West Side Story is a musical that explores the rivalries of the “Jets” and the “Sharks.” The “Sharks” from Puerto Rico are in a rivalry with the “Jets” who are from America. The two gangs both believe that they are the kings of the streets. Tony, who was a former “Jets” member and best friend to gang leader, Riff, falls in love with Maria. Maria is the sister of Bernardo, who is the leader of the “Sharks.” At the dance, Tony and Maria started dancing, which got Bernardo furious. Bernardo being the protective brother he is forbade Maria to see Tony and made her leave the dance. Maria and Tony were very in love and the two started to secretly see each other without the gang members knowing.
In Briggs’ novel, “Reproducing Empire,” we learn a lot about what people thought about the Puerto Ricans. In the mid to late 1940’s many Puerto Ricans moved to New York. Most New Yorkers were not happy about this. They believed that people who are Puerto Rican are poor and cause problems. Joseph Monserrat once said that when he was raised in Harlem he was often called a “Spik.” “I am now referred to as being culturally deprived, socially disadvantaged and a product of the culture of poverty.” We see that the whites were really not accepting of the Puerto Ricans.
In the film, West Side Story, the Puerto Ricans are poor and do at times cause problems. Although we are not finished with the film yet, it is clear to us the the whites are not accepting of the Puerto Ricans and the Puerto Ricans want nothing to do with the whites.
I agree that the whites are not accepting of the Puerto Ricans but I don’t agree that all Puerto Ricans don’t want to interact with the whites either. The Puerto Ricans like any other immigrants were not set up to succeed in America by all the articles written by ignorant people who put down all new comers. Just like Joseph Monserrat said that he was being culturally deprived, socially disadvantaged and a product of the culture of poverty because of how Americans had published them to be like. Although it may be true for some of these immigrants to act certain ways its never the case for everyone in that culture but people have to understand that they lived under different circumstances.