Our connection to Puerto Rico may look different, but every generation has the choice to decide what it will carry forward and pass on to the next generation. What does it really mean to be Puerto Rican?
Were you born on the Island? Do you speak Spanish? Have you ever visited Puerto Rico? Do you know what town your grandparents came from? The truth is, there isn’t just one way to be Boricua. Some were born and raised in Puerto Rico and never left. Their culture wasn’t something they had to search for; it surrounded them every day.
Others, like me, were born in Puerto Rico but raised in the United States. We grew up with one foot here while Puerto Rico lived inside our homes through food, music, language, stories, and family.
Then there are Puerto Ricans born in the United States whose parents and grandparents made sure they knew exactly where they came from. And there are those who don’t speak Spanish at all. That doesn’t automatically make them less Puerto Rican. Sometimes the language was lost because previous generations believed that speaking English would give their children greater opportunities.
But there is something we need to talk about: culture can disappear. It happens little by little. Abuela speaks Spanish. Her children understand it. The grandchildren know a few words. Eventually, no one remembers the recipes, the music, the traditions, or even the town where the family’s story began. That’s why knowing our roots matters. Ask your elders questions while they’re still here. Write down their stories. Learn the recipes. Listen to the music. And if you have the opportunity, visit the place your family comes from—not just as a tourist, but as someone searching for a piece of their own story.
Being Puerto Rican can look different from one generation to the next. Different doesn’t mean less. Maybe we need to stop asking, “Are you Puerto Rican enough?” Instead, ask yourself:
“What are you doing with the culture that was handed to you?” Learn it. Celebrate it. Protect it. Pass it on to the next generation.
Because someday, you may be the elder in your family responsible for telling the next generation where they come from.
Rosa Julia Parra
Founder, Palo Magazine
palomagazine.com
