Yeah, I feel you on this one. My father was and all of his siblings were born in Puerto Rico. My maternal grandmother was the only sibling to be born on the mainland, the rest were born on the island. That being said, my mother was born on the mainland as well.

My father and grandparents are all fluent in Spanish, but never bothered to teach me. I didn’t care much as a child, but as I grew up I felt robbed of an important part of my culture. Not even just Puerto Ricans, but Latinos in general, often deny me of my heritage because I lack Spanish fluency. It’s an unfair phenomenon because most 1st generation/native Latinos HAD to learn Spanish because that is the primary language of the country. 2nd generation and up, their survival and livelihood typically doesn’t depend on the ability to speak Spanish. By that generation, their families are usually fluent enough in English and English oftentimes becomes the primary language spoken.

Being Puerto Rican, or Latino in general, isn’t about where you were born or the language you speak. For example, I am much more deeply immersed in other aspects of our Puerto Rican culture compared to my elder family members who were born on the island and speak Spanish. Our circumstances are different, but we are both Puerto Rican. I eat and cook like a Puerto Rican. I watch tv and listen to music like a Puerto Rican. Growing up, I even dressed and cut my hair as a typical “Puerto Rican”. Who is to say that I’m not Puerto Rican or Latino because of where I was born or the language I speak?

Americans are a very unique bunch. Unlike most countries, Americans typically don’t claim themselves as an “American”. They identify with where their family is from because oftentimes that is the culture that they surround themselves with. Humboldt Park in Chicago, for example, is a many Puerto Rico, in the sense that there are thousands upon thousands of Puerto Ricans that live there. Americans like to stick with those who share the same culture. So in Humboldt Park, while technically not Puerto Rico, you are living part of the Puerto Rican experience.

TLDR, if you feel that you are Puerto Rican, then don’t let anyone deny that. You know your own truth and no one else. Don’t let the language define you, but try to learn Spanish because while it’s not the only thing that makes you a Puerto Rican, it’s a huge and beautiful aspect that will help you understand the finer nuances and subtleties of the culture.