>

Um Puerto Rico is part of the United States. They’re all US citizens there?
La Perla is the ghetto. It’s where people go to buy drugs (according to locals who found out we were walking around the area). It’s a rough run down area outside of old downtown San Juan. It’s near the cemetery. The hop on bus stopped my wife & I years ago when they saw us walking around taking pics & warned us to leave once it got dark. We never felt unsafe but it’s known to stay away from that area. >

I’ve noticed people say downtown San Juan but we just say Old San Juan / Viejo San Juan. Where does the downtown thing come from? >

Mind you this was back in 2007, so I’m certain a lot has changed. I agree it is called old San Juan but being as companies like to mislead visitors, the hotel district was considered old San Juan way back when we booked, so out of habit I think I just say downtown. >

I’ve asked many tourists this and they’ve just been confused. Now I get that it’s just a bit of misdirection. I just find it weird because it’s way too many syllables for what’s basically the little island part of San Juan. >

I went there a year ago, the first time they tell you is don't take Picture in La Perla. Not blaming the victims, but we decided not to go to La Perla. Plenty of places in Puerto Rico. >

La Perla is the hood, not sure what these tourists were thinking >

“Where can I buy drugs?” Is prolly what they were thinking >

Because Americans are more likely to go to these places and act like idiots. Cuz ‘merica >


Because Americans are more likely to go to these places and act like idiots. Cuz ‘merica

How dare Americans visit...
Checks notes on Puerto Rico
... America. >

*American colony >

Puerto Rico is only being blocked from statehood by Republicans because they would lose ~6 house seats and the senate would be more Democratic. >

The point he's saying is that it is not really an American culture. It was ruled by Spain for longer than the US has existed. Just because we pissed on it in the 1800s doesn't mean it's identical to fucking Denver or something.
The same can be said of Hawai'i. It's a "state" but non-natives go there all the time and fuck around because they don't care about the existing cultures there. >


The point he's saying is that it is not really an American culture.

I think you are confounding "white culture" with American culture here. America has a lot of different cultures. And Puerto Rico's people have voted in several referendums. >

The most shocking thing about this news report, is actually calling La Perla a popular neighborhood. No just no, I grew up in Puerto Rico, La Perla has and always been a complete shitshow even for us. >

Despacito made it popular >


3 US tourists stabbed in popular Puerto Rican neighborhood

Without checking the link, it's going to be La Perla, isn't it?
I'm going to call those self inflicted stab wounds. >

Yeah. I thought so too. "Popular Puerto Rican neighborhood". Ah, no. They tell tourists to stay away from La Perla, though I've heard it's not as bad as they say. I walked through it early in the morning last time I was in PR, just seemed like a poor neighborhood to me. I could see it getting sketchy late at night though, with gringos trying to buy coca from the locals. >

I was staying in the safer part of San Juan a few years ago, and the taxis there still go through the red lights at night. They’re trained to do so because they said it’s not safe to stop at night. 
Seemed weird to me because I didn’t feel unsafe at all walking around there in the daytime, but that may have just been blissful ignorance.
At night Old San Juan felt sketchy though, and the random stray dogs howling around the alleys didn’t help. >

Yeah, I hear ya. I remember one dude wandering around with all kinds of bling hanging from his neck. Don't know what his deal was, but he was shouting and probably scaring the tourists. I did see the same guy later on, his vibe was actually friendly. Mental health problems know no bounds. I still remember a guy standing in the middle of the street in Kuala Lumpur. It's everywhere.  
And of course, me as a tourist, what I experience is just a snapshot. Been to PR 4-5 times, but I'm still a tourist for a few days every time. >

