a careful analysis and serious discussion, may be even national consensus before the moment of admission of a new state into the United States. Becoming a state is not something that happens just because the residents of Puerto Rico agree with, but understanding the history and agreeing with the U.S. terms, Puerto Rico should become the fifty first state of the United States. The Puerto Rican government should encourage the citizens and work harder for the statehood. As a Puerto Rican living in the United States and having my love ones in the Island, I feel the government in Puerto Rico need to make progress and give more encouragement to Puerto Rico to become a state. Puerto Rico became United States territory in 1889 during the Spanish-American war. The first year of the 20th century were marked as the struggle to obtain grater democratic rights from the United States. In 1950, the president Truman signed what is known as a Public Act 600, which allowed Puerto Rico to draft their own constitution, establishing the commonwealth of Puerto Rico; the...
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...Recognizing and Minimizing Tort and Regulatory Risk There is an imminent necessity for organizations to recognize and prevent torts. In the following essay we will find the analysis of a simulation for a company called Alumina, indicating the legal matters and risks they are taking. Also we will discuss a preventive plan for a company in Puerto Rico and how the Puerto Rican government treats torts and regulations. The simulation of Alumina, is very interesting. This fictitious company is accused of contaminating water with carcinogens. and consequently a girl who consumed the water was diagnosed with leukemia. The mother blames the company and is stating this to the news. The government empowers certain agencies to assist states in regulating the way companies do certain procedures to maintain a certain quality of life. An example of such agencies is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This agency was created in 1970, if a standard is not met EPA has the authority to issue sanctions among other steps to ensure an environmental quality of life. The company needs to do something about this. The board of the company is Todd, Lloyd, and Richards. Todd is the legal council he firmly believes that the procedures for disposal of waste are efficient and that they are below the specified level in compliance with the Clean Water Act; thus he thinks the company should submit a story about this. Lloyd is certain that the acquisitions are without foundation, but he...
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...Spring 2016 Stony Brook University Department of Hispanic Languages and Literature College of Arts and Sciences HUS 254 Latin America Today Tues, Thurs 10:00-11:20, Humanities 1003 This course satisfies the DEC category J This course satisfies the SBC category GLO, HCA Course Instructor: Joseph M. Pierce Section: 01 Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 1:00-2:00 PM, or by appointment Instructor contact information: Melville Library N3013, joseph.pierce@stonybrook.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION An introduction to a continental perspective of 20th-century Latin American culture. Latin America's political, historical, and cultural developments of this century are studied. Latin America | Today This course proposes to study the events of today by tracing the social, political and economic structures of the past. On the one hand, the region under study is comprised of a dramatic variety of cultures, geographies and politics. On the other, it shares a history of colonization from “discovery” to independence to modernity based on its particular geographic and historical location. In order to interrogate this conjunction, we will pay special attention to the social groups that are often marginalized from the pages of “the official history”: Indigenous communities, Afro-Latin organizations, gay, lesbian, and trans activism, immigrant groups. We will pay special attention the discourses of belonging and identification that mark their relationships with the region, as well as the...
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...Identification. Christopher Columbus landed in Puerto Rico in 1493, during his second voyage, naming it San Juan Bautista. The Taínos, the indigenous people, called the island Boriquén Tierra del alto señor ("Land of the Noble Lord"). In 1508, the Spanish granted settlement rights to Juan Ponce de León, who established a settlement at Caparra and became the first governor. In 1519 Caparra had to be relocated to a nearby coastal islet with a healthier environment; it was renamed Puerto Rico ("Rich Port") for its harbor, among the world's best natural bays. The two names were switched over the centuries: the island became Puerto Rico and its capital San Juan. The United States anglicized the name to "Porto Rico" when it occupied the island in 1898 after the Spanish-American War. This spelling was discontinued in 1932. Puerto Ricans are a Caribbean people who regard themselves as citizens of a distinctive island nation in spite of their colonial condition and U.S. citizenship. This sense of uniqueness also shapes their migrant experience and relationship with other ethnoracial groups in the United States. However, this cultural nationalism coexists with a desire for association with the United States as a state or in the current semiautonomous commonwealth status. Location and Geography. Puerto Rico is the easternmost and smallest of the Greater Antilles, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Basin to the south. Puerto Rico is a crucial hemispheric access point...
