Why do Puertoricans generally speak such poor spanish?

[mangobus90]

Your skills of a language native to you are sometimes lost while trying to really master another foreign language. This happens sometimes. You invest some years in trying to learn one language, and at the same time you sacrifice your own. Sometimes when I read an article by a native Puertorican writer or journalist, like the commentary I read by Nick Burgos on Old San Juan, I get an ache, because I realize that investing College years in the USA hindered my development of writing style in my native language. That's a great price to pay in order to finally write some English. I still believe I can recuperate those lost years,and invest some years of studying advanced Spanish writing. It's a concern for me,for I am not entirely Neuyorican, by the grace of God, thank you; and I was allowed the privelege of living in the blessed island for more than 8 years, between my 9th birthday and my 17th, allowing me to develop a sense of culture, self-respect, and knowledge of my language. I would like those who have not had such an honor, to answer my query on why neoyoricans neither speak spanish or english for that matter? If they spoke excellent English then we could debate that this native language was sacrificed for the sake of integrating. But, we know, that, that is not the case. Generations pass and go, and still no english and much less spanish is produced among us.
When I read letters produced by my grandfather to my grandmother, I am in awe of the mastery with which he used the language. It sounds almost castizo, a very high ranking spanish. What in the world explains such deterioration among most of us in the USA? I believe there is no excuse. What do you think? I'd like to know.

[rlopez]

depends on several factors, of which you have metioned some and one of those is the level of education that a person may have. We're not all journalist, scholars or book writers with the concern of where shall the punctulation be placed. Language in general is a form of communication among a common group who can understand each other with similar utterances. No matter how it is conveyed, usually the message is expressed not only in words but with gesture. Language is a living thing and is subject to changes, what may have been a meaning 100 years ago may have a different one today.
Not all boricuas are neyoricans, and not all mexicans are chicanos, these are persons either born or raised in that particular reagion. So you see, your assumption of neyorican as I interpreted was that all main land puertoricans are from New York. You too may be using the language incorrectly.
I will agree that our Spanish language as it is spoken today is not what it should be, but at least take the comfort that we can still talk with each other at what ever level and have the same common ground. Furthermore, heritages are difused by the influences of other cultures. Today we have been influenced very much by the inner city type of mentality and mannerisms. Those who have gone beyond this realm have encultrated themselves in a professional setting with similar styles as their colleagues. Boricuas, sigan con los estudios, sino, seimpre estaremos en las mismas.

[Suki]

This observation or statement is not true. The problem I have with this statement is that it lacks analytical depth. People who do not speak Spanish on a daily basis and who do not study it in-depth in a formal way, usually do not speak it very well. Education is critical in developing language art skills in not only Spanish, but in English as well. The history of the island has not helped, with ignorant North Americans trying to ram mandatory English instruction without allowing the Puerto Rican school-age children the opportunity to master their native language in a secure and class-conscious-free environment, where speaking Spanish was not seen as the tongue of the colonized and the powerless, but as a strong and important native vernacular. Nevertheless, educated Puerto Ricans have always spoken excellent Spanish, splashed with quite a bit of local colorful natively favored words,refrains and sayings. Unfortunately for many Boricuas that grew up on the mainland, they received inferior educations in both English and Spanish and have been subjected to unfair discrimination on both sides of the language spectrum.