The History of Oppressed Puerto Rico :: Historical Spanish Essays

The History of Oppressed Puerto Rico Jesus Colon, in â€Å"How to Know the Puerto Ricans,† makes a statement that I believe explains and articulates the effect centuries of exploitation has had on Puerto Rico, and on the identity of Puerto Ricans. He writes, â€Å"So when you come to knock at the door of a Puerto Rican home you will be encountered by this feeling in the Puerto Rican-sometimes unconscious in himself-of having been taken for a ride for centuries.†(Santiago, 71) This assertion is appropriate and logical in the sense that Puerto Rico was invaded, ruled, and exploited by the Spaniards from 1508 until July 1898 when the Spanish flag was lowered and the United States began its invasion. With the exclusion of the aristocrats, who were either directly from Spain or criollos , there was complete oppression in Puerto Rico during the time it was a Spanish colony. The history of Puerto Rico under Spanish rule is useful in understanding the formation of Puerto Rican identity and in understanding some of the literature written by Puerto Ricans regarding issues of identity. The numerous historical, economical, social, and political circumstances of Puerto Rico as a colony has affected identity formation of its people. In 1508, Ponce de Leon led the arrival of Spanish into Puerto Rico. Between the years of 1511-1513, Taà ­nos fought against the Spaniards because they were taking away the Taà ­no culture. An outright rebellion with guerrilla warfare occurred in 1511 and then 1513-1514 experienced a lessening of this overt manner of rebellion and a conversion to more evasive and passive forms of resistance (Figueroa, Sept. 22). Among Puerto Ricans, especially the jibaros , there was a great amount of anti-state, anti-Spanish sentiment. However, the plebian peasantry (jibaros) erected a faà §ade that they were following Spanish authorities' orders, although in reality the peasants discounted and discredited the orders of the Spaniards (Figueroa, Sept. 22). By presenting this faà §ade, the authorities falsely believed that the peasantry was not going to cause problems and would be loyal to Spain and its delegates. From 1650 until 100 years later, â€Å"relative isolation from the international economy fostered the growth of an independent, racially mixed peasantry whose contact with the outside world was limited to occasional contraband trade with foreigners.†(Scarano, 4) Despite evidence that it would be unsuccessful, the Spanish government tried to create a plantation labor force from the peasantry. This would