Rude Puerto Rico Middle-Class

[Ecuajey]

Escualidos in Puerto Rico
posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 at 4:15pm
I had an unpleasant experience yesterday.
by Luis Orlando Gallardo Rivera: Nutslapper.com

I was watching Elf in a movie theatre in Plaza las Americas (the largest mall in Puerto Rico.) The first 4 or 5 rows of the left side of the theatre were occupied by a large group of young teenagers. Since today was a free day from school, I'm supposing that they were allowed to go out. During the previews these kids were jumping around, screaming, talking loudly, throwing things, and tipping over each other’s popcorn bins. It really didn't bother me until the movie started. I kept brushing it off, thinking that they'd stop within a few minutes, but I was wrong. For the whole first 45 minutes of the movie these kids continued to make cellular calls, wrestle, push each other, and scream at the top of their lungs. Their little girlfriends sat on their laps. They made me nervous. People were getting pissed, screaming at them "shut the hell up!" but they only responded by making even more noise. After the first 10 minutes I got frustrated and went to a theatre usher. Apparently they sent someone in, but the kids shut their mouths only to continue when the usher left. They started acting up again, so I went and fetched one of the guards. He told the kids to shut up, but they kept doing their sh*t after he left. Once again the guards came to give them an even more serious warning. They continued. Finally, a sh*tload of ushers came and forced all of these kids to leave. I applauded in joy as ushers lead these little brats out of the theatre. As they marched out with their hands waving in the air in a sign of victory. They had smiles on their faces and screamed "wooooo!"s as they were led out.

It was obvious through their attitudes, appearances, and way of being that they were members of the middle-upper-class, were all residents of private urbanizations, and all attended private schools. You guys are thinking right now, "Oh Luis, your generalizing too much," but that's what an anthropologist is supposed to do. I'm not saying that all urbanization-residing private school students are like this - I'm just saying that these kids were members of that class. Anyways... their actions and lack of compassion for collective order are results of individualistic trends that rise from households with two working parents, schools that act more like businesses than education centers, and neighborhoods that jealously protect their private properties. For the first time, I saw that escualidos exist in Puerto Rico (escualidos are the folks that I spoke of this week and in my post "Latin American Rich".)

While "escualidos" are the result of Spanish colonialism (everything from their accent to their cultural practices and standards,) Puerto Rican escualidos (sometimes referred to as "come m*erdas, or sh*t eaters) are the result of practices imported from abroad (private schools and Latin American-style urbanizations.) Still, they act the same and there was little difference between these kids and the children of snobby Latin American tourists that frequently visit our store. I never through that the cultural division between Puerto Rican classes were that drastic, but after last night my opinion has changed. When I worked in a movie theatre in Caguas - a very humble, lower-, working-, and lower-middle class city - never, and I repeat never have I seen a crowd like that. In fact, people would lower their voices, and movie employees would shut their mouths in the lobby when someone's cellphone went off. "It's ironic," my grandmother told me today, "how those rich people think they're all civilized when la gente humilde are the ones whom are the most courteous and simplistic." While I've seen my bunch of out-of-order humildes I can surely say that they do not pose a threat to Puerto Rican communal, family, and social structures. This rising middle-upper culture is a grave threat to our community, island, and order.

Now, I'd like to emphasize the difference between someone who earns a middle-upper-class salary and someone who lives its culture. There are many who earn good amounts of money (such as my retired grandparents) but continue to live the exact same lifestyle as the lower-, lower-middle-, worker-, and jibaro cousins that live next door. There are also people who are not doing too well economically, but still walk and talk like authentic Puerto Rican come mierdas. It's a cultural - not necessarily an income - thing. It's not like one turns into an a$$hole after his salary passes a certain mark. It's the negative traits that arise from lifestyles that fervently try to protect that [physical and generational] wealth (such as urbanizations and private schools) that make them snobs.

Anyways... after last night I have been thinking a lot about what I would like to do. Seeing those urban/middle-class kids made me want to isolate myself in Aguas Buenas and limit my trips to the metropolitan area as much as possible. "You just wait and see. As soon as I finish my bachelors I'm going to get me a teaching job here in Aguas Buenas and stay away from places like Plaza las Americas," I told Alba. "And when the first McDonald comes into Aguas Buenas, I'll leave to some rural town in Guatemala, or something." Ja. Maybe not that extreme, but I would like live in a place that maintains the small rural/pueblo feeling of Aguas Buenas or Caguas.

[Stanley]

It seems the writer made a lot of generalizations. I have seen kids behave like that in all social groups.

As for the come-mierda comments. There are folks like that in every Latin American country. This is a subtle manifestation of complejo.

[L_F_Miranda]

A Luis Gallardo-Rivera said:

I was watching Elf in a movie theatre in Plaza las Americas (the largest mall in Puerto Rico.) The first 4 or 5 rows of the left side of the theatre were occupied by a large group of young teenagers. Since today was a free day from school, I'm supposing that they were allowed to go out. During the previews these kids were jumping around, screaming, talking loudly, throwing things, and tipping over each other’s popcorn bins. It really didn't bother me until the movie started. I kept brushing it off, thinking that they'd stop within a few minutes, but I was wrong. For the whole first 45 minutes of the movie these kids continued to make cellular calls, wrestle, push each other, and scream at the top of their lungs etc. etc.
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It's a pity how U.S. Ghetto culture has taken over a segment of Puerto Rican Youth. I call it the NUYORICANIZATION OF PUERTO RICO.

If you go to any Ghetto moivie in NY where "blockbusters " are the norm you will immediately find yourself with bunches of teenagers, mostly black and Hispanic, talking to the movie, yelling out, cursing and smoking pot. Inconsiderate parents bring babies to horror and sex flicks where the crying of tots drowns out the thrills.

