Youth Subcultures in Puerto Rico
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Youth Subcultures of Puerto Rico, an Observation
January 20, 2002
Revised: January 22, 2002
“He’s a skater, she’s a preppie, that guy over there
is a goth”. We all have taken note of the different
“packs” and “clans” that surround us, but the
lines distinguishing these different subcultures are not really
highlighted until observed from the outside. Most preppies, for
example, won’t admit that they are preppies while many people
will claim to be a punk or skater when they really are what many
friends of mine would call “posers”. Not too many discuss
the division of our modern societies and most sociology books will not
concentrate too much on it, but I personally think that it is healthy
to discuss these kinds of things. Throughout the collecting of
information and documentation of my observations for this essay, I
have felt a strong sense of guilt when so bluntly classifying these
groups, but somebody had to do it. The closest thing to a real study
of youth subculture that I have encountered – from the youth
themselves – is a few badly composed essays and mandatory school
reports read aloud by American highschool students who fail to even
scratch the surface on the subject.
While previous social classes were defined by socioeconomic position
or occupation, today’s youth chooses their class. They chose the
uniform, they chose the talk, and they chose the music. Birth into
peasantry and rural living chooses the peasant and rural farmer, but
that GAP shirt doesn’t chose the preppie. This youth division is
a fairly new invention, deriving back to only a couple generations.
Even though the division of youth has been going on since your
parents’ and even grandparent’s days, there was a time
where the collective youth shared the same cultural traits as their
parents unlike today where they create their own or slip up into
subgroups. Sure, I belonged to one of these groups but when I came to
Puerto Rico I found myself quickly excluded from its domestic
subcultures. It didn’t bother me at all – I actually found
it quite entertaining to observe them from the outside. I would
partake on ‘fieldtrips’ with packs of cousins or
associates from different classes taking mental notes and try to
compare them with their U.S. counterparts. It was a subject that was
not noticed or discussed often so I had to document my studies
independently without the assistance of any of these groups.
Since the moment I came here to live I noticed certain clusters of
youth dressing differently – one of the first things
you’ll tend to notice when you arrive in a new place. I took a
moment to attempt to classify these groups (which are commonly
referred to today as kakos and roqueros) and didn’t give it much
thought after that. It wasn’t until I noticed that these groups
are strongly divided along the lines of friendships and dating that I
took up a stronger interest in the subject. One will find the
occasional exception but generally these groups will stick together
quite solidly and will even develop some sort of invisible grudge.
“Look at those slutty kakas” - “roqueros smell
bad” – “kackos aren’t very smart”
– “roquera girls don’t shave their legs”.
Under-the-breath comments are alive and well and can be heard a couple
of times throughout the night depending on what group of people your
hanging out with. These groups remain well divided even in the public
and private school environments where uniforms are mandatory thus
deterring the designation of a student into a social group.
I was filled in on the names of these groups not too long after I
arrived here. I didn’t take the time to ask but after a while I
caught on. I would meet someone new online and would be asked,
“Are you a kako or a roquero?” only not to know what he or
she was talking about. When I learned and chose not to classify
classifying myself to neither of these groups, they would literally
think something was wrong with me. I have stumbled upon people online
who were members of an actual ICQ-community listing called the
“anti-kako web group” or who noted in their profile:
“no roqueros please”. I have come to know and befriend a
number of members of both of these subcultures and have been told
“we need to turn you into roquero” or “why
don’t you come with me to the barber shop and get a rapero
haircut?” (Rapero being what a kako calls himself.) They seem
uncomfortable to have an associate floating around outside of both of
these groups without picking sides. Either that, or they are quite
eager to recruit new kakos and roqueros into their ranks.
There are plenty of other subcultures within Puerto Rican society but
the previously mentioned two are the most popular, while the majority
of the others can be fit under the umbrella of one of the two.
Throughout the following pages I will attempt to explain to the best
of my abilities the characteristic and traits of these groups
(including the “alternative” to the two, the fupistas).
Please note that I am not rephrasing anything from text-books (which
do not cover Puerto Rican subcultures – I already looked) and
that all of the points made in this writing have been assumed through
personal observation during the last year. I am sure that throughout
the following years I will gain and lose tidbits on these groups, but
for the time being, this will have to suffice.
Kakos or Raperos - Kakos, I would have to say seem to be the most
popular in numbers. The use of the name “kako” is limited
to people outside of this social group while the term rapero is more
commonly used within the kako circles. Their U.S. equivalent would be
considered the urbanite or what I use to call the rap-head but that
alignment is limited to lyrical content of music (alcohol, clubs,
drugs, sex, etc.). Their primary music of preference is reggaeton,
which is sort of a mix between techno and rap (the reason for the
rapero title) over a ragga or electronicized plena rhythm. (Many
raperos would deny reggaeton’s similarity to plena music, but if
you played a plena rhythm using drum machines, the result would be a
ragga beat.) Reggaeton is not a required aspect of this group, for I
have seen numerous kakos who will hang out, date, dress, and speak
like the rest of their pack without taking up any serious interest in
reggaeton music.
