Puerto Rico’s culture is significantly influenced by its history. It has a vast history of Taino Indians(Puerto Rico—History and Heritage, 2007), Spanish culture, and African traditions. Puerto Rico’s traditional dress is the guayabera shirt(The History of the Guayabera,2024) and jibaro dress. The guayabera shirt is a popular staple item all over Latin America. Traditionally worn by farmers, this loose-fitting shirt works great in the humid climate to keep men cool. Usually worn by women, the Jíbaro dress is a vibrant, and colorful flowing dress, worn at cultural events, such as the Three Kings Day festival, Ponce Carnival, and holidays. During these cultural events, the women wear the Jíbaro dress(Bahrawi and Levy, 2005). At the same time, they are performing a traditional dance known as Bomba.
Another significant part of Puerto Rico’s culture is its food. Puerto Rico’s food combines robust flavors and spices (Proctor, 2022), showcasing the rich history of its African, Spanish, and Taino roots. Staple dishes of Puerto Rico are Pernil (roast pork), Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Mofongo (mashed plantains), and pasteles (a tamale made of plantain and yuca) (Smart, 2024). A traditional cooking base used for many of Puerto Rico’s staple dishes is sofrito(Gordon and Sánchez, 2018); a combination of onions, garlic, peppers, and cilantro that gives each dish a delicious flavor and color. These staple dishes of Puerto Rico are also the central foods served during celebrations and holidays.
Like many other Latin American countries, Puerto Rican culture prioritizes the needs of family and community over individual needs (Almeida, Krys, Uchida, & Vignoles, 2022). Puerto Ricans emphasize strong social ties and loyalty to their group. Puerto Rico is also considered a collectivistic society with a high-context communication style (High-Context Culture: 4 Characteristics of High-Context Cultures,2022). Their culture engages in vague communication to convey a wide range of emotional responses. They rely on non-verbal cues (Gesteland,2012, p.73) shared cultural knowledge, and personal relationships to carry out meaning successfully. Puerto Rican culture is vibrant and colorful, steeped in deep roots and customs.
Figure 7: Jar of Sofrito
Figure 8: Traditional Puerto Rico Holiday plate of pernil, arroz con gandules, pasteles, and macaroni salad
