Socio-economic, educational, and mass-media ‘anglicanization’ of Puerto Rico since the 50s

1. Chapter 8: (pp.265-305) Torres González, R. (2002). Idioma, bilinguismo y nacionalidad: la presencia del inglés en Puerto Rico. San Juan, PR: Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico Prepared by: Aníbal Muñoz Claudio Course: EDUC 8130 Professor: Dr. María A. Irizarry Date: February 21, 2006 Socio-economic, educational, and mass-media ‘anglicanization’ of Puerto Rico since the 50s

2. Preview • Economic and Occupational Developments • North-American consumerism and mass media • Migration and other demographic tendencies • Military Influence • School and university ‘anglicanization’ • Private Schools Influence • Summary

3. Economic and Occupational Developments • Despite the ambivalence (or resistance) to learn English in PR, it has influenced almost every aspect of our lives. • The economic and industrialization development program, based on the attraction of the North American money, which was initiated by the PPD toward the end of the 40’s and continued by the PNP in later years, led to the transformation of Puerto Rico from an agrarian rural country into an urban, industrialized and of service one. • All of this process (phenomena) goes on under the hegemony of United States and its economic and multinational conglomerates (large corporations).

4. Economic and Occupational Developments • These changes are reflected on the growth of a new sectors of middle classes and working classes associated to the fields of manufacture, banking, commerce, tourism, and the expansion of government agencies, thus creating a new elite in PR. (p. 267) • However, poverty, unemployment, and a poor dependent class also emerged as a result of this industrialized process. (Torres González, R. 2002)p.267

5. Economic and Occupational Development (cont.) • All of these sectors, in one way or another, became dependant of the economic and political links with United States.(p.267-268) • These developments provide the bases for the presence and the increasing prestige of the English language in PR during the last five decades. (Torres González, R. 2002. p.268) • The recent globalization processes have also reinforced the influence of the English language, not only in the high echelons of commerce and employment, but also in fields related to science, technology, communications and the internet. English has become the lingua franca of the globalization process (Ianni 1997).

6. Economic and Occupational Development • A world social stratification has resulted from the English prominence around the world. (p.269) • Puerto Rico’s insertion into the globalization process and the international linguistic order occurs under the same colonial status framework that the Island has kept since the foundation of the ELA.

7. North-American Consumerism and mass-media • Various scholars have denoted the North-American effects of the mass media and advertising industry in the PR population, particularly in the promotion of values, attitudes, and the consuming lifestyles which are typical of the middle-suburban classes of US. • This consumerist acculturation has intensified in recent decades in the working and lower classes due not only to the financial benefits they receive through federal subsidiary programs, but also to the mass media advertising on TV and radio broadcast. (p.274)

8. North American Consumerism and mass media • The Island reflects a degree of language mixtures (meztizaje) associated with consumerism tendencies. (p. 274-275) • By 1990, around 865 thousand homes have TV sets -97% of the population. Most of the stations belong to American capital. • Most TV commercials are in Spanish though. (Torres González, R. 2002) p.275

9. North-American Consumerism (cont.) • Nevertheless, the recent proliferation of cable TV services and access to it on the Island have increased the presence of English. By the year 1988, 23% of the PR population had cable TV with an 80% of English channels in their programming. (p.275) • In 1992, the Hispania Research Corporation conducted a survey which revealed interesting findings regarding the English proliferation in TV services in PR. (p. 276)

10. Consumerism and mass media (cont.) • Along with the mass media on TV, similar tendencies occur with the latest communication tools that have transformed the entire world –the internet services. (p. 277) At present*, there’s an estimate of 200,000 PR subscribers to the internet. • Most of the movies shown at PR theaters (or at major video rentals) are in English with Spanish subtitles.(278) • Two other sources of American acculturation are the radio and the written press. (p.279)Spanish is, by far, the predominant language of these sources although English songs are played constantly. (p.279) • School textbooks will be covered further on. (Torres González, R. 2002)

11. Migration and other Demographic Tendencies • The mass migration of Puerto Ricans to the US during the past five decades has been, without a doubt, one of the main factors of the ‘anglicanization’ of the Island. (Torres González, R. 2002) • According to estimates, since WW II to 1970, 1 million Puerto Ricans emigrated to US. In 1999, the number of Puerto Ricans in US reached 3 millions according to the US Bureau of the Census statistics. Meanwhile, PR population is estimated in 3.8 millions. (p. 281) • In the 1990, due to the elimination of the 936 Section, migration to the US increased significantly. (282)

