A Comedian Called Puerto Rico A “Floating Island Of Garbage,” So Here’s What Puerto Ricans Want You To Know About Their Culture And People
When former president Donald Trump held a presidential rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, October 27th, comedian and podcast host Tony Hinchcliffe took the opportunity to “joke” about Puerto Rico and other Latinos.
During his speech, he called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” and said people of Hispanic and Latin heritage “love making babies.” “There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country.”
As someone who is half Puerto Rican, it was appalling to hear these words. As someone who has been to and has family in Puerto Rico, a “floating island of garbage” is the furthest thing from the truth.
So, to highlight how amazing Puerto Rico and its people are, I asked Puerto Ricans from the BuzzFeed Community: “What is your favorite thing about Puerto Rico, your culture, and your heritage?” Here’s what they said below.
1.“I love that the people are as warm as the weather. At the end of the day, we are a community that feels like a family, no matter where you are in the world. Being the birthplace of the Piña Colada doesn’t hurt either.
—Anonymous, 45, Puerto Rico
2.“Puerto Rico means home and family to me. I am half Puerto Rican, and I’ve lived in the States my whole life, but my mom would take me every summer to visit family as she was a teacher and had the time off. Our family is so tight-knit! Some of my mom’s siblings moved to the mainland, and some stayed in PR, but we always got together. I am closer to my mom’s side of the family than to my dad’s, who all live in the same state as me! We always try to rent a giant house whenever there is a wedding or family reunion because we want to spend as much time together as possible. I don’t know many families who do the same. Now that my generation is older, we are vowing to carry the mantle of maintaining our familial closeness and our roots to the island — because why would you want to be anywhere else? It really is Isla del Encanto.”
—Anonymous, 30, Oregon
3.“I absolutely LOVE how resilient we are and how loud we can be when it comes to something that is not fair to us.”
4.“I absolutely love and miss Puerto Rican food. It’s so diverse, including meat, fish, seafood, rice and beans, plantain dishes, and other root vegetables. But in particular, the Puerto Rican cuisine prepared around the holidays is the best in the world, like coquito, our coconut eggnog. Also, Puerto Rico has amazing Christmas music that we call ‘aguinaldos,’ and then we go house to house visiting friends and relatives, singing those joyous songs while playing musical instruments and dancing to the music until the next morning. This event is called parrarás. And the sound of the Coqui, which is a little frog that you can only find there. And the beaches are gorgeous and good to enjoy every season of the year. I love Puerto Rico ALL year long, but there’s no better place to be during the holiday season than in the ‘enchanting island’ of Puerto Rico!”
5.“When I was young, I used to vacation every summer in Aguadilla. My grandmother would take us to our aunt’s diner right on the beach in Isabella, and we’d play on the beach. When we were tired, we would sit on the deck of the restaurant and eat onion rings or empanadas. I didn’t realize as a teenager how privileged I was to experience those memories. Remembering those moments makes me well up with tears now. The travesty of classism and racist rhetoric from the ’80s to now is that I never realized that true and real wealth was generationally owned beachfront property or a family-owned business. And I wish I had understood more that the orgullo [pride] of Puerto Rico is not just its rich island but its people and the dedication and work we pour into everything we love.”
—Stephanie, 41, Florida
6.“Family values; compassionate, loving children; the custom of saying: ‘buen provecho,’ surfing, El Yunque aka the only tropical rainforest in our national park service.”
—David, 62, Puerto Rico and Oregan
Amy Toensing / Getty Images
7.“I love the food and how it brings people together! My grandmother was a prolific cook, and the whole neighborhood stopped by their house to eat and spend time together. Arroz con Gandules, pastelon, mofongo, arroz y abichuelas, tres leches, flan, alcapurrias, papa rellena, etc. We have so much good food! There’s nothing like going to visit my family on the island and eating that food.”
8.“Tostones con carne frita!!!! (Twice-fried plantains with pork cracklings.) I cannot live without these. And Coffee — Puerto Rican coffee is among the best in the world.”
9.“Our island is marvelous. I can’t be prouder to be Puerto Rican. We are incredibly resilient, strong, and full of life. We are perpetually happy; everything is a party in Puerto Rico. Our Christmas celebrations start in November and continue through January. We are smart, creative, and funny. Our people shine around the world: the first Hispanic Supreme Court woman, Sonia Sotomayor; the first Hispanic astronaut, Joseph Acaba; and world-renowned artists like Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez. Oscar winners include José Ferrer and Benicio del Toro. Rita Moreno has won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards. In sports, we have out-of-league players like number 21, Roberto Clemente.”
“Our artistic expressions are also world-renowned, including salsa music and reggaeton. Puerto Rican food is extraordinary, bursting with flavor and color—dishes like mofongo and lechón asado. Our beaches are pristine, featuring clear waters and white sands. We have mountains, beaches, and wonderful weather.”
Maremagnum / Getty Images
10.“We are the warmest, kindest, most loving people, but don’t mess with any of us, or you’ll have to deal with angry parents, uncles, aunts, AND cousins (and we have a lot of those). I adore island food; mofongo is fire. Also, relaxing and having coffee with your family is great. Our island is one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever see, with the most beautiful beaches and rainforests out there. The island’s history is tragic but rich. It goes to show the Puerto Rican people are resilient! Our music and our dancing and our PARTIES? You’ll always have a blast.”
If you’re Puerto Rican, share with us what you love about your heritage, culture, and the Island in the Google form or comments below.
