Unlike other immigrations, the majority of the African immigration to Puerto Rico was a result of the slave trade. They came from various points of Africa to build fortifications and work the fields. The Africans that came to Puerto Rico helped shape the music, art, language, and heritage that was to become the foundation of Puerto Rican culture.

Slave transport in Africa, from a 19th century engraving

Slave Trade Route

Download high resolution version (924x536, 259 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (924x536, 259 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (909x528, 82 KB) Summary Map of Slave Trade :http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (909x528, 82 KB) Summary Map of Slave Trade :http://www. ...

First Africans in Puerto Rico

Shackles used on slaves in Puerto Rico

According to historians, the first free black man arrived in the island in 1509. Juan Garrido, a conquistador who belonged to Juan Ponce de León's entourage was the first black man to set foot on the island and in the New World for that matter. Another free black man who accompanied de León was Pedro Mejías. It is believed that Mejías married a Taíno woman chief (a cacica) by the name of Luisa. Image File history File links Slavechains. ... Image File history File links Slavechains. ... Conquistador (meaning Conqueror in the Spanish language) is the term used to refer to the soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who achieved the Conquista (this Spanish term is generally accepted by historians), i. ... Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León (c. ... Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, c. ... The Taíno are pre-Colombian indigenous Amerindian inhabitants of the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles islands, which include Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. ...

When Ponce de León and the Spaniards arrived in the island of "Borinken" (Puerto Rico), they were greeted by the Cacique Agüeybaná, the supreme leader of the peaceful Taíno tribes in the island. Agüeybaná helped to maintain the peace between the Taínos and the Spaniards. However, the peace would be short-lived because the Spaniards soon took advantage of the Taínos' good faith and enslaved them; forcing them to work in the mines and in the construction of forts. Many Taínos died as a result of either the cruel treatment that they had received or of the smallpox disease epidemic which had attacked the island. Many Taínos either committed suicide or left the island after the failed Taíno revolt of 1511. Motto: Latin: Joannes Est Nomen Eius; Spanish: Juan es su nombre (English: John is his name) Anthem: La Borinqueña Capital San Juan Largest city San Juan Official language(s) Spanish, English Government Governor Commonwealth Aníbal Acevedo Vilá Independence None (U.S. Commonwealth) Area  - Total    - Water (%)   9,104 km... pato jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjoddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn marikitaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ...

Friar Bartolomé de las Casas, who had accompanied Ponce de León to the New World, was outraged by the cruel treatment of the Spaniards against the Taínos and protested in 1512 in front of the council of Burgos of the Spanish Courts. He fought for the freedom of the natives and was able to secure their rights. The Spanish colonists, who feared losing their labor force, protested before the courts. The colonists in Puerto Rico complained that they not only needed the manpower to work the mines and on the fortifications, but also in the thriving sugar industry. As an alternative Las Casas suggested the importation and use of black slaves. In 1517, the Spanish Crown permitted its subjects to import twelve slaves each in what became the beginning of the slave trade in the New World. Bartolomé de Las Casas Bartolomé de Las Casas, O.P. (1474 – July 17, 1566) was a 16th century Spanish priest, and the first resident Bishop of Chiapas. ... 1512 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 22 - Battle of Ridanieh. ...

According to historian Luis M. Diaz, the largest contingent of Africans came from the Gold Coast, Nigeria and Dahomey, or the region known as the area of Guineas, the Slave Coast. However, the vast majority came from the Yoruba kingdoms from Nigeria and the Bantus from the Guineas. The number of slaves in Puerto Rico rose from 1,500 in 1530 to 15,00 by 1555. The slaves were branded on the forehead with a stamp so people would know they were brought in legally and that way they couldn't be kidnapped. The cruelty of hot branding was stopped in 1784. Gold Coast is a popular name for various areas and cities around the world which are located along the coast of an ocean or some other significant body of water, and often have many wealthy residential areas. ... Dahomey was a kingdom in Africa, situated in what is now the nation of Benin. ... The Yoruba (native name Yorùbá) are the largest single ethno-lingusitic group or ethnic nation in Nigeria and the largest single ethnic nation in Africa. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu (dull yellow) vs. ...

Slaves in Puerto Rico

The African slave was educated by his master and soon learned to speak his language. They enriched the Spanish language by adding some words of their own and educated their children with what they had learned from their masters. The Spaniards considered the black man superior to the Taínos, since the Taínos were unwilling to assimilate their ways. The slave had no choice but to convert to Christianity, they were baptized by the Catholic Church and assumed the surnames of their masters. The majority of the Conquistadores and farmers who settled the island had arrived without women and most of them intermarried with blacks or Taínos creating a mixture of races that was to become known as the "mestizos" or "mulattos". This mixture was to become the bases of the Puerto Rican people. Image File history File links Slavesin_Puerto_Rico. ... Image File history File links Slavesin_Puerto_Rico. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus of Nazareth, known by Christians as Jesus Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ...

