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Puerto Rican 101
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Send your comments or questions to Puerto Rican 101 at email us and include "Puerto Rican 101" in the subject line. We receive hundreds of questions weekly and answer most of those directly, but select just a few for this site. This page is edited by Ivonne Figueroa * Coqui I've been told many times that the coqui dies when it is shipped out of Puerto Rico. Is that true? Why is that so? Juan Rodriguez Jimenez; Miami, FL That is not so. As a matter of fact the coqui has now settled in the Hawaiian islands, where they are considered pests. Don't know which spicies made it over there. These coquies have accidentally been transported overseas in cargo, plants, fruits, etc. They are also heard in other areas in the Caribbean, but of course, they are not concentrated as they are in Puerto Rico. The coqui is not an ordinary frog, it is a tiny bitty tree frog, about 1" in length. Yautias
This tuber has an elongated shape and the skin is bumpy, patchy, brown, and shaggy. The flesh inside is slippery, but crisp. It can be white, yellow, pink or purplish. It has a nutty, earthy flavor with a waxy, starchy consistency when prepared. The ideal storage temperature is between 45F to 50F and it has a shelf life of up to one week. This root is often confused with taro. If you mix them up, don’t panic. The two roots are so similar; you can usually interchange them in recipes.
Puerto Rico is in the Caribbean, and part of the Greater Antilles, and also is part of the West Indies. What's the difference between all these names? Lulu Alvarez Alvarez; Atlanta, GA Named by Columbus, the West Indies refer to several large islands and island chains, over 3000 islands in all, that are mostly south and slightly east of Florida, east of Central America and Southern Mexico, and north of South America. Some of these islands are located in the Caribbean Sea, while others form a bridge between the Caribbean and the North Atlantic Ocean. See map below. The Greater Antilles, are the largest islands in the Caribbean; Cuba, Hispanola (Haiti/Dominical Republic) and Jamaica. Caribbean islands, is a term for islands found in the Caribbean Sea.
Progressive Parrandas . . . For those that don't know about progressive parrandas . . . You could call Puerto Rican parrandas 'progressive' parties, that is they go from house to house and the group gets larger. So a progressive parrandas is where people are served a particular 'pre-arranged' menu at each house. Guests eat, drink, and dance, and then everyone follows to another location for the next dish - with music in tow, of course. The party can begin with appetizers at the first house, salad at another house, followed by the main course at a different location, and ends up with dessert at the last house. This kind of puts a kink on OUR tradition of serving soup at the last house, but it sounds like a great idea.
Seis What is a seis music or dance? My grandparents talked about that all the time. Is it Christmas music? Is it a dance or a style of music? Judy Rivera Rivera; Barcelona, Spain 'The 'seis', which literally means 'six' is, in fact, a great number of different melodic motifs each of which can then be used as the basis for sung poetic improvisation. The melodies and harmonies are simple and accompanied by a cuatro, guitar, and güiro, as can be heard in this example of a seis mapeye. The bordonúa, tiple and requinto were also used sometimes to accompany the singer. In fact the number of singers could be one or two. The güiro and the guitar kept the 2/4 rhythm together although the güiro player occasionally improvised. The seis was supposed to be danced by six couples although many more were commonplace. Men and women would form separate lines, facing each other. The lines would cross each other several times during the course of the dance. The dancers would tap their feet at certain points and the dance would end with a vals.' musicofpuertorico.com
I noticed that there are three flags flown at El Morro, the Puerto Rican flag, the U.S. Flag and one with an X on it. Which flag is that? Estevan Patterson Gandia; Dallas, TX Three flags fly over El Morro: the U.S. flag, the Puerto Rican flag and the old Spanish military flag (the cross of saint andres). Why, because the Castle or fortress has been ruled by Spain, the United States and Puerto Rico.
Apparently there are several hotels in San Juan that accept pets. Some are the Hotel Miramar, the Sheraton Old San Juan Resort, as well as Hotel Normandie. Speak to your travel agent about this or search the internet and call ahead.
You are correct. In 1946, President Harry Truman appointed Jesus T. Piñero, picture to the right, to the governor's seat. This marked the first time in history that the government of the United States appointed a native Puerto Rican to hold the highest office on the island. Piñero remained in office until 1948, when Puerto Ricans were allowed to choose their governor for the first time. In 1948, Luis Muñoz Marín became the first Puerto Rican elected to the governorship of Puerto Rico.
Surnames
There is only one Puerto Rican surname and that is Cofresí and all with this last name are related and descendants of the Cofresi family (El Pirata Cofresí). It is a shortened version of a long European name. The surnames Colón and Rivera tend to be more common in Puerto Rico than elsewhere and that's about it. Due
to the large number of Puerto Rican 101 questions and answers we have
limited this section to include only the most recent items.
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What
does a yautia look like? When I go to the Latin grocery store, I am never
sure which ones are yautia. Nothing is labeled yautia. Rita Tomas Ritz;
Dallas, TX
El
Morro - three flags. . .
Are
there any hotels that accept pets on the island? Karen Gomez; Tampa, FL
Many
Puerto Ricans think Luis Muñoz Marin was the island's first governor,
but that's not so. Julio Judd Marques; San Antonio, TX 
I
read somewhere that most Hispanic names are common all over Latino America.
Are there any Spanish last names that tend to be more common in certain
areas, say Puerto Rico? Solomon Brandon Gomez; Reno, NV