Describe Puerto Rico
I have spent my entire life in one place. An archipelago, to be correct. By this, I mean Puerto Rico and its surrounding islands. It is a very special and unique location due to its location and its history. With the Caribbean Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north, my elementary school teachers often referred to it as the smallest of the Greater Antilles and the biggest of the Lesser Antilles, due to its location, which serves as the link between both island regions. Moreover, this links nicely to Puerto Rico's history. It is Puerto Rico's geographical location that made it a prime spot for the United States Navy to set up naval bases (Fort Buchanan in San Juan, as well as what used to be Roosevelt Roads in Ceiba, and the testing
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This, coupled with the creation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico on July 25, 1952, have created a unique situation in Puerto Rico: that of the world's oldest remaining colony, extending a political status that has existed since 1493, the year Colombus first encountered the island, and claimed it for …show more content…
Its uniqueness in history and significance has completely shaped my interests, as they have focused me towards looking more into politics and international relations more than anything else. I feel that this will allow me to provide an interesting and different outlook on life to the community at Macalester College. Existing in somewhat of a perpetual limbo, Puerto Rican identity prevails through economic hardships and generational diasporas. I have experienced the former and seen the latter up close, as is the case with my oldest brother, allowing me to empathize with others in similar situations. These situations have enabled me to analyze the day to day occurrences of ordinary people, why they matter, and how these shape the course of our lives and our history. This different worldview would allow me to contribute a point of view that brings debate and conversation about the topics discussed in classes pertaining international relations and political science.
My experience living in Puerto Rico has critically shaped who I am, and how I relate myself with others. The situations families across the island faced and how they responded to them in their daily lives and in elections has had a clear effect on the shaping of the economic situation in Puerto Rico, and the policy of public officials, something that is critical to my interests of politics and economics. Furthermore, how I personally adjusted to these hardships
This, coupled with the creation of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico on July 25, 1952, have created a unique situation in Puerto Rico: that of the world's oldest remaining colony, extending a political status that has existed since 1493, the year Colombus first encountered the island, and claimed it for …show more content…
Its uniqueness in history and significance has completely shaped my interests, as they have focused me towards looking more into politics and international relations more than anything else. I feel that this will allow me to provide an interesting and different outlook on life to the community at Macalester College. Existing in somewhat of a perpetual limbo, Puerto Rican identity prevails through economic hardships and generational diasporas. I have experienced the former and seen the latter up close, as is the case with my oldest brother, allowing me to empathize with others in similar situations. These situations have enabled me to analyze the day to day occurrences of ordinary people, why they matter, and how these shape the course of our lives and our history. This different worldview would allow me to contribute a point of view that brings debate and conversation about the topics discussed in classes pertaining international relations and political science.
My experience living in Puerto Rico has critically shaped who I am, and how I relate myself with others. The situations families across the island faced and how they responded to them in their daily lives and in elections has had a clear effect on the shaping of the economic situation in Puerto Rico, and the policy of public officials, something that is critical to my interests of politics and economics. Furthermore, how I personally adjusted to these hardships