What is Puerto Rican?

Puerto Rican Puertorriqueño
Notable Puerto Ricans: Ricky Martín •Luis Muñoz Rivera •Benicio del Toro  •Antonio Valero de Bernabe •Zuleyka Rivera
Total population
Puerto Rican 3,994,259 (Island) (Island's population are U.S Citizens)
Regions with significant populations
Puerto Rico (2007 est.) 3,994,259 [2]  United States (2004 est.) 3,800,000 [3]
Languages
Spanish
Religions
Roman Catholic •Protestantism •Judaism •Islam
Related ethnic groups
Spanish •African •Amerindians •Mulattos •Zambos •Mestizos

A Puerto Rican (Spanish: Puertorriqueño) is a citizen who was raised in the United States commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, people use the Spanish language as their primary tongue.

Puerto Ricans born and raised in the United States who use the English language as their mother tongue are referred to as Puerto Rican Americans, or simply American.

Puerto Ricans, who also commonly identify themselves as Boricua, are largely the descendants of Europeans, Taíno Indians, African slaves or a blend of these groups which has produced a very multi-cultural and diversified population. The population of Puerto Ricans is estimated to be between 8 to 10 million worldwide, with most living within the islands of Puerto Rico and in the United States.

Ancestry

The original inhabitants of Puerto Rico are the Taíno Indians, who called the island Boriken. However, as in other parts of the North and South American continents, the native people soon diminished in number after the arrival of European settlers. The negative impact on the numbers of indigenous peoples was almost entirely the result of Old World diseases that the Amerindians had no natural/bodily defenses against, including measles, chicken pox, mumps, influenza and even the common cold. In fact, it is estimated that 90-95% of all the indigenous inhabitants of the New World perished due to accidental contact and contamination with those Old World diseases, while the 5-10% that survived were killed by warfare with each other and different European groups.

Still more peoples died out due to low native birth rates and miscegenation with Europeans and both run-away slave and freed Africans (the Spanish, upon establishing a foothold, quickly began to import Sub-Saharan African slaves to work in expanding their colonies in the Caribbean). This interbreeding was far more common in Latin America because of those Spanish and Portuguese mercantile colonial policies exemplified by the oft-romanticized male conquistadors/adventurers (e.g. Hernán Cortés). Aside from the presence of slaves, some indication for why the native population was so diluted was the tendency for conquistadors to bring with them scores of single men hoping to serve God, country, or their own interests. Many exploratory migrations entailed violent pillaging to gain personal and national wealth, prestige, and power while spreading Christianity, ostensibly for the benefit of the natives, but also for that of the church, and God, all of which were arguably destructive influences on indigenous societies.

All of these factors would indeed prove detrimental for the Taínos in Puerto Rico and surrounding Caribbean islands, so much so that by the early 1500s, very few pure-blood Taínos remained on the island. However, the University of Puerto Rico has since discovered that over 60% of students tested possessed some Taino ancestry.

In the 16th century, a significant depth of Puerto Rican culture began to develop with the import of Sub-Saharan African slaves by the Spanish, as well as by the French, the British, the Dutch and the Portuguese.

Thousands of Spanish settlers also immigrated to Puerto Rico from the Canary Islands during the 18th and 19th centuries, so many so that whole Puerto Rican villages and towns were founded by Canarian immigrants, and their descendants would later form a majority of the Spanish population on the island.

These were followed by the arrival of Corsican immigrants along with smaller waves of French, Dutch, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Maltese, Portuguese (especially Azoreans) and German immigrants. In recent times, Puerto Rico has been the destination for immigrants from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, South America and Spain, as well from islands of the West Indies. In 1791, the slaves in Saint-Domingue (Haiti), revolted against their French masters. Many of the French escaped to Puerto Rico via the Dominican Republic and settled in the west coast of the island, especially in Mayagüez.

