First Days in San Juan

Puerto Rico (PR) SST 2023 started with a long day at the airport — 23 of us sitting and waiting anxiously for the plane to start boarding. I, for one, was growing impatient and just wanted to go home and have my family recount stories of Puerto Rico’s history and culture, not knowing just how much hands-on experience I would have missed.

The clock moved slowly, 1 PM… 1:45 PM… 2 PM…. It seemed never-ending! I decided to take a quick nap, and the next thing I knew, I woke up to, “We are  going to start boarding for San Juan, Puerto Rico.” The flight was filled with people of all cultures and ethnicities heading to the same destination. Don’t ask me about the plane ride because I slept through all of it! 

Once arriving at the apartments, my roommates and I unpacked what we had and took quick showers. Before we knew it, it was already 1:00 a.m. and we had to be up in approximately five  hours to prepare for the following day … oh no. 

To say the least, we were definitely sleep-deprived on our first day in the streets of Viejo San Juan, but the artistry, the sights, and the people kept us awake and lively. In the two days we have been here, our class visited museums and interacted with the people of PR. We have learned so much about the culture and how the Puerto Rico we know has come to be. For instance,  we visited La Fortaleza and Casa Museo de Felisa Rincón de Gautier, and learned about her impact on the community as the first female mayor of San Juan. The second day was also packed with valuable insights into the colonization of Puerto Rico and the Americas.

The most important thing I learned was how the people here were granted citizenship in 1917, just in time for the First World War– ironic, isn’t it? La gente Boricua was given the right to travel freely but are never seen as its sovereign nation or a U.S. state. People of PR are not allowed to vote in elections, yet the U.S. has all the say-so in what happens inside the country. And although I’d love to say the people here are beautiful and that life here is just as amazing as the stories my family members have told me, I cannot ignore the fact that the U.S. has continued to benefit from the people of PR and have made an even larger gap of inequality between wealthy outsiders and the people of PR. 

Despite current political issues, the people in PR are hospitable, loving, and always have great energy. I hope that the people who keep visiting and touring La Isla del Encanto understand the importance of Puerto Rico’s people and what they need rather than just washing the history down with their cute little margaritas at a gentrified restaurant in Viejo San Juan. 

There is so much importance in understanding the history of the place you are visiting to recognize its impact. By ignoring these issues, we risk perpetuating a cycle of problems without finding a resolution. It is possible to appreciate and enjoy a destination such as PR, while also being mindful of its past and present circumstances. This will only lead to a more enriching experience, as you gain a deeper understanding of the place and its people.

-Isis E.