The History of Puerto Ricans' Migration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been occurring for centuries now. For years people from all different parts of the globe have dreamed of living in the United States, which is known to many foreigners as the land of opportunity. There are so many ethnic groups that exist in the United States that it has become known as the melting pot of the world. The Puerto Rican's migration to the United States was not an easy process. The Puerto Ricans faced discrimination in many walks of life in the USA. They were taken advantage of because they were naive and vulnerable to this new life. Eventually, in the twentieth century, the Puerto Ricans realized that they could stand up for themselves and what started out as class politics ended up giving rise to ethnic politics.
The Puerto Rican's first migrated to the United States in the1860s. It wasn't until the US domination of the island economically that the numbers of migration to the US started to grow. The Unites States found it necessary to implement a capitalistic way of life, which in turn brought about the problem of overpopulation. A way for the US to handle this situation was to ship many Puerto Ricans to the United States. Once they reached the mainland the Puerto Ricans were in need of work and willing to work for low wages. Puerto Ricans had absolutely no say in what their salary would be. They only received $.05 above the minimum wage for agricultural workers in New Jersey. For more history on Puerto Ricans and their migration to the United States read Paul Alfonso's paper. His paper describes the Puerto Rican history and struggle in migrating to the United States.
Puerto Ricans also f...
... middle of paper ...
...rea resented the
constantly growing Puerto Rican population...at times the
fights in the neighborhood bars would become serious.
After the disturbances up in Harlem, this situation got even
worse. Hardly a day went by that a Puerto Rican child
didn't come home from school with a black eye. Mothers
lived in constant fear. (Vega p.151)
These organizations that were formed in the 60s and 70s helped better the life of Puerto Ricans in the United States. Puerto Ricans are now fully recognized as citizens of the United States. Although the struggle still exists Puerto Ricans have come a long way and have many people in politics that represent a strong voice for many of the Puerto Rican communities. Cruz helped stand up for ethnic politics and paved the way for many soon to be Puerto Rican-American leaders.
Immigration is a large aspect of American history. In the book Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez, we are able to see the struggles of one Hispanic boy immigrating to the United States from Mexico. Many of the people in the community that Francisco lived in didn’t really accept Hispanic people. It was really depressing that he would make friends, go over to their house and their parents wouldn’t let him come over again, simply because he was Hispanic. In Diversity Matters the text states, “Unique stresses created by the process of immigration to another country and discrimination faced in the new country can create psychological distress for many immigrants” (Spradlin 126). During this time in America, there was still a lot of discrimination going on not only with Hispanics, but other minority races like African Americans. This really goes to show how far our country has come over the years. There is still a long way to go, but I think that if people are more educated and aware of the discrimination people face on a daily basis they will be more open-minded. The United States is becoming more open to diversity, but first we will look at the struggles of one Hispanic boy growing up here illegally in Breaking Through.
Ragtime, by E.L. Doctorow, was originally published in 1975, and later became a musical that premiered at the Toronto Centre for the Arts in 1996. The story illustrates three families’ journeys in the changing society of America during the 1920s. Each family is in a different position of society. One family is rich and white and lives in the exclusive upper class neighborhood of New Rochelle, NY. Their lives are sheltered and privileged. Another family is African American. They live in Harlem, which was populated only by African Americans at the time. The main character in this family that we follow, Coalhouse, is a Ragtime piano player. The next family represents the immigrants of that time. Tateh, a Jewish immigrant, arrives at Ellis Island and faces the challenges of achieving the American dream. Although they dream of riches, they begin life in America in poverty. The fictional story of Ragtime accurately depicts history. The story gives a realistic picture of what New York City was like at that time by using fictional and real people and describing events in the book that mirror real life. "Based on the bestseller by E.L. Doctorow, "Ragtime" artfully blends historical events (immigration, the industrial revolution, the birth of the civil-rights movement, women's suffrage and the invention of motion pictures) and historical figures (Henry Ford, Booker T. Washington, Harry Houdini, Emma Goldman, Admiral Perry) with fictional characters to paint a nation in the making in the early 20th century" (Jim Ruth).
The features of the formation of the Puerto Rican people under Spanish rule are therefore critical in addressing questions on Puerto Rican identity. The migration of thousands of Spaniards both from the mainland and its islands to Puerto Rico, the development of subsequent Creole populations, the formation of the agricultural sectors and their labor needs are some of the contributing features that will hopefully lead toward a better understanding of the complexities that surround the concept of Puertoricaness.
The events of 7 June 1969 were but one of many moments in the history of New York City's Puerto Rican community that gave rise to and lent support for the Young Lords Party.[4] Indeed over the course of the next five years this ethnic group of radical intellectuals would help bring attention to the plight of the Puerto Rican community in New York City. This essay explores the history of the late twentieth century Puerto Rican migrants in New York City through an examination of the Young Lords Party (1969 to 1974). In doing so, it examines several significant topics, including the growth of the Puerto Rican population in New York City; the unique challenges this ethnic group faced, and the origins, growth and decline of the Young Lords Party.
