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Simone Allen

Professor Witherspoon

English 101-18

October 31, 2014

Colonialism in Puerto Rico

In the Meaning of Consuelo, Judith Cofer writes about the trials and troubles of a family
in Puerto Rico as they deal with the changed around them. While Consuelos father was
accepting of the American culture, her mother was not in favor of the change and liked her
traditional values. Initially, the small island of Puerto Rico was inhabited by the native Indians;
however, it was colonized by the Spaniards and Americans. The Spanish conquerors made the
natives slaves, and over time, they died from over work. After the Indians were gone, the
Spaniards brought families from Africa to replace the natives who had died off. Resultantly, their
daily life changed, Puerto Rico became more industrialized, and the geography of the island
changed.

Due to the colonization of America and the Spanish the lifestyle of Puerto Ricans were
altered in numerous ways. One of these examples includes the inclusion of the Spaniards and
Americans way of cooking into Puerto Rican food. Along with the, the Spanish brought flavor to
Puerto Rican foods such as olive, garlic, and cilantro. African slaves also introduced the method

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of frying foods to the area. In the Meaning of Consuelo, the author writes. There were kiosks
that sold bacaloitos, the salty, codfish fritters Mami liked so much but didnt make often because
Papi said they filled the house with a smell he hated, one the salty greasy fried fish (Cofer,33).
The Spanish and Americans brought several new ingredients as well as texture to the food of
Puerto Rico. In an article entitled, Countries and Their Cultures, it states, the mingling of
flavors and ingredients passed from generation to generation among the different ethnic groups
that settled on the island, resulting in the exotic blend of todays Puerto Rican cuisine (Green,
Countries and Their Cultures).

Another effect of colonization of Puerto Rico was the American annexation, which
caused the territory to be modern and industrialized. As a result of the Spanish-American War in
1898, Spain gave up all claims to Puerto Rico and it was given to the United States. Since then,
the United States government has made an effort to make their possession more Americanized.
Puerto Ricos manufacturing sector has shifted from original labor such as manufacturing of
tobacco, labor, leather, and apparel products, to more advanced industries such as chemical,
machinery(Green, Countries and Their Cultures). Additionally, Puerto Rico also relies on the
United States government to print and manage the money supply. In the book, Consuelo
describes how her father talks about the island, bringing up the factories, shopping centers, and
new housing developments. This is another way in which Puerto Rico has been colonized.

Another way that Puerto Rico has been affected by Spanish and Americans is the islands
geography. In the beginning, the Indians built small villages in Puerto Rico which were not as

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developed as compared to the homes today. In the Meaning of Consuelo, Consuelo says, Milli
and I tossed the rubber ball back and forth across the little square of yard in front of our new
modern cement house that sat on a street planned according to the geometric designs of North
American developers (Cofer,5). They constructed that allowed them to park their vehicles. It
was obvious when the Spanish and Americans arose in Puerto Rico because along with them,
they brought larger building, which in turn, made Puerto Rico look more like a city. Americans
began to build roads which made it easier to travel from one place to another. Tolls were also
placed in Puerto Rico, another American influence. Overall, Americans impact on Puerto Rico
involving change in geography made life easier.

As stated before, colonialism has brought significant changes to the Puerto Rican culture.
The nixing of races causes the culture of the island to be more diverse. People from Spain and
Puerto Rico, as well as the Africans began to display their way of life. Puerto Rican dishes were
seasoned with a mix of spices that were presented by the Spaniards. Some of the islands
inhabitants feel like Puerto Rico was becoming more Americanized as demonstrated by the
shopping centers, currency, and placement of tolls to enter certain towns. Despite the numerous
changes that were made in Puerto Rico , overall the islands inhabitants benefited because tasks
became easier to finish and faster to complete.

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Works Cited

Cofer, Judith Ortiz. The Meaning of Consuelo. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux,
2003. Print.
Green. Derek. Countries and Their Cultures. Puerto Ricans Americans. (2004)