I love the US, wouldn’t change it for any other country in the world, not even for Puerto Rico where my parents are from. I was born in Jersey City NJ and regardless of what anyone says I am an American just like the children of those who migrated to this country over 200 years ago when the US was just starting to grow. I have never actually called myself Puerto Rican, especially when I moved to Puerto Rico at the age of 8 (worst idea my mother ever had and worst thing the could have happened to me).
I am almost ashamed of being related to the Puerto Rican race. Here we have the one Latin group of people with the opportunity of a life time, considered American citizens the moment they are born regardless if it was in the US or Puerto Rico, and what do they do? They’re a bunch of ingrates. The deal between Puerto Rico and the US is what many would call “The best of both worlds”, they get all the benefits of being citizens of the US (traveling to and from the US without any visas or passports like from state to state, health benefits, welfare and food stamps, Gov’t money, etc) without actually being part of the US (self Governed, partly independent, no taxes to the US, not all of their federal laws, etc.). It’s like getting paid for someone else’s work. As bad as this sounds, it’s actually worse. On top of all of this, Puerto Ricans dislike “gringos” or Americans. They love their money, just not them. Like other countries, just give me money and let me do what I want with it.
This kind of attitude upsets me because I am American and they insult me when they insult Americans in this matter. All those years I worked in the US and paid taxes just so this bunch of ingrates can enjoy it for free and bitch about it at the same time. Not to mention that even though my parents are Puerto Ricans, both, by birth they still treated me like an American when I lived here as a child, and even today. This country is full of people whose only goal is to make money the easy way, without having to work for it, as long as the Gov’t is willing to give it to them. I actually blame the Gov’t of this country for making Puerto Ricans what they are today, the disgrace of the Latin community. I’m glad my kids were born in the US, things here in Puerto Rico are beginning to crumble and like all good things, this little association, where Puerto Rico has a win win situation, will come to an end soon and I don’t want to be here when it happens. Already utilities prices are rising faster than people can pay them, food is getting more expensive and the average job pays a little above minimum wage. The US will eventually tire of this game and Puerto Rico will find itself begging for forgiveness trying to keep itself from becoming the next Cuba. I can only hope my mom and sister will move to the States before it’s too late. After all, even if they are pure Puerto Ricans, they are still my family and I have a responsibility to look out for my own. Not that I won’t remind them of whose fault is it for the reason for them to be back in the US if and when it does happen.
So I guess whether I like it or not, I am Puerto Rican because of my parents, but I am American by birth and I will stand by my country in good or bad. Things may not be all good today but we have recovered from worse things. Puerto Rico has not treated me like a member of the family, and I know when I’m not wanted. So I will be moving back soon to where I feel at home and watch from my comfy chair how my moms people fade out of existence.