Elisabeth Scoggin

Puerto Ricans: Fitting the “Mold”

          This particular class has led me to look at my husband and other Puerto Ricans a little closer and ask bigger questions about their migration to the U.S. It may sound uneducated, but until I started to date my husband, I was not aware that Puerto Rico was in fact part of the U.S., and therefore they are United States citizens.  According to Answers.com, “Puerto Ricans have migrated to the continental United States as U.S. citizens since 1917”. Even though they are not immigrants, they are still considered minorities, because they are not a part of the dominant culture. With this being said I will focus on Objective 3 from Dr. White’s class and ask the question; Do Puerto Ricans fit the typical “mold” for which we associate immigrants to?

          When I asked my husband if he considered himself an “immigrant” his response was, “NO! Puerto Rico is part of the U.S.!” I proceeded by telling him that he fit the immigrant role.  I went on by explaining that English is not Puerto Ricans' first language, and there is some kind of assimilation that takes place.  Even though Puerto Ricans are citizens, they still face obstacles when they come to live in the U.S.. Spoken by a Puerto Rican, she talks about going to school in the U.S., “I realized for the first time what segregation looks and feels like” (Puerto Rican Herald). It is evident that Puerto Ricans face some of the same scrutiny that other minority groups do.

          As for assimilation there is some expectation from the dominant culture.  “Puerto Rican identity in the United States has long been influenced by pressure to Americanize” (Aquino). As for whether they do decide to assimilate it is up to the individual. What is interesting is how it is apparent through generations how much assimilation takes place throughout the years.  “Immigrants typically assimilate and lose their ethnic identity within 1-3 generations” (Dr. White). Could this be true for minorities as well, or is it true that, “minorities remain distinct or maintain distinct communities” (Dr. White). Of course there is some level of assimilation that is taking place on a daily basis. Most Puerto Ricans we encounter can speak some English, and I’m pretty certain we see some Puerto Ricans at Taco Bell sometimes!

          Because of my research on this particular subject, I have come to the conclusion that Puerto Rican minorities can (but not always) fall into the “mold” of immigrants. They do often face some of the same difficulties as immigrants. They are not considered part of the dominant culture and have some amount of assimilation to consider. So why do Puerto Ricans come to the United States? Well the “American Dream” (Rodriguez) of course! I will continue to research Puerto Ricans and try to uncover just how much assimilation takes place, or is there any resistance, if so why.

Works Cited

Aquino, Gabriel. "Puerto Rican Identity in the United States: How US Puerto Ricans View Their Identity Through Out-group Marriages” San Francisco, CA,, Aug 14, 2004 <Not Available>. 2009-05-26 <http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p109733_index.html>

Dr. White, http://coursesite.uhcl.edu/HSH/Whitec/LITR/5731im/default.html

 http://www.answers.com/topic/puerto-ricans-in-the-united-states-1

http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2002/vol6n43/PRUSCitNewLife-en.html

Rodriguez, Carlos