Caged Paradise: A Web-Based Research

          This semester I had to meet one of my biggest fears head on: Public Speaking. My hands were clammy, my heart was racing, and I stuttered my way through it. But I did it! Even if I felt light headed and woozy afterwards. 
          My group-mates and I did a panel on Puerto Rico and how it is seen through the webs eyes. I'm not one of those people that live in a bubble and think that Puerto Rico's perfect. I know it's not. I've seen how close to perfection some other places can get to be. But still... it was quite harsh to see how people reject us; be it because of our status or the way the media portrays us. 
          There's two sides to the coin, though. Many tourists see Puerto Rico as paradise, mostly because of the beaches, the rum and the food. But the people that think negatively about my country see Puerto Rico as a breeding ground for criminals and drug users. I want to scream and shout, and just let it out...  NOT EVERYONE IS LIKE THAT HERE! I can't stand it when people generalize.
          There's a scene in the movie Selena, where her dad is telling her how hard is is to be a Mexican American. 

I think this applies to Puerto Ricans in a way. We need to be more Latinos than the rest of Latin America, but at the same time we're so "Americanized" and basically belong to the United States that we don't have a full Puerto Rican identity. Some tourists have complained that there's more KFC's and Taco Bells here than cultural food restaurants. And I agree. There's more chain restaurants and stores than mom and pop businesses, and I personally think that needs to change.

Some of my group mates presenting our panel

          As for my experience talking in front of an audience.... it was horrible. I've been able to sing in front of dozens of people, but to actually talk was one of the worst things I've experienced. It got to the point where I was glad I was last to talk, because I thought I would faint. I don't think I could do it again.