It was extremely evident that the people of Puerto Rico take great pride in their identity. They are Puerto Rican, not Hispanic, not Latino, and would not check those two choices on the census. They take great pride in displaying the flag of Puerto Rico, and we saw it often in our travels.
Puerto Rico was never an independent country (except possibly for a few hours, a little known fact), since it has belonged to Spain and then the United States. Though small, only about 30 miles wide by 100 miles long, it is large in the hearts of its people.
Along with the flag of Puerto Rico, there are flags for the different municipalities. Therefore, you may see three flags displayed: the local flag, the flag of Puerto Rico, and the Unites States flag.
The citizens of Puerto Rico are energetic, demonstrative people. They are expressive, using much body language when speaking. The three main cultures of the Africans, the native Tainos, and the Spanish influences, are all evident here. There is no one, "Puerto Rican", look.
Going along with your comment about how prideful they are with their identity, I find it so interesting that even though some Puerto Ricans were born in the United States and never been here, they still consider themselves Puerto Ricans.
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