Physical characteristics include plucked or shaved eyebrows and legs
(which is also done by a few roqueros but not as frequently), and
bright colored shirts. Jeans and clothing brand will usually be
limited to a small number of brands – popular ones include Paco,
Pepe, and your occasional FUBU, to name a few. Baggy pants are not
required and pant sagging isn’t a specific characteristic, but
wide-ankle pants tend to be the style. For a while pants that stop
shortly above the ankle have been widely used by this group (I would
have to say they are a mix of shorts and normal pants). I’ve
seen them sport normal tennis-shoes and these odd-looking things that
I call “boot slippers” – much like the ‘slide
in’ dark leather shoes worn by females in some areas of the U.S.
I am not even sure if they have a name. Haircuts usually include
styled spikes, slight bleaching, rat-tails, or mullets. Pierced ears
and sunshades are other common accessories.
Kakas, the female counter part, can be said to be the equivalent of
U.S. preppies, mainly because their secondary music of choice (pop)
aside from reggaeton (which is slightly less popular among the female
kaka masses). I have met a number of kakas that take no interest in
kako music, mainly for the vulgarity towards females, but proceed to
date and befriend their male counterparts. Kakas will generally be the
‘flashiest’ between the two major groups, and will usually
dress up quite often. Constantly tended-to hair, painted nails,
perfumes, make-up, jewelry, petite sandals, quasi-hi-heals, toe rings,
and other things of the sort will generally be adorned.
The political affiliation of the kako subgroup is usually limited to
support for statehood with the U.S., the maintenance of the present
commonwealth status, or general disinterest in politics. This might be
a reflection of their taste for Western-style fast foods, clothing
brands, and secondary mainstream music choices (which represent
Western culture quite accurately), but a number of pro-independence
roqueros have also taken up these tastes.
Roqueros – The roquero subgroup, a liberal classification,
includes smaller groups that will sometimes distance themselves from
the roquero masses in ideologies and music taste, but will generally
be classified into the roquero group for their taste in less-popular
styles of rock (death metal and punk, for instance) and occasional
intermingling. While smaller subroquero groups might include authentic
skaters, punks, or so-called vampires, these ‘splinter
groups’ are more directly imported subcultures. I will
concentrate on the more domestically bred roquero sects.
Roquero, literally translating into ‘rocker’ can generally
be the equivalent of the U.S. skater, “altie”, Limp Bizkit
and Linkin Park fan, or even sometimes your vampire goth rolled into
one. While most members of the U.S. rocker groups have a general
distaste for mainstream pop rock, it is the music of choice for the
roquero masses. Many times, the secondary music of choice for roqueros
will be extended to heavy metal bands, local Spanish-speaking bands,
or even what I call “punk pop”. Rock music, in general is
not limited to roqueros since ‘rap-rock’ such as Limp
Bizkit and Lincoln Park is a common secondary choice for kakos.
The average roquero will gild his over-sized pants with many laces,
pockets, elastic cords, distinct and visible threads (such as white
sewing on black cloth, for example), T-shirts (many of the times a
specific skater or surfer brand), seashell or metal ball necklaces,
shell-toed or low-top tennis shoes, baseball caps, and occasional
wallet chains. I’ve seen a small number paint their finger
nails, or even wear spiked necklaces or bracelets. Female counterparts
generally wear much of the same, even though I have spotted a large
number that dress like “moderate” kakas with the exception
that alternate ‘surfer’ brand names are preferred. These
“roqueras” strongly deny any affiliation to the kaka
subgroup but continue to date and associate with kako factions. They
will refer to themselves as roqueras even though most of their traits
will contrast those of most other roqueras.
Keep note that the terms “skater”, “rapero”,
and “surfer” are quite deceiving – most kakos do not
rap and most roqueros do not skate or surf. In fact, the
representation of a “surfing” life style is not common
among only one group; while roqueros might sport surfer-band and
surfer-style clothing, a kako’s bright colored T-shirts will
most of the time include in its center a small to medium-sized
rectangular photo of a surfer on a wave.
Fupistas – “Fupista” is a very uncommon term that I
have only heard a few times, which literally translates into members
of the FUPI, a pro-independence group that is quite popular within the
public universities. The FUPI group has its own music tastes (ranging
from reggae root to Latin American nueva trova) and its own clothing
styles. Untrimmed beards and mustaches and at many times dread-locks
or Che Guevara-style hair is common among males, while females usually
will keep hair long and lose (sort of similar to the style commonly
used by the last generation’s hippies) or in a bunion. Clothing
might include camouflage or politically motivated shirts among males,
long multi-colored dark-skirts for females, and leather-sandals for
both sexes.
