Having lived in Costa Rica for over 16 years now, I feel I am well qualified to write about the Ticos! The word Tico, or Tica, comes from the population’s tendancy to add “ico” and “ica” at the end of words; how often to we hear, un momentico, por favor!

Costa Ricans are, I believe, unique. You may cross the Southern or Northern border and understand why. Latinos they are; they are full of life, they love salsa and rice and beans, and many things can be left until mañana. They love merengue, cumbia and salsa, they try to take it easy and they are always ready to give a helping hand. They differ from their neighbors in more ways than can be understood at a glance.

Out of the 4,113,884 inhabitants (in 2007), about 95% of the population is literate, and that is the highest literacy rate of the whole of Latin America, a little detail Ticos will never let you forget! Most Ticos are fairly light skinned, many of European descent, with only 1.9% of African decent, who live mostly in the Limon Province. They first arrived in this country when they were brought from Jamaica to build the banana railway running from San Jose to Limon. Many speak English or an English dialect called patois. They were heavily discriminated against until the 1949 constitution that gave them equal legal rights.

The Indian population is very small as well, and represents only 1.7% of the Costa Rican people. Out of nearly 70,000, almost 40% live in the Limon Province. The Bribris, in Talamanca on the southeastern border near the border with Panama form the largest group. These people still hold on to their culture and produce some of the most interesting arts and crafts of the country. The Borucas, the Huetar and the Malekus (famous for their masks), the Chorotegas and the Terrabas are spread out in small isolated groups within the country and are often very difficult to find. Some Indigenous though have integrated into the rest of the population and completely lost their old way of life. Because the Indian tradition is so small here, ceremonies appear on the whole to be far less folkloric and colorful than in Mexico or Guatemala, for example. In addition, about 0.2% of Ticos claim some kind of Chinese ancestry.

Costa Rica has developed, grown and changed dramatically over the last few decades. Some twenty years ago, French was the major language taught in schools. Now, the influence of the United States is everywhere, and indeed many Ticos are attracted by the U.S. way of life, culture, food and ways of thinking. The young generation is still very conservative on the whole. Family plays an important role in the life of the Ticos, and even when they choose to party, they often do it with the family. It is still considered normal for the children to “stay at home” until they marry, and that can stretch until they are 30 years old or more! Ticos are Catholic, but maybe not as religious as some of their neighbors. Easter Week is the biggest holiday here, and while many go and celebrate at the beach, the religious side is never forgotten.

Machismo here is still very present in the home, even though the role of the women has seen drastic changes. The majority of women study, go to university and get a job, however some of the old traditional ways are still there. It was recently reported that women in Costa Rica earn 78% of what the men earn. Single mothers are now seen everywhere, yet the family ties are still strong. On the whole, a Costa Rican man will respect and love his wife and give her the freedom she needs, up to a point; however domestic violence is still a strong issue in the country.

A Tico will always be ready to give a hand, and are always eager to help those in need, whether they are locals or foreigners. They are straightforward in the way they deal with people, yet it is not always easy to distinguish what their true feelings are. Their friendliness, offered with a great smile on first encounters, doesn’t necessarily go too deep. The Costa Ricans do not open up so easily and indeed, it may take years to get to establish a solid and true friendship. They do not mean any harm by this, and may not even always be aware of it. Their strong family ties and traditions may be the reason for this difficulty they have to open up to strangers. It may be due to their humility and simplicity, or they may feel satisfied with what they have that they do not feel the need for more.

They do present a great heart when opened, and have a distinctive charm that is hard to beat. They have a solid philosophy that has so far done them good, and try desperately to hang on to it in this fast changing society. Costa Ricans love nature, they are farmers at heart, and they are proud of their beautiful Costa Rica Land and wildlife, and who could blame them?

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Filed under: Tico on August 27th, 2008