We had another couple over the other night who have moved to Florida only four months ago, coming from Puerto Rico. We talked some about Puerto Rico, and I noticed immediately that they consistently referred to it as "their country." This struck me as odd because, of course, Puerto Rico is not a country, but rather a semi-autonomous territory of the United States, and its citizens are Americans. There has for some time, however, been political movements within Puerto Rico pushing for something more than that, some even advocating total sovereignty.

Our friends also talked with us about their perspective on Cuba. Interestingly, while so many Westerners were pleased that Castro resigned from power, and his slightly more reform-minded brother took the helm, Puerto Ricans are worried about the possibilities of an open and free Cuba. It is not that they have anything against that in principle, but they are mainly concerned about the potential economic impact that would have on them. Tourism is the biggest industry in Puerto Rico, and an open Cuba would possibly mean the disintegration of the Puerto Rican tourist industry, which would obviously be devastating to the economy there.

This is one of the reasons I love interacting with people of different cultures. It is so interesting to hear different people look at issues from different perspectives. It allows me to see the world in new ways and reconsider various issues after having new light cast on them.