Do you think puertoricans are good people?

I'm 100% puertorican myself and am very proud to be it. I love the puertorican cuisine and the island is fant�stico!!! But I'm from the suburbs were 97% of the race is whites and they usually associate my people with gangs and bad reputations, I am very respected by my friends and peers and have a good reputation at my school and love my life but why do all the other races think of us as bad?