It's a shame that within the INSULAR teenage culture of Puerto Rico many see this behavior as "cool" "modern" "defiant" and "avant guard." This "upper middle-class proto- statehooder youth," without realizing, are contributing to gringo perceptions, "Puerto Ricans are a bunch of low life's like what is seen in the Puerto Rican Day parade. LOL

If I were a statehooder I would be worried and very concerned because, as we all should know by now, politics and eventual Statehood will depend on "GRINGO PERCEPTIONS OF US," not necessarily votes. LOL

[Ecuajey]

Originally posted by L_F_Miranda
It's a pity how U.S. Ghetto culture has taken over a segment of Puerto Rican Youth. I call it the NUYORICANIZATION OF PUERTO RICO.

The ironic thing about your comment is that the writer considers himself a "Nuyorican." I think it's just plainly the Americanization of Puerto Rico, because I've seen it happen in mostly-white suburbs and urban neighborhoods as well.

[Stanley]

I think the writer wanted to imply that middle class PR kids from the so called "come-mierda" class can behave as bad as the cafres. This is a way to cope with insecurities. The "they do it too" mechanism of defense.

[L_F_Miranda]

Miranda originally said:

It's a pity how U.S. Ghetto culture has taken over a "segment" of Puerto Rican Youth. I call it the "NUYORICANIZATION OF PUERTO RICO."

And a confused and perplexed Ecuajey responded:

The ironic thing about your comment is that the writer considers himself a "Nuyorican." I think it's just plainly the Americanization of Puerto Rico, because I've seen it happen in mostly-white suburbs and urban neighborhoods as well.

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First of all, Sorry to burst your bubble Ecuajey but if Puerto Rico was Americanizing, as you say, Puerto Ricans would be acting more like La Bambina's collegues from Ohio, Central Florida or Nebraska. Nuyoricans tend to call that "White Culture."

It's not surprising that when many ghetto youth go to the island for the first time they question "WHY ARE ALL THESE RICANS TRYING TO ACT WHITE! It's not white, it's middle class culture which has no race!

The term Nuyorican originated in the New York Ghettos but today it can be applied to almost anyone who has certain social characteristics and world outlook. Today Nuyoricans can live in Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Hawaii etc. In Puerto Rico Nuyorican is identified with Inner City, Caserío, Lower class culture.

To be identified in Puerto Rico as a Nuyorican is to be considered on par with Dominicans, and that is really bad. LOL. If you don't believe me ask Stanley, POV or La Bambina. LOL

Secondly I have NEVER understood why people who are proud of their cultural roots want to make up another identity for themselves. In my understanding either you are:

1- A Puerto Rican from the island or......

2- A Puerto Rican who resides on the mainland.

Bottom line, PUERTO RICAN, punto y se acabó. Anything else is to DIVIDE US at a moment we can't be divided as a people.

[Eddier1]

Originally posted by L_F_Miranda
Miranda originally said:

It's a pity how U.S. Ghetto culture has taken over a "segment" of Puerto Rican Youth. I call it the "NUYORICANIZATION OF PUERTO RICO."

And a confused and perplexed Ecuajey responded:

The ironic thing about your comment is that the writer considers himself a "Nuyorican." I think it's just plainly the Americanization of Puerto Rico, because I've seen it happen in mostly-white suburbs and urban neighborhoods as well.

------------------------------------------------------------

First of all, Sorry to burst your bubble Ecuajey but if Puerto Rico was Americanizing, as you say, Puerto Ricans would be acting more like La Bambina's collegues from Ohio, Central Florida or Nebraska. Nuyoricans tend to call that "White Culture."

It's not surprising that when many ghetto youth go to the island for the first time they question "WHY ARE ALL THESE RICANS TRYING TO ACT WHITE! It's not white, it's middle class culture which has no race!

The term Nuyorican originated in the New York Ghettos but today it can be applied to almost anyone who has certain social characteristics and world outlook. Today Nuyoricans can live in Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Hawaii etc. In Puerto Rico Nuyorican is identified with Inner City, Caserío, Lower class culture.

To be identified in Puerto Rico as a Nuyorican is to be considered on par with Dominicans, and that is really bad. LOL. If you don't believe me ask Stanley, POV or La Bambina. LOL

Secondly I have NEVER understood why people who are proud of their cultural roots want to make up another identity for themselves. In my understanding either you are:

1- A Puerto Rican from the island or......

2- A Puerto Rican who resides on the mainland.

Bottom line, PUERTO RICAN, punto y se acabó. Anything else is to DIVIDE US at a moment we can't be divided as a people.

Good post! For example, Stanley, has referred to me as one of the cafres; he called me Eddie the Nuyorican. Never mind that I told him I have never had a residence in New York City, and told him that it would be alright if he wanted to give apodos that he could call me Eddie the Commie (not the Communist, because that would be too formal for an apodo). And yes Stan is the paradigm of that "white culture syndrome" you spoke about. He has been 'americanized' and as a middle class individuo identifies with the "white" Puertorriquenos, who unfortunately deny their Puertorriquenidad, and as you said so accurately 'have no race'. He can talk about the 'cafres' all he wants, but he will never be accepted as a Peer of the gringo whites, even if they be red-necked whites who bad-mouth all the quadroons and minorities who they consider to be the "mud people". Stan lives in a fantasy-land of his own making, and is a Puertorriqueno in self-denial. The point is whether or not he's a 'victim' of the gringos, or simply cut from bad stock. If he is the latter, then know this that there is nothing worst in thought and actions than a BAD PUERTORRIQUENO!

Hacia la Victoria Siempre Boricuas, Venceremos!
Soy Puertorriqueno y Punto; y Realista Social.
EddieR