Puerto Rican Migration to the United States

Puerto Rican Migration to the United States

Unlike Mexicans, Puerto Ricans did not have a vast amount of land. However, the whites in America effected both people. Mexicans would lose their land in the southwest to the Anglos. The Treaty of Guadeloupe would create a harsh environment for the Mexicans where they were not equal citizens. Whites would come into the southwest and take the land that previously belonged to the Mexicans. For Puerto Rico, as in the Mexican struggle, a treaty began a new relationship with the United States. The Treaty of Paris gave the United States the territory of Puerto Rico from Spain. After the Treaty questions would arise about the rights of Puerto Ricans. The Treaty had said that Puerto Rico "belongs to, but it is not part of the United States." Unlike the Southwest Puerto Rico was not vacant. But from 1898 to 1917 Puerto Ricans were citizens of nowhere. Part of the problem was the prejudice by the whites. They saw many Puerto Ricans as being inferior much like blacks. Because of some of the Puerto Ricans dark skin they were seen as ethnically similar to blacks. In 1917 Puerto Ricans were made citizens by an act of Congress. However, this was not a constitutional citizenship. The statutory citizenship created an ambivalent relationship between the U.S. and the island. The Puerto Ricans did not have a true home from a legal constitutional standpoint. As waves of migration from Puerto Rico to the U.S. continued Puerto Ricans would have different political experiences.

Before Puerto Rican migration to the U.S. expanded in the fifties not much was known about Puerto Rican history in the states. The Memoirs of Bernardo Vega would be the first book to offer insight into a missing piece o...

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...roup. In a smaller city like Hartford where there is a large Puerto Rican population if economic improvement is to be made political awareness is a significant tool.

The Puerto Rican generation Cruz discusses takes more pride as a whole in being Puerto Rican. In a city like Hartford it is important to build a strong Puerto Rican community. Nicholas Carbone an important political figure in Hartford, stressed the need for the spanish speaking comunity to come together and form alliances. Ethnic politics would become an important tool for Puerto Ricans. I think ethnic politics are important in communities such as Hartford but I also think that they must be aware of class politics. I think classs is overlooked in America. If Puerto RIcans can continue to have strong identity politcs the class awareness that of Vega's period will blend into the ethnic politics.