While this group is generally limited to the universities, they have a
strong voice for they are the most active among Puerto Rican youth in
political and social movements. Ideologies, both religious and
political are generally more radical in this sect, ranging from
communism to anarchy and Rastafarianism to atheism. Despite their
social activeness and radical thought, this group tends to be the most
non-violent (to other Puerto Ricans – it’s a different
story with North Americans), healthiest, and even through many of
their traits are imported, the most active in culture and the arts.
Craft making, usually involving beads or hemp, is popular among
females, who you can see during many sunny days sitting on colorful
clothe sheets making bracelets and necklaces for sale. Incenses, Taino
memorabilia, poetry and literature, protests (including plena music)
and wide-scale reading are other common fupista pastimes.
I would like to note that the term “fupistas” is not
commonly used and refers to many people who are not actual members of
the FUPI organization. “Rastas” is a more common term to
refer to the people who I classify into the fupista group, but to
minimize confusion (many kakos who refer to themselves as
“Rastas” including many of the reggaeton artists) I will
stick with the fupista title. The liberal term I use in this essay is
a reference to the FUPI masses, Rastas, and the rest of the likes that
do not quite fit into either the FUPI political or the Rasta religious
ideologies but carry many of the subcultural traits affiliated with
these groups.
It appears that in Puerto Rico, the vast majority of the youth are
members of the two main subcultural sects while the fupistas provided
an alternative from the two. There still are handfuls of youth who do
not belong to these classes, but generally, you can include almost all
of the youth in either of these categories. Even though all of them
contain imported traits (or are imported in their entirety), I would
have to say that the mullet-wearing shaved-eyebrow kako is quite
original. While I do not tend to relate to kako values expressed
through their choice of music, I do complement the subculture on their
ability to create a more domesticated culture. While roqueros are
sometimes considered Americanized and fupistas are sometimes thought
of as “Jamaicanized”, kako culture seems to be more
domestically grown.
Puerto Rican subcultures are not immediately new – they have
been around since our parents’ era. While today’s youth
might be dominated by kakos and roqueros, the generation before us
consisted of my father’s salseros and the mother’s
proto-fupistas (equivalent with state-side hippies). One wonders if
today’s generation will have long-term effects on our society,
and to be more specific, cultural preservation and development. But at
the same time we are reminded that our parents grew out of their
phases; Haciendo Punto en Otro Son, a Puerto Rican group who
represented the fupista-like sect of the last era, would play a lot of
hippie rock, which was seen as the Americanization of Puerto Rican
youth. As the years passed by and their generation aged, the members
making up the group put down their bell-bottoms and cut their
fluffy-hairstyles only to revert to more traditional cultural music.
The birth and rise of these subcultures coincides with the
introduction to U.S. colonialism and Western culture. Youth
subcultures in general tend to be Western traits, only reaching
non-Western areas through assimilation and cultural colonization.
Prior to the “splitting of the youth” the younger
generation tended to share their parents culture – a trait that
can still be seen in much of the parts of the Third World untouched by
westernism. Previous generations tended to inherit their cultural
traits more statically than the generations of today and yesterday.
Today’s youth are completely different than that of are parents,
which was completely dissimilar in comparison to that of our
grandparents. Currently all Puerto Rican youth groups attain their
cultures by modifying or sometimes completely cloning and importing
them from abroad. Our youth does not have a domestic ‘mass
youth’ culture to comply with, and unlike newly westernized
nations we cannot look towards our parents for ‘cultural
guidance’ since they themselves have adopted subcultures. We
can, if we wish, look towards our grandparent’s generation
(which maintains a more fixed image when contrasted with the
generations before them), but such a move would not be too popular
among the youth. Not to mention, it wouldn’t be so easy to
culturally revert 50 to 60 years into the past. Such a conversion
would not occur smoothly and would seriously cause a culture clash.
You cannot expect kakos to listen to bolero music or roqueros to wear
pavas without meeting stiff opposition.
Personally if it were up to me, all such subcultures would be
eliminated and replaced with a common youth culture that corresponded
with the mass culture. Accompanying the lack of common values and
culture between a generation and the one before it comes youth
rebellion and the disassembly of morals. We see that two
generations-worth of youth rebellion in Puerto Rico has led to some
drastic and negative social impacts: the rise of hard-drug use,
teenage pregnancies, crime, and so on. The
“subculturalization” of Puerto Rico has not been healthy
for its society, and even though it will probably not be reverted,
should at least stand to be a topic of dialog.
Most people will ask, “who cares?” and adopt a
lazier-faire attitude towards culture and what direction it moves in.
I have no problem with allowing culture to freely develop, but the
subculturalization of our youth does not allow us to develop, but
completely replace our culture. We are not taking the culture of our
parents to add to and advance it, but we are dropping it in its
entirety and robbing foreign subcultures that are entirely different.
This creates intra- and inter-generation difficulties and will have a
long-term effect. In 10 generations, what mass and center culture will
our youth look towards when the 11 generations before them
didn’t have one of their own?