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Johanna Martinez
Dance 1010
Life History Interview
Insight into the Puerto Rican Culture
The Interview I conducted was based on the Puerto Rican culture and heritage; I decided
to interview someone of Puerto Rican descent because I’ve always considered that someone who
is Hispanic like me has a culture very similar to mine. Doing a Life History Interview gave me
the opportunity to interview a fellow Hispanic and be able to compare between their culture and
mine.
My interviewee was a twenty-one year old woman who is a Puerto Rican-American and
has grown up around Puerto Ricans and their traditions. I picked her because she is a very good
friend of mine, and I knew that if I were to ask her a sensitive question about her culture, it
wouldn’t be as awkward as to asking the same question to a stranger. I interviewed her over the
period of two days, one hour each day. At first I was I wasn’t sure how to go about the interview,
I was a little nervous that my questions would be answered with brief comments. My worries
soon disappeared when I realized that she had no problem answering any type of question. I feel
that the interview went very well because she was great at answering my questions in detail, and
she seemed very comfortable at answering all of my questions.
While interviewing my friend I realized that, yes, our cultures are somewhat similar but
there were many differences that I hadn’t expected. I learned that they are very social and
welcoming with everyone. They greet each other by hugging or with a kiss on the cheek. I felt a
little surprised to learn that, because in my culture and from what I have noticed in America, you
rarely have such close contact with others unless they’re your family or really good friends.
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When I asked if her culture had been influenced by interacting with the privileged American
culture, she replied that she felt very much influenced by it because since she grew up here in the
United States, she has always had to keep her Puerto Rican culture intact but also learned to
combine it with the American way of living. For example, when she talks to Puerto Rican
people, she knows that a hug won’t seem over friendly, as it usually is seen to Americans. She
also expressed to me the need to know Spanish very well but also be able to speak English
fluently, since she’s always interacting in both languages. When she explained this to me, I
understood her completely, because I myself do that every day. I personally think that when you
grow up around two cultures, sometimes they might clash a little but variety makes life
interesting.
When it comes to the attitudes and expectations of individuals at different stages in life, I
learned that we have the same attitudes and expectations. She explained to me that children are
treated with love and taught to be respectful towards others; teenagers are expected to graduate
and become respectful people and find something in life they are passionate about. The elder
stage is the most valued, because individuals in that stage are considered full of wisdom and
should be respected and loved unconditionally. I myself feel exactly same way. She also
explained that in her culture, hardly anyone would ever consider putting their parents or
grandparents in a “home” as is usually done here in America. To her that’s disrespectful, because
it’s like trying to get rid of them, when they should be highly respected because they are the
people who have taken care of us and helped us become who we are.
In the Puerto Rican culture, my friend described that when speaking to someone they
always try to use a positive tone, even when they’re angry, because it helps them get their point
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across without saying something they might later regret. Puerto Ricans also use a lot of hand
gestures when talking, and standing too close to someone is inappropriate, especially when they
are the opposite sex. Eye contact while talking is very important also because eye avoidance
makes you seem untrustworthy or as if you’re hiding something.
When it came to food, I learned that Puerto Ricans eat a lot of bananas and mixing them
with meat isn’t something unusual. They also prefer sweet things compare to spicy things, it was
interesting to learn this, because in my culture we usually never mix bananas with anything and
our meals are typically very spicy. I didn’t let my interviewee know this because I wasn’t sure if
it would make her feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, I learned that they eat a lot of seafood, and
that sweet potato, and chicken with rice, is very typical. When it comes to relationships between
food and health, Puerto Ricans eat a lot of cod fish with salad for overall health, and take a lot of
fish oil for skin and brain health. Herbs aren’t really used for medical reasons, but different types
of teas are used for congestion and colds. As for foods that are taboo, I learned that there aren’t
really any, but the tongue and brain of an animal are rarely ever eaten. I was somewhat surprised
to find that out, because to me it’s nothing out of the ordinary. When I asked her about table
manners or customs, she stated that in her family they do say grace before eating, but that she
wouldn’t call it something that is traditional in Puerto Rican culture. She also told me that most
of the table manners that they follow are common sense, such as having clean hands at the table,
keeping elbows off the table, not letting food hit the table top or the floor, not “clinking” utensils
against plates or bowls, not slurping liquids, not talking with mouth full, and not passing arms or
hands over other’s plates or cups. In addition, eating with hands is only accepted when eating
sandwiches, cookies, and certain fried foods.
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When I asked about clothing, I found out that they usually dress just like Americans
would, but that they do use a lot of light colors to express their calm and to show that they are
fun to be around. I thought it was interesting that they used clothes to portray their sense of
calmness; I had never heard of that before. In a way, it makes sense, though, that light colors can
portray a relaxed mood. My friend also told me that although they like to be seen as calm people
who “take things as they come,” they do value and take family, respect, freedom, and a good
education seriously, just as any American would.
Puerto Ricans acknowledge all American Holidays, except Columbus Day because they
feel that it doesn’t relate to them. She also stated that because she is Christian they do not
celebrate Halloween, which people in America find odd. She does celebrate a holiday called “El
Dia de Los Reyes” which means The Day of The Kings. It is celebrated because it is thought to
be the day that the three kings brought gifts to baby Jesus, and they celebrate it by giving away
baby figurines in shoe boxes, filled with grass to symbolize Jesus’ hay filled basket. When
asking about the way they celebrated most holidays, I wasn’t surprised to find that music and
dance are not only used to celebrate holidays, but also for family reunions, and any other big
event. I did learn, though, that dance and music are used as a way to tell stories, that dance is also
intended for everyone, and no dance has a religious origin unless it’s telling a biblical story. One
of the most popular types of dance is the Salsa (which involves a lot of hip movement). My
interviewee also felt that the main thing that has changed about her culture is music; she
explained that music has changed from using simple instruments like the drums and maracas to
make music, to music that is made in a studio. She feels that change can be good, but hopes that
music from past generations will not be forgotten.
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When I asked my friend about her experience here in the United States and in Utah, she
explained that she grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, where there’s a lot of diversity in the
population, so she never really felt segregated from the overall community. It was not
uncommon in Boston to see people from many different cultures, but once she moved to Utah,
she realized that the overall population here is over all very “white”. She also stated that she feels
that Hispanics in Utah are all categorized as Mexicans, when in reality, not every Hispanic is
from Mexico. Overall, though, she doesn’t feel that like the dominant white group has shunned
or treated her badly, but it’s noticeable that Utah has not been exposed to many Puerto Ricans, or
other cultures for that matter.
I’ve always imagined that every Hispanic culture is very similar; doing this interview has
taught me that no culture is really alike. I learned that something that seems very unusual to me,
like mixing bananas with meat, is very common in Puerto Rico, and something as common to me
as eating the tongue of a cow is very rare to Puerto Ricans. I always thought of Puerto Ricans as
very relaxed people who don’t like to worry about things too much, I discovered, though, that
just because they like to be calm doesn’t meant they don’t value the important things in life.
Something I was surprised at was that my friend worried that music from past generations would
be lost; I had never thought that losing a type of music could be like losing a part of your culture,
but hearing it from someone else makes me realize that it’s very true. I also found it interesting
that the “white” community here in Utah tend to think that most Hispanics are of Mexican
descent. When, of course, that isn’t true at all. Furthermore, I discovered that keeping your
culture intact and fitting in with a new culture at the same time is not only hard for me but for
others too.