12. Migration and other demographic tendencies • Most PR migrants during the 50s and 60s settled in New York. From this pattern, the term “Nuyorricans” came about. • PR communities developed different bilingualisms and inter-linguisms between English and Spanish due to the constant ‘code-switching’. (282) • English becomes predominant in the younger generations. (Torres González, R. 2002) (p. 283)

13. Migration and other demographic tendencies • Puerto Rican migrants who come back to the Island bring new cultural and linguistic styles developed in US. Usually they show a lack of Spanish competence. This population brings a lot of morphological and syntactical “anglicismos”. • They endure discrimination because of their language incompetence among other aspects. They are referred to as ‘gringos’. (p. 284) • Another English influence comes from Americans and foreigners who lived on the Island and also from the tourism industry which boosts the English usage in an array of job opportunities (hotels, restaurants, translations, etc.) islandwide. • According to the 1980 census, there were 199,524 residents who were born in US. From this number, 88% were descendants of PR migrants. (Torres González, R. 2002)

14. Military Influence • The US military (armed forces) have offered many Puerto Ricans an opportunity for job positions in US, as well as a linguistic school in several training sites, military schools and traveling overseas. • Military relatives have migrated to US and overseas. • English is the official language of communication in the military service.

15. Military Influence • The cultural and linguistic influence of the US military presence is seen in the great number of Puerto Ricans who have served in the armed forces and in their closest relatives. • Another migratory tendency (opposed to English) is the increased immigrants coming to PR from Cuba and Dominican Republic. They are providing a linguistic balance between English and Spanish despite their different accents and vocabulary varieties.

16. School and University ‘anglicanization’ • Some authors have argued that, since the turn of the century, formal education was no longer the main source of the Americanization process in PR. (Carr:1984) suggests that the main sources have been the American supermarket and television. • Others have implied that the mass media resources have been more effective in the North-Americanization processes in PR than the school itself.

17. Schools and universities • The language school policy established by Commissioner of education Villaronga in 1949, still prevails in present time, in spite of all the debates that the language issue and the bilingual education have generated ever since on the Island. • Despite school efforts to bring the public education to the masses, the learning of English continues to be limited. (p. 290) Various indicators such as: College Board and other Department standardized tests have shown a poor command (competence) of the English language among PR students of the public school system. (Torres González, R: 2002)

18. (cont.) • There are many reasons behind the poor results of the teaching of English in the public schools of PR. (p. 291) • On the other hand, Resnik (1993) and other authors consider that the negative attitudes toward the learning of English language displayed by various (many) sectors of the population have contributed to the problem. (Spanish defense vs. imposition) (p.292) • These negative attitudes have been reflected in PR literature. • There is a lack of pertinence and relevance of school textbooks and reading materials of English. (p.294)

19. Schools and universities • There are significant differences about what Puerto Ricans manifest towards the learning of the language when compare with attitudes and performance in classrooms. • One of the main reasons attributed to the poor performance in English by PR students is the lack of cultural and motivational support by their parents (or family) for the acquisition and learning of it. Usually this factor is associated with the socio-economic conditions of the family. (Torres González, R:2002)

20. Private Schools Influence • The growth of private schools during the second half of the century was very dramatic. • The expansion of private schools have generated the segregation of classes in the educational system in PR. • The language policy (Villaronga, 1949) influenced considerably in the movement to the private schools. • A significant part of the presence of English in PR (at least in the upper classes) could be attributed to the private schools. • There are many factors contributing to the preference of private schools over the public schools. (299-300) • The teaching of English is an important component of the UPR curriculum system.

21. Summary The presence of English in Puerto Rico • Economic and occupational developments • Consumerism styles • Mass media communication • Migration • Other demographic tendencies • Military influence • School and university ‘anglicanization’ • Private school influence

22. References • Torres González, R. (2002). Idioma, bilinguismo y nacionalidad: la presencia del inglés en Puerto Rico. San Juan: PR. Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico • Negrón de Montilla, A. (1990). La americanización de Puerto Rico y el sistema de instrucción pública, 1900-1930. Río Piedras: Editorial Universitaria • Marques, R. (1977). El puertorriqueño dócil y otros ensayos, 1953-1971. San Juan PR: Editorial Antillana