Tourist For A Day In The Cold Winds of D.C

White House Sorroundings 

As traffic arose with the dawn of a new day, I ascended in the city of Washington DC. I am a young twenty one year old Puerto Rican with hopes to find adventure in this capital of these United States.  There is no doubt that I had to look for public transportations like trains or in taxi. 

 I took a taxi I was greeted with a “Good morning sir. Where to?” and I responded to the driver with “ I want you to take me to Georgetown”. As soon as I finished speaking, the driver quickly looked at me and said “You guys are not from these parts”. I quickly smiled and said I was from Puerto Rico. As soon as I mention that I am from Puerto Rico, the driver changes his attitude towards me. He stared at me through the mirror and in derogatory tone he said “Why can’t you speak English more fluidly, aren’t you guys a part of the United States?”  I only smiled, and when we reached our destination the driver said “Puerto Ricans believe that the world is theirs”. It was such a kind comment on his behalf, and at the end for us to pay for his excellent service. Please note the sarcasm in my last sentence.

It is actually a sad predicament because too many United States citizens see Puerto Ricans as Mexicans, and in some cases seen as indigenous people living on an island in the middle of nothing. This predicament is an ugly representation of a local citizen. He is viewed as an ignorant citizen.  While I stayed silent to not start an argument, it invoked in me a sense of anger towards the driver because he blamed me for my lack of fluidity when I was raised with Spanish as my first language, and then English. It is sad to go to another place as a tourist to be met with this type of attitude, because it leaves a mark on how this place is towards people from where I am from.This made me think about how tourists are treated in the island. Since attending to tourist is such a big economic factor on the island we treat them with our best and with high respect. 

I have seen that employees try to speak the native tongue of the tourist, to make the accommodation much better and easier. Of course there are their exceptions, but it is appalling that in Puerto Rico we give it our best forward for tourist to leave with a beautiful image of Boriquen and we are treated with this situations. I don’t speak out of my patriotism, but out of the idea that every place should give It’s best forward to the world. It is sad how when you are a tourist and are faced with this type  of scenario and just want to go back to your home land, out of desire to be in a place you feel happy.