logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2017
22m 31s

Puerto Rico, My Heart's Devotion

NPR
About this episode
The haphazard response to Hurricane Maria has underscored the tricky, in-between space that Puerto Ricans occupy. They're U.S. citizens — although nearly half of the country doesn't know that. But those who live in Puerto Rico don't enjoy many of the same privileges as citizens on the mainland. In this week's episode, Shereen travels to one of the most Puerto Rican enclaves in the country to explore the fraught relationship Puerto Ricans have with their American-ness.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
Who gets to joke about Israel? (feat. Ilana Glazer & Gianmarco Soresi)
Being a Jewish comic who criticizes Israel right now means getting it from all sides. Ilana Glazer and Gianmarco Soresi talk to Gene about being called self-hating, getting accused of faking being Jewish, and watching gigs dry up. As comedy has become more intertwined with politi ... Show More
34m 27s
Oct 30
Black voters could decide the midterms. Why are they being ignored?
Every election season, politicians remember Black voters exist, and then lecture them, pander to them or skip their doors entirely. MS NOW’s Eugene Daniels has been reporting on Black voters in Cleveland and Detroit, and he tells Parker what actually gets people to the polls (hin ... Show More
29 m
Oct 27
Weaponizing IQ: Who gets to be smart?
President Trump and Silicon Valley tech bros are obsessed with IQ, but the history of intelligence testing is full of bunk race science and eugenics. With the rise of AI's "super intelligence," should we still be ranking human intelligence at all? We teamed up with our play cousi ... Show More
36m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2022
Puerto Rico is decolonizing - with food
Sandy beaches, amazing wildlife, Caribbean blue seas—Puerto Rico is known as the Island of Enchantment for a reason. But it’s also one of the oldest colonies in the world. And as a U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans have very little say in the U.S. government. The island has a complic ... Show More
33m 15s
Sep 2019
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898 and for much of the next fifty years Puerto Ricans fought fiercely about this status. Should they struggle for independence, or to be a U.S. state, or something in between? In this episode, we look at Puerto Rico's relationship with the ... Show More
1h 4m
Jul 2020
Borinquén
Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898 and for much of the next fifty years Puerto Ricans fought fiercely about this status. Should they struggle for independence, or to be a U.S. state, or something in between? In this episode, we look at Puerto Rico's relationship with the ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 2021
Sobre Puerto Rico - About Puerto Rico
<p>Puerto Rico is fascinating place with a complicated history and unique culture. For whatever reason, it’s not often a topic that’s covered in schools in the U.S… even though it’s a U.S. territory. As part of a new “country overview” series on the podcast, we share a brief rund ... Show More
30m 25s
Aug 2022
Puerto Rico
When Anthony Bourdain heads to Puerto Rico to check out the reality behind the piña coladas and fancy resorts, he finds natural splendor, delicious food and warm people - all against the background of a seemingly insurmountable economic crisis. Original Airdate: Season 10, 2017. ... Show More
47m 9s
Oct 2022
What Puerto Rico Needs Most
Can an island that keeps getting pummeled by hurricanes ever be free? Executive Producer Claudine Ebeid speaks with Atlantic contributors Jaquira Díaz and Robinson Meyer about what the island's status as a commonwealth means for recovery and modernizing its power grid. Background ... Show More
26m 42s
Feb 2021
An Anthology of Puerto Rico
Maria and Julio welcome Alana Casanova-Burgess, reporter and producer for WNYC's "On The Media", and Cristina del Mar Quiles, reporter for the Center for Investigative Journalism (Centro de Periodismo Investigativo) to talk about Puerto Rico and "La Brega," a new seven-part bilin ... Show More
40m 48s
May 2025
Foreign in a Domestic Sense
tail spinning
38m 10s
Jan 2024
La ciudadania de Puerto Rico
<p>Puerto Rico is an anomaly. After being visited by Christopher Columbus in 1493, it fell under Spanish rule. England, Portugal, and France attempted invasions, but Puerto Rico did not break free from Spain until 1898 when the Treaty of Paris ended the Spanish-American war and g ... Show More
17m 4s
Aug 2025
What Bad Bunny means to Puerto Ricans
This summer, the island of Puerto Rico has been under the thrall of Bad Bunny.His 30-concert residency at a stadium in San Juan is a homecoming for the global superstar.It's also a homecoming for many thousands of people who left home – but are flocking back for the shows.NPR’s A ... Show More
9m 28s