An official Spanish edict of 1664 offered freedom to African people from non-Spanish colonies, such as Jamaica and St. Dominique (Haiti), who immigrated to Puerto Rico and provided a population base to support the Puerto Rican garrison and its forts. These freeman who settled the western and southern parts of the island, soon adopted the ways and customs of the Spaniards. Some joined the local militia which fought against the British in their many attempts to invade the island.

Royal Decree of Graces of 1789

The Royal Decree of Graces of 1789 which set the rules pertaining to the Slaves in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean

By the 17th Century slaves were permited to obtain their freedom under the following circumstances: Image File history File links Royal_Decree_of_Graces_of_1789. ... Image File history File links Royal_Decree_of_Graces_of_1789. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

• A slave could be freed in a church or outside of it, before a judge, by testament or letter in the presence of his master.
• A slave could be freed against his master’s will by denouncing a forced rape, by denouncing a counterfeiter, by discovering disloyalty against the king, and by denouncing murder against his master.
• Any slave who received part of his master's estate in his master’s will automatically became free.
• If a slave were left as guardian to his master’s children he also became free.
• If slave parents in Hispanic America had ten children, the whole family went free.

In 1789, the Spanish Crown issused the "Royal Decree of Graces of 1789", which set new rules in regard to the comercialization of slaves and the granting of freeman status. The decree permitted the slave to buy his freedom if his master was willing to sell and if payed the price sought. Slaves were allowed to earn money during their spare time by working as shoemakers, cleaning clothes or by the selling the produce which they were allowed to grow in the small patch of land given to them by their masters. Another means by which they were allowed to pay for their freedom was by installments.

Many of these freeman started settlements in the areas which became known as Cangrejos (Santurce), Carolina, Canóvanas, Loíza, Loíza Aldea and Luquillo. Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, a short distance from San Juan. ... Canóvanas is a city in Puerto Rico, located in the north-east of the island. ... Loíza is a small town in the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico, near Canóvanas, Carolina and San Juan. ... Luquillo is a municipality of Puerto Rico. ...

19th Century

The 1834 Royal census of Puerto Rico established that 11% of the population were slaves, 35% were colored freemen and 54% were white.

Rafael Cordero

One of the most renowned Puerto Ricans of African ancestry was Rafael Cordero (1790–1868), a freeman born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was known as "The Father of Public Education in Puerto Rico". Cordero was a self-educated Puerto Rican who provided free schooling to children regardless of their race. Among the distinguished alumni who attended Cordero's school were future abolitionists Román Baldorioty de Castro, Alejandro Tapia y Rivera and José Julián Acosta. Cordero proved that racial and economic integration could be possible and accepted. In 2004, the Roman Catholic Church, upon the request of San Juan Archbishop Roberto González Nieves, began the process of Cordero's beatification. Image File history File links Rafael_Cordero. ... Image File history File links Rafael_Cordero. ... Rafael Cordero (1790-1868), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a self-educated Puerto Rican of African ancestary. ... San Juan from space, July 1997 Nickname: The Walled City Motto: Official website: http://www. ... Román Baldorioty de Castro (Image: Library of Congress) Román Baldorioty de Castro (February 23, 1823 – September 30, 1889), born in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, distinguished himself as one of Puerto Ricos foremost abolitionist and spokesperson for the islands right to self-determination. ... Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (November 12, 1826 – July 19, 1882) was a poet and writer from San Juan, Puerto Rico. ... José Julián Acosta (February 16, 1825 – August 26, 1891) was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a distinguished journalist and a fervent advocate of the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico. ... Roberto Octavio González Nieves (born June 2, 1950) is a Puerto Rican leader of the Roman Catholic Church who is the current Archbishop of San Juan. ...

Abolitionists

By the mid 19th Century, a committee of abolitionists was formed in Puerto Rico which included many prominent Puerto Ricans.

Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances (1827-1898), whose parents were rich landowners, believed in the abolition of slavery and together with fellow Puerto Rican and abolitionist Segundo Ruiz Belvis (1829-1867) founded a clandestine organization called "The Secret Abolitionist Society'. The objective of the society was to free children who were slaves, by the sacrament of Baptism. The event, which was also known as "aguas de libertad" (waters of liberty), was carried out at the Catheral of Mayagüez. When the child was baptized, Betances would give money to the parents which they in turn used to buy the child's freedom from his master. Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances (April 8, 1827 – September 18, 1898), born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, was the main leader of the Grito de Lares revolution. ... Segundo Ruiz Belvis (May 13, 1829 – November 3, 1867) born in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico was a dedicated abolisionist who also fought for Puerto Ricos right to independence. ... Mayagüez is the third largest city of Puerto Rico. ...