Lol experienced something sort of similar there. Lanky guy wearing a NY Yankee hat, walked past us at night while we were sitting in a restaurant’s outdoor area which happened to go out into an alley. Dude was walking hunched over like he was frail and disabled, speaking Spanish at us with a very heavy accent, pretending he couldn’t understand any English, begging us for money. 
My ex mentioned the guy’s hat and how we are from New York and the guy excitedly stood straight up out of his hunchback, adopted a completely different demeanor, and spoke to us in perfect English about how his family lives in New York too and he’s spent some time living with them before. Then he wished us a good night and walked away happily with a perfectly normal gait. >

OMFG! I'm sure it was the same dude, I remember a Yankees hat. My only interaction was a "que pasa?" at most. Seemed friendly to me. Funny you cracked his shell!  
BTW, last time I was there was 2019, and I remember that guy then. Maybe have seen him a year or two earlier too. I know I need to get back and find that guy, buy him a beer at least! >

It was 2019 when I went too, lmao. July to be specific.
He was very friendly, and once he felt a connection to us he didn’t bother asking for money anymore; he just wanted to chat away. >

Too cool...  I was there in Feb 2019. Yeah, I found Puerto Ricans to be a friendly people for the most part. Dominican Republic was a whole extra level of friendly though, lol! I went for 3 days just to check it out, and left 15 days later. Now I want to go back... >

You don't come into the Barrio filming unless you want to get in trouble.
That neighborhood is notorious and not nearly as safe as they said in the article. The federales raid just caused them to be less "open" about things.
So tourists, stay up in old town, enjoy the historic old city. Just don't go over the wall into the barrio. >

Unless you need drugs >

No it isn't. There's been growing tension between locals and foreigners in Puerto Rico. Locals have been increasingly frustrated (if not down right hostile) at tourists and their effects on local issues like housing. >

Does the federal government give a fuck when the power goes out in Puerto Rico? Does it spend nearly as much on Hurricane relief in Puerto Rico as Florida? >

Therefore when shit happens in PR, it ain't the same as if the same shit happened in Ohio. If PR is some Schrodinger cat state, then US citizens getting stabbed is a quasi-international affair >

I’m sorry but coming from New Orleans, the government is entirely willing to write off those of us on the mainland too. >

Hasn't New Orleans received billions in recovery funds? >

The economic damage was estimated at $100 billion and most of the federal aid went to fixing oil pipelines/the port & shipping. 
The government has spent about $120 billion on relief but the initial aid package was like $10 billion. It took forever to get assistance. 
FEMA repeatedly blocked the shipping of aid and emergency supplies. 
FEMA provided no support for medical air evacs
George Bush was at Camp David at the time and decided to hangout for a few days until there was enough public backlash that he finally came out of hiding to make a statement. 
Dick Cheney personally pulled National Guardsman that were protecting a hospital and sent them to guard oil pipelines. 
The real assistance came when refugees started flooding all the surrounding states and enough press. 
The point is that the United States government will leave people hung out to dry if they can get away with it and it takes the public forcing them to do something before anything happens. >

Puerto Rico is part of the US >

It is obviously a grey area and to not acknowledge that is just being purposefully dense. >

It is not at all a gray area. Puerto Rico is part of the US, period. >

No it is not. Period. It is so much a grey area congress routinely brings up what to do with it, and whether or not to allow it statehood, or vote for independence on their own accord. >


congress routinely brings up what to do with it

You mean the US Congress. As in the US Congress having discussions about a US Territory. >

Yes, as to whether or not grant statehood or allow independence, that is the discussion and what makes it unique. What's your point? >

The point is that PR is absolutely unambiguously part of the US. It is currently a territory (which means it's part of the US). It could potentially become a state (that is, remain a part of the US, under a slightly different legal framework) or become independent (leave the US).
PR is also not unique. There are other territories right now, and there have been many others in US history. >

Ever since “Despacito” people think shit is sweet in La Perla…not saying the guys deserved what they got, but going to La Perla as a tourist then they got what they were looking for. Honestly, they were lucky they only got stabbed…go read about some of the other shit that happens to people who don’t belong in that part of town. >

La Perla? They specifically tell you to stay away from there. No phones