The Island political status has been an issue over many years since Spanish-American War. Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth “Free Associated State of P.R” of the US. In fact, Puerto Rico became a US territory in 1898, when it was earned from Spain after the Spanish-American War. It gave Puerto Ricans the right
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” That statement holds strong for immigrants in America. Equal access to opportunities allows immigrants to achieve the American dream. Their success correlates with America’s success because of the contributions immigrants provide to America. Unfortunately, the current immigration policy in America denies many immigrants the American dream. It is crucial to understand the historical context of immigration in America. Initially, most immigrants were from Europe and were not restricted by any immigration laws. Now, most immigrants come from Latin America but are restricted to severe immigration laws. The Latino/a community is one of the most severely affected groups because the current immigration system disproportionally affects Latino/as. Recognizing how the experience of Latino/a immigrants have been both similar and different in the past from other immigrant groups and dispelling common misconceptions about Latino/as today bring an awareness how Latino/as are affected.
As the Latino population in the United States continues to grow, U.S. Census Bureau, 2001, increasing attention is being turned toward understanding the risk and protective factors of immigrant Latino and U.S.-born Latino children and families. The demographic data relating to Latinos in the United States estimate that one of every two people added to the U.S population was Latino, in July 2009 Latino population was the fastest growing minority group U.S Census Bureau, 2010. Despite the increased risk of growing the immigrant families are in lower risk of Social Economic Status, having parents with less education and limited with language and knowledge about education. Immigrating to one place to another is often the most stressful event
In order for a person to be considered a hero they must have a certain quality. The quality that a hero should have is bravery. All heroes should be brave because if they go into a dangerous situation, they need to be able to stand strong under the fear. “ He thought you were only brave if you knew something was dangerous and scary and you carried on regardless(Mount)”.
In the study of Germanic and Viking history, the scholar often meets a problem: there are few comprehensive texts that exist from that period; mainly because oral tradition was the most common way of passing down stories. One text that is an exception to the rule is Beowulf. Beowulf is a very complete work of Old English literature, of which it is one of the oldest surviving pieces. The epic centers around a Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf, and three different battles he has throughout his life. The poem depicts Beowulf as a perfect hero, but what are the qualities of the perfect hero, and does Beowulf exemplify those qualities? A perfect hero is the balance of strength in battle, being honorable, showing valor, having wisdom, following tradition, and displaying the traits of leadership.
The book Sponsored Migration: The State and Puerto Rican Postwar Migration to the United States by Edgardo Meléndez tells of the various factors that intertwine with the politics of the United States. He lays the foundation that while migration is a grand cultural expedition as portrayed in mainstream, it is almost never simply due to one thing. The government and economy are constants in the deciding factor for many migrants without them really knowing it. Migration is laced with politics and money, and Meléndez discloses the various historical accounts attesting to this.
Beowulf is a courageous and strong hero because he shows all of the qualities and traits that a true hero should possess. His actions toward Grendel show that he is willing to help others. Beowulf defeats Grendel, his mother, and a dragon until seriously injured. Beowulf has all of the characteristics that are expected from a hero. I definitely consider Beowulf being a hero because there are no other men who could accomplish all of the things that he did. He is a hero for many reasons, his bravery, generosity, strength, and power.
The United States is a country known for its variation of nationalities and ethnic races. After extensive research, and questioning I discovered that my ancestors originated from Norway and Switzerland. My family migrated to the United States in the late 1800’s from Norway due to social, economic, and religion reforms as well as, a surplus in the population. Learning of my ancestor’s migration to America has very much influenced my views on the existing immigration problems that the U.S. currently faces.
As one can see, Beowulf was a great hero with many exceptional characteristics. Beowulf was brave enough to fight Grendel, he had enough strength to pick up a giant sword to smite Grendel’s mother, and he was selfless when Hrothgar needed assistance. All three of those characteristics made a great hero become greater. With a little bit of courage anyone can become a
This event is called the fall. It started with Satan in the garden with Adam and Eve. Satan had used his ways to tempt Eve. Eve had sinned and disobeyed God. When it happened they had realized many things. They started to feel ashamed. The perfect world was not perfect anymore, they started to feel self-shame. It caused them to hide from God. They blamed each other for what happened, saying it was Adams fault for not being with her or Eve’s fault because she ate it. This created the fall. God’s perfect world was broken. Humans now have been corrupted with sin. There was a brokenness in the relationship of God and Adam and Eve. This one event has caused what our world looks like now. We all sin on a daily basis, we are not a spiritual as we could be, and this brokenness between