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Introduction

We encourage you to listen to the following traditional Puerto Rican folk song as you read the introduction to this project.

While Puerto Rico has a long and rich history both under and outside of Spanish and American colonial rule, this collection is narrowly focused on the experience of Puerto Ricans in the early period of U.S. colonial rule. The collection aims to provide materials that help answer the question of how Puerto Ricans experienced U.S. colonialism, and how social roles and classes affected those experiences. We define early U.S. colonialism as the period from 1898, when the invasion took place, to 1917, when Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship. We've included a few contemporary sources to illustrate change over time.

In this collection, you'll find examples of students, soldiers, farmers, and political activists- all of whom had different experiences and responses to U.S. colonialism. What we hope you take away is that the Puerto Rican response to early colonialism was not monolithic. This diversity of perspectives and experiences remains relevant today as Puerto Rico continues to navigate its complicated relationship with the United States. 

Isla Preciosa was created by Monae Freeman, Lucy Lu, Brenna Moran, and Ula Kulpa.

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About the Music:

"Bolero sentimental" represents a musical tradition that flourished during a pivotal time in Puerto Rico's history. As communities faced rapid changes in agriculture, politics, and daily life following the U.S. occupation of 1898, this musical form helped preserve and celebrate Puerto Rican cultural identity, with lyrics often reflecting themes of love for the island, rural life, and social conditions of the era. (Lyrics transcribed and translated in English, courtesy of California Gold, Chapter 2: Singing of Love and Life: The Musical Heritage of California’s Spanish, Portuguese Azoreans, and Basques).

Spanish	English
Sale loco de contento,	He sets off crazy with happiness,
Con su cargamento, para la ciudad,	With his cargo, to the city,
Ay, para la ciudad.	Oh, to the city.
Lleva en su pensamiento	In his thoughts he carries
Todo un mundo lleno de felicidad,	A whole world filled with happiness,
Ay, de felicidad.	Oh, of happiness.
Piensa remediar la situación,	He plans to remedy his household’s situation,
Del hogar que es toda su ilusión, ¡sí!	That is his dream, yes!
Y alegre el jíbarito va,	And cheerfully, the peasant goes,
Pensando así, diciendo así,	Thinking this way, saying it like this,
Cantando así por el camino.	Singing like this along his way.
“Si yo vendo la carga, mi Dios querido,	“If I sell my goods, dear God,
Un traje a mi viejita voy a comprar.”	I’ll buy clothes for my little lady.”
Y alegre también su yegüa va,	And his mare is also happy,
Al presentir que su cantar es	Knowing that his singing is
Todo un himno de alegría.	A hymn of joy.
En esto les sorprende la luz del día,	And then the daylight arrives unexpectedly,
Y llegan al mercado de la ciudad.	As they arrive at the city market.
Pasa la mañana entera,	The whole morning passes,
Sin que nadie quiera su carga comprar.	Without anyone wanting to buy his wares.
Ay, su carga comprar.	Oh, to buy his wares.
Todo, todo está desierto.	Everything, everything is deserted.
Y el pueblo está muerto de necesidad,	People are dying of poverty,
Ay, de necesidad.	Oh, of poverty.
Se oye este lamento por doquier,	Their laments are heard everywhere,
En mi desdichada Borinquen, ¡sí!	In my poor Puerto Rico, yes!
Y triste el jíbarito va,	And sadly, the peasant goes on,
Pensando así, diciendo así,	Thinking this, saying this,
Llorando así por el camino.	Crying all along the way.
¿Qué será de Borinquen mi Dios querido?	What will become of Puerto Rico, dear God?
¿Qué será de mis hijos y de mi hogar?	What will happen to my children and my home?
Oh, Borinquen, la tierra del Edén,	Oh, Puerto Rico, the land of Eden,
La que al cantar el gran Gautier,	The one sung by the great Gautier,
Llamó la perla de los mares.	Called the pearl of the seas.
Ahora que tú te mueras con tus pesares,	Now when you die with your sorrows,
Déjame que te cante yo también.	Let me sing to you, me also.
Yo también!	Me also!