The sign I have chosen to discuss is a vinyl sticker on a car. The sticker contains only text, which is in white, and reads “Yo Soy Boricua, Pa’que Tu Lo Sepas!”. This quote translates to “I am Puerto Rican, just so you know!”, and is in a large, cursive font. The symbol is monolingual (Spanish), and is located in Woodside, on Northern Blvd and 53rd Street. I drive past there nearly everyday on my way home, and it is there, or in that area, quite often.
This linguistic landscape is not only telling us that the owner of this vehicle is Puerto Rican, but that they are proud of it. The symbol is emphatic, with the use of an exclamation mark at the end of the quote. The history of this quote specifically is that in 1995, Taino (Joel Bosch) released a song with the title of this quote. Following this, the quote became a symbol for Puerto Ricans around the world, and nearly an icon. In New York City, at the Puerto Rican Day Parade, this quote is still chanted by many. This sign gives me a clue that this neighborhood may have a population of Puerto Rican people. I know this for a fact, as I went to a high school two blocks from this sign, and have a lot of Puerto Rican friends who live in the area. This sign is written in Spanish, yet it’s ‘slang’. This is because it does not follow the proper grammar of written Spanish. This is most likely due to the fact that the symbol is meant to reinforce Puerto Rican pride, and grab the attention of the reader. The improper grammar is also a means of being unique and displaying part of the Puerto Rican culture (through its language).
- Do you think I should go beyond the sign in this neighborhood, and go more in-depth on what my Puerto Rican friends who live there have told me?
- How could I add to my first, description paragraph?
Issac,
I think your description of your sign is on point, adding the things that your friends have told is a good idea. It will give your readers a little more back round information from the people of Puerto Rico. Maybe you can add what other type of slang words/phrases your friends use that relates to their culture ( maybe for example: Puerto Ricans use the phrase, “_____” in a friendly/funny way towards their friends.).
I think you can use ^ to add on to the last paragraph of your essay and demonstrate the proper vs slang language.that they use. Hope this helps
you have a great start, I think it would help you if you also specify if this kind of sign is very common around this area or if it’s something different compared to the others. For your first paragraph you could explain if the font and the color have a specific meaning or if it adds to the sign.
Isaac, you have recognized crucial issues on your draft, but you need to explain and delve into them. Make sure that your description is more detailed – check the site for the classification and technical terms. Review my coments and try to explain clearly the connection that you established between the sign and the multiple layers of meaning (there are many). Check the rubric for this essay and expand on the third part taking into consideration your interpretation of the sign within the community/neighborhood.