Coca Cola and Coco Frio

Culture is something that identifies us, which tells us who we are or where we come from. There’re different cultures in the world, people come from different backgrounds, which they mix and interact. In many occasions the mix of cultures can bring discontent or happiness to each individual. “Coca-Cola and Coco Frio” talks about a boy who goes to Puerto Rico looking for something new, something that he had never seen or tasted before, Puerto Rican Culture. However, he founds that the people of this island is losing their own culture by adapting another one.

The poem begins when the boy apparently first introduce to a different culture, to a different country, Puerto Rico. However, the boy is award with a culture that he already knows or at least a part of it – in this case Coca Cola. The poem tells us that he is from Brooklyn. Therefore, we can easily assume that he is not amaze by the welcome he’s receiving; at least not by the method or way to calm his thirst. Every boy love surprises, the unknown, the unpredictable, things that forces their mind and mostly that bring happy outcomes. However, his disappointment is augmented. For instance, after receiving the soda his discontent is preserved by his aunt who sings a jingle in a different language.

A good example is showed in the poem “…a fat boy wandered// from table to table// with his mouth open. At every table, some great-aunt// would steer him with cool spotted hands// to a glass of Coca-Cola”. It is very clear that the boy is unhappy with his first impression of the island. It appears that at this same moment the boy just will rather go back home since there is no new event or incident happening is this island that is new to him.

Next, things turn around because the boy discovers a big part of pure Puerto Rican culture. According to the poem, the boy saw a stand off the beach where they were selling Coco Frio. At this point it seems that there’s hope for this boy’s crusade for something new. As a result, the boy finds himself enjoying this natural beverage. It wasn’t until this point that the kid realizes that he’s in Puerto Rico. He realizes how different this place is, natural and beautiful. At this moment the boy is happy; he’s enjoying his coco milk. Even though the drink will only last few minutes, the sensation and the memories will always stay with him. The author seems to be describing a childhood memory, an important one. As people grow up, they don’t remember every thing from when we were kids. However, only those important memories or experiences will stay with us; especially those things that either brought us a high degree of happiness or disappointments. For instance, the poem mentions that years later the boy is still thinking about the incident, the adventure that changed his way of seeing a different culture.

This story uses sarcasm. For example, in the last stanza the author uses sarcasm to demonstrate to the Puerto Ricans that they are wrong, when they let themselves to be influenced by another culture instead of changing what they have in their own culture. In “Coca-Cola and Coco Frio,” the people of that country are shown as ignorant because they don’t know what kind of good stuff they have in their own country. Instead of drinking their own beverage, “Coco Frio,” they prefer to drink an imported product, “Coca-Cola.” Another good sample is when the author refers to the jingles from World War II. Coca Cola was a very popular drink that time of sadness and killing. As a result, the author is delivering the message that Puerto Rico prefers a Coca Cola than a natural beverage, which comes from the island and doesn’t represent any war. A great support is given to the claim that states how Puerto Ricans are loosing their own culture by adapting another one.

“Coca Cola and Coco Frio” is a very pleasant poem. Personally brought me some memories and helped me realize how important culture is. It showed me how important is to realize who we are and mostly to never change our personality. The one thing I got from the author’s point of view, it is that he is saying that the people of this island are adapting a corrupt culture. Maybe they’re, maybe they’re not; however, one thing is for sure and that is that they don’t realize how important culture is.