Puerto Rican Heritage

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Ethnic Background

Native dominant heritage:

• Native American (Taino)
• African immigration to Puerto Rico

The European heritage of Puerto Ricans comes primarily from one source:

• Spanish

Other European people who have contributed include:

• Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico
• French immigration to Puerto Rico
• German immigration to Puerto Rico
• Irish immigration to Puerto Rico
• Portuguese
• Scottish

People from Asia:

• Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico
• Lebanese

Much of the Puerto Rican population is of mixed descent. A census conducted by royal decree on September 30, 1858, reveals the racial and national diversity among the Puerto Rican population at this time, with 300,430 identified as white, 341,015 as free-colored, and 141,736 as slaves. More recent arrivals include inhabitants from nearby islands, including a substantial population of Cuban immigrants after 1959, and within the past decade a wave of illegal immigrants from the Dominican Republic.

Puerto Ricans and the United States

Main article: Puerto Ricans in the United States

U.S. residents have also migrated from the U.S. mainland to different parts of Puerto Rico, especially to the San Juan metro area and the southern portion of the island, mainly for tourism purposes and for business ventures, including in the financial, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries

Modern Puerto Rican identity and heritage

The Puerto Rico of today has come to form some of its own social customs, cultural matrix, historically-rooted traditions and its own unique pronunciation, vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions within the Spanish language. Even after the attempted assimilation of Puerto Rico into the United States in the early 20th century, the majority of the people of Puerto Rico feel pride in their nationality as "Puerto Ricans", regardless of the individual's particular racial, ethnic, political or economic background. Many Puerto Ricans are consciously aware of a blend of African, Caribbean/American Indian, and European ancestry. This diversity can be seen in the everyday lifestyle of many Puerto Ricans, such as the African and Taíno influences in the local food and arts (including dances, music, literature and visual works), and the profound European influences in Puerto Rico architecture.

In the 2000 U.S. Census Puerto Ricans were asked to identify which racial category with which they personally identify. 95.8% answered with only one choice. The breakdown is as follows: ^[1]. These figures demonstrate that racial terms are relative, not absolute, and highlight the potential for confusion when they are used in a definitive and distinct way. However, a 2003 U.S. National Science Foundation funded study that measured Puerto Rican ancestry through both patrilineal and matrilineal ancestry exposed a much more mixed ancestral heritage. About 95% of the population consider themselves to be Puerto Rican (regardless of race or skin color). Broad U.S. census categories allows the mixed ancestry of most Puerto Ricans to be officially acknowledged. For an example an American in Puerto Rico would choose if he/she is 'Hispanic' or 'Latino' then they would choose from the variety of races. for instance they can choose one or more of the following choices, white, black, or Amerindian/Native American. A 2003 U.S. National Science Foundation funded study measured Puerto Rican ancestry through both patrilineal and matrilineal ancestry. Matrilineal mtDNA ancestry revealed 67% of the 800 Puerto Ricans tested were shown to have a female Amerindian ancestor, 27% to have a female African ancestor and 12% to have a female European ancestor. Patrilineal Y chromosome, showed that 75% of all Puerto Ricans possessed a male European ancestor, 20% had a male African ancestor and less than 5% were shown to have had a male Amerindian ancestor. These combinations vary as Puerto Ricans can be of any variety of combined ancestries, as some self identify as "white", "black", or most commonly used "Puerto Rican". Native American (Arawak/Taino) or/and European ancestry are common among "black" Puerto Ricans after four centuries of intermarriage between the island's racial groups.

Boriqua

Puerto Ricans often proudly identify themselves as Boriqua, loosely based on Boriqueno (archaic), both words originating from the Taíno word Boriken (also known as Boriquén, Borinquen, or Borinquén), to illustrate their recognition of their Taíno heritage. The word Boriken, which translates to "the great land of the valiant and noble Lord",^[4] was used by the original Taíno Indian population to refer to the island of Puerto Rico before the arrival of the Spanish. The use of the word Boriqua has been popularized in the island and abroad by descendents of Puerto Rico heritage, commonly using the phrase, "Yo soy Boriqua" ("I am Boriqua", or "I am Puerto Rican") to identify themselves as Puerto Ricans.

