My Three Quotes From Peter Roberts Reading: "The Roots of Caribbean Identity: Language, Race and Ecology."

1. "Language therefore establishes bonds between all communities of human beings but at the same time set up barriers between communities." (Roberts, 1)                                                                                                                                                                                                                 I agree with this quote from Peter, language those unite and separate communities. I can see this happening locally in the island of Puerto Rico and internationally with us and other countries. Locally we all have the Spanish language witch unites all 78 municipalities. We are able to understand and speak with one another quickly and fluidly. However, we do have barriers in that some words vary from town to town. For example for me a "pastelillo", is not the same as an "empanadilla" but both foods are called the same in the metropolitan area. There are also some municipalities which call "olla" a "caldero" which for me a "caldero" is a completely different cooking utensil. These few different words can sometimes cause weird looks from people who have either never heard of them or because they mean something completely different too them. These small changes can cause me to feel out of place even if they seem insignificant. On one hand I find it interesting that they use that word and makes me realize how diverse we are on this small island and on the other I feel like I need to convert them to use the word I use or at least justify why I use it. Internationally our language is something that unites us to our other Latin American countries as well as Spain and separates us from the rest of the Americas and the world. In a big way it shows to the United States of America that we are different and shows some resistance to colonization.                                     
2. "The constant association with and experience of sameness leads to recognition of one's own features as normal and those of others as abnormal/strange/foreign." (Roberts, 2)                                                                                                                                                                                   Living on an island and under The United States of Americas control all these years has giving us a very skewed perception of what is normal. Our perception of the world is filtered through the USA first. The only other country we come in contact with is with the USA. So we see other countries and there cultures as strange and even worse we do not even know they exist and when we do we immediately disapprove of them without a proper evaluation just because they are different. Locally this can be viewed with people from the rural area versus the people from the metropolitan area. Both live different lifestyles, have different values ideas and opinions. If you are not from the metropolitan area you are referred to as "de la isla", which is a term that I personally hate, we live on the same island you do not float on a platform in the sky. I find city lifestyle to be draining, they find that the rural areas are boring. In short we find each other weird and different. Normal in the city is not the same as normal in the country. Living next to cows is normal back home yet seeing any sort of farm animal in the city can be very strange.
3.  "Because the human being does not necessarily remain in one place through a lifetime, home is variable and may be a place of birth, place of residence or may be defined by the popular notion'where the heart is'." (Roberts, 1)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     When referring to puertorican immigrants, many may have two homes one on the island and the other where they live. They have been born and raised either here on the island or over seas but still feel part of our culture and maybe even visit the island from time to time. For me personally in the road to becoming independent, while I still view my parents house as my home, I am looking for a new place to make my own home. I also feel by studying in the university in the metropolitan area I have a new home which is where I am currently lodged in.                                                                                                                                         

Collages and myself

My name is Yadiel R. Ortiz Jiménez and I am currently 20 years old. I live in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, a small rural town located to the north west of the island. I live there with both my parents, a younger sister and a chihuahua called Mia. I study in the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras. My goal is to graduate with a bachelor degree in biology so I can study to become a pharmacist. I enjoy drawing, reading and spending time with friends and family. 

My collage represents how I view my internal and external journeys. There is a sense of duality represented mainly by the two wolf facing each other, one is black and the other white. This represents a personal view of the world and that is that there are many sides to a situation and I want to understand all of them before I reach a decision. Wolves are a mayor theme in my collage because from a young age I have identified with them. I categorize myself as a lone wolf but at the same time I like how they are portrayed as family animals since they live in packs. This represents my journey to find my own pack a place where I fit in and belong as an equal. Wolves are also portrayed as serious creatures which I am generally described as. In the background of my collage there are many pictures of landscapes most of them with bodies of water. I have always enjoyed nature, as I find it is a great place to relax and meditate. I also identify with the water element because it can be calm and nurturing but it can also be a force o be reckon with is what I strive to become. Water also references my depression, which can be a sea where I float on its surface or a place where I can drown in. The pictures of a battlefield and fights represent the challenges and inner struggles everyone goes trough on there journeys both physically and mentally. There are several paintings which reflect my love for the arts as well as other nerdy references which are part of who I am and in a way have molded me into the person I am today. This collage also represents values, ideals and what enjoy in life.