Down w/Christopher Columbus Day

[JuanSoto]

Being Puerto Rican I am apalled at the fact that we actually celebrate Christopher Columbus day as if though that was a time period to be remembered. For starters, Christopher Columbus did not discover P.R., our anscestors were there way before he was. Perhaps Columbus might have stumbled upon our island centuries ago and discovered it for the "civilized" European nations. To me, Columbus day symbolizes an era of slavery and persecution. The Europeans did nothing but strip our island of its gold and other precious minerals and stones. The Europeans raped our women and brought disease to our island. Within about thirty years of spanish colonization, our anscestors were virtually wiped out. Why then do we insist on celebrating Columbus day as if though he did something positive for our island?

[Eddier1]

[quote]Originally posted by JuanSoto:
>> Why then do we insist on celebrating Columbus day as if though he did something positive for our island?<<

Juan you make some good points about what happened to Puerto Rico. However, I can't understand why you are appalled at the celebration of the discoverer of the Island.

Let's face it, Columbus the Navigator and Discoverer of the New World helped to put Puerto Rico, (or as he called it the Island of St. John the Baptist), on the map for the then known civilized countries of the world.

Perhaps, that alone would justify for most Boricuas the Columbus Day celebrations.

EddieR #1

[JuanSoto]

EddieR., the island was discovered by our anscestors long before the Europeans. The Europeans were so civilized that they plundered, raped, and killed. I think that our anscestors were just fine before the Europeans came. Our anscestors were stripped of their religion, language, and freedom. This is why I am so apalled by the celebration of Columbus Day.

[El_Jibaro]

JuanSoto:

If you hate so much Western Civilization you should dump your PC, buy yourself a ONEWAY ticket to the Venezuelan Amazon Jungles and decide to live there among the Arawak descendants. Also give up the luxuries of reading and writing, the comfort of Western Medicine, and renounce to your Western languages (Spanish and English) altogether. Then we can say that you really believe what you so loudly express ...

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Manuel Alonso

[dominix]

Hi all,
Just a quick note. From what I've seen, none of us have Taino last names. The fact is that OUR spanish ancestors killed, raped, etc... the indians in the island. I can guarantee you that hardly any of us, if any have Taino blood in us. That being said, let us learn from our ancestors mistakes and move on.

[El_Jibaro]

Spaniards did not kill the entire Taíno population, many did survive and they did what most Native peoples of the America's did: Blend In. Many Spaniard soldiers had children with Taíno women. In fact, the ideal Puerto Rican woman in the collective mind of Puerto Rican males can only be described as the PERFECT Taíno Girl. Studies by Puerto Rican orthodontists and anthropologists in the last 30 years have shown that roughly 25% of Puerto Ricans are descendents from the Taíno. If you are Puerto Rican and your incissors are shaped like small scoops, you have olive colored skin, your eyes have some asiatic semblance and your hair is jet-black straight you are a definite Taíno descendant. In the next few years, as DNA tests get perfected and easier (and some independentistas get more fanatic about their Taíno heritage) you will see better surveys of Taíno genetic make-up in Puerto Rican people.

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Manuel Alonso

[javierolmeda]

Originally posted by JuanSoto:
Being Puerto Rican I am apalled at the fact that we actually celebrate Christopher Columbus day as if though that was a time period to be remembered. For starters, Christopher Columbus did not discover P.R., our anscestors were there way before he was. Perhaps Columbus might have stumbled upon our island centuries ago and discovered it for the "civilized" European nations. To me, Columbus day symbolizes an era of slavery and persecution. The Europeans did nothing but strip our island of its gold and other precious minerals and stones. The Europeans raped our women and brought disease to our island. Within about thirty years of spanish colonization, our anscestors were virtually wiped out. Why then do we insist on celebrating Columbus day as if though he did something positive for our island?

ok mr juansoto hisory say's this my father last name is olmeda and ive been doing some studies abouth are last name and many ao the puerto rican last name came from spain another words that many of are anscestors came from spain if you read your histoy books in 1493 the island, called boriquen (by the indians) that were ther already which that time the island was discoverd by columbus who name it san jaun bautisa a few years later it's settlements by ponce de leon in 1508 thats when the island became san juan bautista de puerto rico(meaning rich port) because of its magnificent harbor the name san juan came to be used for the city and puerto rico for the island (except from 1900 to 1932 when the united states named it porto rico) and f.y.i. the word porto was not mispelled.... please reply mr javier olmeda