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...AE 5A Writing Assignmaent Academic Essay: Case Study Final Draft of Philip For a company to develop, it is necessary to expand its scale of business, which is following opportunity and risk. All companies face the risk that could let them failed into transfer in new environment and new market, including lease-to-own stores. Lease-to-own is a pattern of shopping usually used in U.S. which provides goods to rent till own within a contract date. One of the dilemmas facing lease-to-own chain is whether to expand the businese by building retail stores overseas, where is a strange environment to them. This dilemma is the key point of Michael Chu’s case study, ‘Play it safe at home, or take a risk abroad?’(2012). This case focuses on a American lease-to-own chain company, Coe’s, which sells household items and furniture, and its CEO, Stan Windham. At this moment, he and his father have built one thousand stores business in America that the company is considering of expanding abroad, Europe or Mexico. Aubrey Merrin, a mannager of south Tuscon store, and a cashier lady of a convenience store, both meet Windham in one day and suggested him to extend his business to Mexico. On another hand, the CFO of Coe’s, Carl Amirault, who is trusted by Windham, argues that Mexico is a worse choice than putting more stores domestically. Also, he points out the failure case of Puerto Rico should be treated as a lesson. The CEO now needs to make a decision whether to extend to Mexico or maintain...
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...Chris Choi English 098 27 October, 2015 Socioeconomic status of Immigrants In the novel, Almost a Woman, there are a lot of distinct differences and problems the author talks about. Distinct differences and problems in that the author, as an immigrant, faces many difficulties and cultural changes from when she migrated to New York City from Puerto Rico. As we go into the book, there are some key aspects of identity that are played in Esmeralda’s family and herself. One aspect of identity is the socioeconomic status of her and her family in the big, well known dynamic city of New York. This aspect of identity is a big concern throughout the book and in real life because it’s what most immigrants have to deal with from their movement from their native country to a foreign country. Socioeconomics is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local or regional economy, or the global economy. This is a monumental matter for Esmeralda as she is a middle school student going onto high school and as everyone knows, high school can be four years of highlight or four years of straight torture and since she’s an immigrant with no knowledge of American culture, this is a big concern for Esmeralda. Esmeralda, coming to America at a young age, is flustered with emotions and doesn’t have anyone to talk to because she is limited with who she has....
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...Universidad del Sagrado Corazon Santurce, Puerto Rico Atabey Informative Essay Edgar Morell “Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” -Georg Wihelm Freidrich Hegel It is true that economic dissatisfaction has grown bigger over the last years in the island, leading to an overwhelming crisis that’s undertaking every financial and social aspect pertaining to puertorricans. Different political parties have tried to establish what could see like an answer to this predicament, evaluating traits common to different areas, possible resolutions to income and tax problems and even suggesting different models to acquire a more sustainable economic standard. The recent degradation of the islands bonuses and debts have affected not only it’s image worldwide, but also the liquidity of the already established enterprises that operate within. Recession has defined the reality of former corporate workers, or government employees, as the case for the infamous “Ley 7”, leaving them unemployed, frustrated and in some cases bankrupt. People have lost houses, cars, goods acquired over time with savings and have been led to experience changes in their lifestyles to re-accommodate to this new era. Some have been drowned by their situation, where as a small growing niche has felt empowered by the crisis and decided to change this condition. This rising phenomenon has been described my many economists and financial analysts as the era of the “micro-entrepreneurship”...
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...After reading the essay, “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, our class learned a lot about why we speak the way we do. There are some pretty important factors that determine how we speak, such as where you have lived during your lifespan, where your parents have lived, you and your parent’s ethnicity, who you associate with, or whether you’re in a public or private environment. I have spent my entire life living in the Boston area, so I definitely have my own unique mother tongue. All over Massachusetts and New Hampshire there are many different versions of the Boston accent. Now that I am living in Puerto Rico, I try to tone down the Boston accent I have, because it’s already a little challenging for me to communicate sometimes. Occasionally there is a significant language barrier, so I go out of my way to make sure I pronounciate my “R’s” when I speak. People don’t need to hear about my “cah” instead of car, or about how we eat “suppah” instead of dinner, or even how we take out the “gahbidge” instead of garbage, to give a few examples. There are also some words that in the Boston area mean certain things, while other places in the country it means something totally different. In Boston, some people call tomato sauce “gravy”. We call the water fountain a bubbler. A cart at the grocery store is a carriage. The basement is called the cella. In my experience, the term non-Bostonians have the most trouble understanding is “wicked”. When I travel to other places and say something is...
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