Invasion of the ugly Americans: Maskless tourists reportedly defy COVID precautions in Puerto Rico

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The stereotype of “ugly Americans” who are blatantly disrespectful of people in the places that they visit serves as a guidebook on how not to behave when one is away from the continental United States. And according to an article published by The Guardian this week, the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is being inundated with stereotypical ugly Americans.

Of course, Puerto Ricans are themselves Americans — but that doesn’t mean they can avoid the ugly habits of their fellow citizens indulging in a vacation.

Reporter Coral Murphy Marcos reports that Puerto Rico has experienced a surge in tourism recently, explaining, “The combination of U.S. residents wanting to escape cold weather, cheap flight tickets and easing restrictions on the island has been bringing tourists en masse.” And Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico, told The Guardian, “We are certainly seeing the effects of increased traveler confidence coinciding with vaccine distribution in the U.S.” Continue reading.