American blue jeans are ubiquitous through most of the world. Coca-Cola is popular in every nation except for Cuba and North Korea. Music from the United States can be heard anywhere in the world, including the distinctive music of icon Bad Bunny. National borders have not prevented the United States from influencing other countries.
At the same time, the United States is currently awash with K-Pop Demon Hunters music, dances, and images. Chinese, Mexican, and Italian food — as well as American takes on those traditional foods — are found in every city and town in the states. From bagels to croissants, every kind of bread is prepared and eaten in the U.S. on a daily basis. Nearly every language in the world is spoken in the United States. The United States is greatly influenced by the rest of the world.
Despite this reality, the idea that independence is needed to preserve Puerto Rico’s culture — or that Puerto Rican culture is threatened by its relationship with the United States — remains a common misperceptions. The reality, however, is that Puerto Rico culture is stronger than that. In fact, there are stateside neighborhood hubs in which Puerto Rican culture has firmly taken hold:
- Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood exudes Puerto Rican culture, from authentic family-owned restaurants serving mofongo and tostones, to the vibrant murals adorning buildings in the heart of the community. Humboldt Park is home to the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture. Admission is free.
- New York is home to a large Puerto Rican community, and has been for decades. From Brooklyn to the Bronx and to Harlem, the location of the fictionalized West Side Story, Puerto Ricans are spread throughout New York. The annual Puerto Rican Day parade is not to be missed.
- El Centro de Oro (“The Golden Block”) in the Fairhill neighborhood of Philadelphia boasts numerous Puerto Rican restaurants, such as the Isla Verde Cafe, and features the works of Puerto Rican artists at Taller Puertorriqueño. Don’t miss Puerto Rican dance performances at Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas.
- Holyoke, Massachusetts, is the core of the Puerto Rican community in Western Massachusetts. Often called “Lil San Juan,” nearly half of its residents identify as Puerto Rican, giving the town the highest per capita Puerto Rican population of any city in the United States outside of Puerto Rico.
- Over the last two decades, and especially after Hurricane Maria in 2016, massive migration has made Central Florida (Orlando, Kissimmee, and Tampa) the fastest-growing mainland hubs for Boricuas.