Language

Spanish is the predominant language among Puerto Ricans residing in the island. However its vocabulary has expanded with many words and phrases coming from the African and Taíno influences of the island. Recently, excusively by those who live in the mainland United States, its language has been influenced by Puerto Rico’s relationship with the United States by adding English words, pronunciation, and phrases to their vocabulary(aka Lunchiar: to go to lunch), creating a mixture of both languages known as Spanglish. Alternatively, when speaking in English, some Puerto Ricans have added several words and phrases creating a distinct version of English called Goleta English.

Religion

The great majority of Puerto Ricans are Christians, however there are certain Islamic and Jewish sectors in the island. Roman Catholicism has been the main religion among Puerto Ricans since the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century, although the increasing presence of Santeria, Protestant, Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) and Jehovah's Witnesses denominations has increased under U.S. sovereignty, making modern Puerto Rico an inter-confessional community.

Political and international status

Since Puerto Rico is a commonwealth and not an incorporated State of the United States of America, not all constitutional rights, privileges and immunities provided by the U.S. Constitution were extended to the island and its residents by the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917. The Jones Act established that Puerto Ricans born prior to 1899 were considered naturalized citizens of Puerto Rico, and anyone born after 1898 were declared naturally-born citizens of the United States; unless the Puerto Rican expressed intentions to remain as a subject of Spain. Since 1917, all Puerto Ricans, whether born within the U.S. or in Puerto Rico are citizens of the United States.

Puerto Ricans residing in Puerto Rico cannot vote in the U.S. Presidential election, nor are they represented by a U.S. Representative or Senator. They are represented by a Resident Commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives who has the right of voice, but not vote. Puerto Ricans residing in the United States, however, do have all rights and privileges associated with residing in a U.S. State.

As statutory U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans may enlist in the U.S. military. Puerto Ricans have been included in the compulsory draft, when it has been in effect. Puerto Ricans have fully participated in all U.S. wars since 1898, most notably in World War II, in the Korean and Vietnam wars, and the current Middle-Eastern conflicts. Recently, nearly 60 Puerto Ricans have died serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

Notes

Further reading

• "Adiós, Borinquen querida": The Puerto Rican Diaspora, Its History, and Contributions, by Edna Acosta-Belen, et al. (Albany, NY: Center for Latino, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies, SUNY-Albany, 2000)
• Boricua Hawaiiana: Puerto Ricans of Hawaii --- Reflections of the Past and Mirrors of the Future, by Blase Camacho Souza (Honolulu: Puerto Rican Heritage Society of Hawaii, 1982)
• Boricua Literature: A Literary History of the Puerto Rican Diaspora, by Lisa Sénchez González (New York: New York University Press, 2001)
• Boricua Pop: Puerto Ricans and the Latinization of American Culture, by Frances Negrón-Muntaner (New York: New York University Press, 2004)
• Boricuas: Influential Puerto Rican Writings, by Roberto Santiago (New York: One World, 1995)
• Boricuas in Gotham: Puerto Ricans in the Making of Modern New York City, edited by Gabriel Haslip-Viera, Angelo Falcón and Félix Matos Rodríguez (Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 2004)

See also

Puerto Rican immigration and migration series
African immigration to Puerto Rico Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico Dominican immigration to Puerto Rico French immigration to Puerto Rico German immigration to Puerto Rico Irish immigration to Puerto Rico Puerto Rican immigration to Hawaii Puerto Rican migration to New York

• Puerto Rican American
• History of Puerto Rico
• Demographics of Puerto Rico
• Black history in Puerto Rico
• List of Puerto Ricans
• List of notable Puerto Ricans

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