barriomulas.com - Latino Navigation

Despite my pride of my Latino ethnicity, there are a number of North American traits that I have retained. One such trait is my concept of location, space, and distance. Growing up in a household with framed maps on walls, I have always had an interest in cartography. Not only can I spend hours looking at historical maps but I have a skill for map reading, interpretation, and navigation. During weekend trips to distant cities, I often arrive with a notepad full of subway routes, road names, and fool-proof directions to points of interest.

One of the most frustrating things about my experiences in Puerto Rico has been the cultural clash in concepts of U.S. and Latino forms of navigation. Roads often have a variety of names and numbers are are most often referred to by nearby points of interest. Reference to exit and road numbers often draw blau

nk faces. Time's Tim Rogers in reference to his experiences in Nicaragua states that interpreting such directions "means developing an intimate understanding of the spatial relationships between current and past landmarks, some of which were destroyed more than 30 years ago". New York Time's Stephen Kinzer described it as a "'Socratic' technique, based on first determining what the direction asker knows, then working backwards from there." One such instance occurred this morning when I got lost. (I found the address with ease but was unaware that Ponce de Leon had two 1375's; each on opposite sides of the Metropolitan Area.)

"The Environmental Quality Board, how may I help you?"
"Yes. I'm calling because I have a meeting with you guys at 9:00am. I am here on Ponce de Leon, facing Condado, and can't seem to find your building."
"Um. Where are you?"
"On Ponce de Leon. I'm standing right in front of where your building is supposed to be. I'm staring at a Domino's Pizza" (trying to speak to her under her terms.)
"Well. Your supposed to go as if your going to Caguas. Right next to the Masso and the Botanical Garden."
"Um... is that the Ponce de Leon?"
"I think that's still the Ponce de Leon" (it's funny, cause she works there and doesn't know)
"Well I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I understand where that is. Can you give me the name of the road that intersects with your building?"
"I don't know the name of the road, honey. It's the road where the Masso hardware store is."
"Is it the Masso that you see when you get off the #18 to get onto the #1?"
"Ummm. I don't know how else to explain it."
"Can you at least confirm your street address for me? What's the number of your building?"
"Um. I don't know. Umm. Let me check." (she fiddles) "1375."
"Okay. Thanks for your help." (frustrated)

Following directions from passer byers and pedestrians is often more complicated than even the most detailed map. Persons will often be more than willing to assist you, but will often give you directions that will totally throw you off course. Someone might tell you "Just take a left, a right, and than another right and your there!" without saying how many intersections or stop lights you must pass. Even when people are more detailed they will revert to the points of interest method of directions giving. "When you see the yellow house to your left, take a right, and then once you read Jimmy's Barbecue pull to the right." These sites are often badly labeled or with official names much more different than the ones neighbors refer them to." Also, even when people don't know how to get to a certain place, they will often give you improvised directions simply to get rid of you.

"To further confuse things," states Rogers, "directions are given in a unit of measurement known as a vara, which is apparently based on the arm length of a former nobleman from some time and some place in the distant past." While Puerto Ricans don't use "varas", it is quite culturally appropriate. Instead of giving my physical address to UPS delivery trucks, for example, I must tell them "Turn into the Mulas Bar, take the private entrance to the left after Tu Amigo Gas and take a left when you pass the McDonald's painted house. My house is at the end." Ironically, many of these streets don't have names due to lack of effort and interest in given them one. Many "legal" physical addresses are riddled with references to a barrio, neighborhood name, closest road number, and the exact kilometer point from that road.