You may think that the picture above from this article is a picture of Route 66, but, in fact, it is the coastline route in Puerto Rico's northernmost part.
Aside from Puerto Rico's beautiful sceneries, there's more as to why I am proud of being Puerto Rican.
To give a little background about myself, I was born in a town called ManatĂ. I was raised up until I was eight in a town called Vega Baja, a famous beach town. I was raised among strong women, strong palm trees, and delicious food.
Puerto Ricans get their DNA from Africans, Spaniards, and Native Indians, which are known as the TaĂnos. This mix makes us who we are, and overall it's hard to find someone that looks exactly like us because we are so diverse.
I am proud to be Puerto Rican because we are known to be one of the friendliest and most welcoming places in the whole world. Just ask almost every celebrity who has filmed on the island and they will tell you that their experience has been like no other.
I am also proud because we take life slow. We like to have a good time, be with family and friends, and explore the island when we have the chance.
I am proud because some of our great people in history have stood strong behind the idea of decolonizing the island. Puerto Rico has been part of the United States for years and the horror stories that lie behind colonization are some scary ones. Think sterilizing women without their consent.
I am proud of being Puerto Rican because we have our own culture despite being a colony. We have our dances, our food, our strength, and resilience that is rarely seen.
We've got some of the best coffee, rum, and desserts your soul will ever encounter. As I write this, I dream of the next time I get to visit, knowing that I will be treated as a family member by strangers, despite living in the United States.
We are resilient, strong, friendly, warm, and, best of all, we are Puerto Ricans.
