Coca Cola and Coco Frio - 1731 Words

Every day , Puerto Rico is slowly adapting into the American way of life and is gradually losing what is left of their culture. Perhaps this is because Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States. The poem â€Å" Coca Cola and Coco Frio† by Martin Espada is a great example of someone who encounters the Americanized culture of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is struggling to preserve their own identity. On July 25, 1898 United States troops invaded Puerto Rico during the Spanish American War . As Olga Jimenez de Wagenheim and Kal Wagenheim stateâ€Å" The war marked new eras for both the United States and Puerto Rico. It was America’s first major step as an imperialist power , The Spanish American War was a small war , edging†¦show more content†¦And in the next seventeen years, when Puerto Ricans were granted American citizenship, by the Jones Act, the implications of this act, especially that of free trade, meant that Puerto Ricans were being treated l ike Americans, and in turn, Americanization, the process by which people of alien culture acquire American ways, standards of living and national allegiance; or the assimilation of American culture by people of foreign birth or heritage was pushed on the island, and touched all facets of the island (Guerra, 49). As a result of its status of possession of the United States, the economic facet of Puerto Rico became dependent on the United States and its capitalist economy (Dietz, 1986). It became imperative for the Puerto Ricans to Americanized because the success of the Puerto Rican economy was dependent on assimilation to American economic practices; Puerto Rico had to comply or suffer economically, more than it was already. As Puerto Rico no longer belonged to Spain, Puerto Rico was deemed a foreign market to Spain and its products, such as coffee, were highly taxed. There were no such tariffs between Puerto Rico and the United States, making the island a protected market. Now considered part of the American economy, Puerto Rico was allowed trade through United States, butShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Coca Cola And Coco Frio By Martin Espada856 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Consumerism in â€Å"Coca-Cola and Coco Frà ­o† by Martà ­n Espada In today’s world, every person in every country has a similar image in mind when they think of the United States. Common words that come to mind are ideal, lazy, superior, and consumer. These words are associated with the United States due to American consumerism, or the practice of an increasing consumption of goods. In Martà ­n Espada’s â€Å"Coca-Cola and Coco Frà ­o,† he criticizes American consumerism by relating the people of PuertoRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Coca Cola And Coco Frio By Martin Espada1569 Words   |  7 Pagesidentify who we are and where we come from. In today’s world, it appears that cultural diffusion has become a normal part of everyone’s life as cultural trends, beliefs and customs spread quickly from one culture to another. In his poem, â€Å"Coca-Cola and Coco Frio,† Martin Espada provides his readers with a great example of cultural diffusion that a boy encounters when he visits his native country, Puerto Rico. The â€Å"fat boy† mentioned in the poem is none other than Martin Espada himself (3). By sharingRead MoreCoca Cola And The 51st State Of America1280 Words   |  6 PagesJuan Ayon WRT 102 February 26, 2016 Coca Cola And The 51st State of America Martin Espada uses his own experiences as a child of Puerto Rican descent realizing that his family and the country of Puerto Rico is losing grasp of their Puerto Rican culture, and in exchange taking in the americanized culture all in part of American Marketing. It could be like a melting pot, Puerto Rico may be a property of the United States but that does not mean that they do have to be a state of America and take in