José Julián Acosta (1827-1891) was a member of a Puerto Rican commission, which included Ramón Emeterio Betances, Segundo Ruiz Belvis and Francisco Mariano Quiñones (1830-1908). The commission participated in the "Overseas Information Committee" which met in Madrid, Spain. There, Acosta presented the argument for the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico. José Julián Acosta (February 16, 1825 – August 26, 1891) was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a distinguished journalist and a fervent advocate of the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico. ... Francisco Mariano Quiñones (1830 – 1908), born in San German, Puerto Rico, distinguished himself as a defender of the ideals of the abolition of slavery and the self-determination of Puerto Rico. ... Madrid is the capital and largest city in Spain, as well as in the province and the autonomous community of the same name. ... Slavery in Puerto Rico The nature of slavery as an institution differed significantly between the different Caribbean colonies. ...

On November 19, 1872, Román Baldorioty de Castro (1822-1889) together with Luis Padial (1832-1879), Julio Vizcarrondo (1830-1889) and the Spanish Minister of Overseas Affairs, Segismundo Moret (1833-1913), presented a proposal for the abolition of slavery. On March 22, 1873, the Spanish Government approved the proposal which became known as the Moret Law. This edict granted freedom to slaves over 60, those belonging to the state, and children born to slaves after September 17, 1868. Most importantly for genealogy purposes, the Moret Law established the Central Slave Registrar which in 1872 began gathering the following data on the island's slave population: name, country of origin, present residence, names of parents, sex, marital status, trade, age, physical description, and master's name. November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Román Baldorioty de Castro (Image: Library of Congress) Román Baldorioty de Castro (February 23, 1823 – September 30, 1889), born in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, distinguished himself as one of Puerto Ricos foremost abolitionist and spokesperson for the islands right to self-determination. ... Brigadier General Luis Padial (February 6, 1832-March 5, 1787, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico), was a soldier, politician and one of the most important figures who was responsible for the abolishment of slavery in Puerto Rico. ... 22 March is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in Leap years). ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ... The Moret Law was approved in Puerto Rico on June 4, 1870 as a result of the efforts of Roman Baldorioty de Castro, Luis Padial, Julio Vizcarrondo, and Segismundo Moret. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

The Spanish government had lost most of its possesions in the New World by 1850. After the successful slave rebellion against the French in St Dominique (Haiti) in 1803, the Spanish Crown became fearful that the "Criollos" Puerto Rico and Cuba, her last two remaining possesions. may follow suit. Therefore, the Spanish government issued the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815, attracting European imimigrants from non-Spanish countries to populate the island belivcing that these new immigrants would be more loyal to Spain. However, they did not expect the new immigrants to racially intermarry as they did and identify themselves completely with their new homeland. The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 is a legal order approved by the Spanish Crown in the early half of the 19th Century to encourage Spaniards and later Europeans of non-Spanish origin to settle and populate the colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico. ...

The Spanish government in fear of an indepependence or slavery revolt imposed draconian laws, "El Bando contra La Raza Africana", to control the behavior of all Black Puerto Ricans, slave or free.

On September 23, 1868, slaves, who were promised their freedom, particpated in the short failed revolt against Spain which became known in the history books as "El Grito de Lares" or "The Cry of Lares". Many of the participants were imprisoned or executed. September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... El Grito de Lares (The Cry of Lares) —also referred as the Lares uprising, the Lares revolt, or the Lares rebellion— refers to the revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico which occurred on September 23, 1868, in the town of Lares, Puerto Rico. ...

Abolition of Slavery

Indemnity bond paid as compensation to former owners of freed slaves

Finally, on March 22, 1873, slavery was abolished in Puerto Rico. Slave owners were to free their slaves in exchange of a monetary compensation. The majority continued to work for their former masters with the difference that they were now freeman and received what was considered a just pay for their labor. Puerto Ricans celebrate Emancipation Day on March 22 as a legal holiday. Image File history File links Indemnity_bond. ... Image File history File links Indemnity_bond. ... 22 March is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in Leap years). ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ...

The freed slaves were able to fully intergrate themselves into Puerto Rico's society. It cannot be denied that racism has existed in Puerto Rico since racism is something that exists in every country, however, racisim in Puerto Rico did not exsist to the extent of other places, in the New World possibly because of the following factors: It has been suggested that Racism in Mass Media be merged into this article or section. ...

• first, In the 8th century, nearly all of Spain was conquered (711 - 718), by Islamic Moors (Blacks) and a small amount of Arabs, who had crossed over from North Africa. Tarik, a great African chief, was given the rank of general in the Arab army and sent to raid Spain. On April, 711, Tarik landed on the Spanish Coast with 7,000 troops. His troops consisted of 300 Arabs and 6,700 native Africans (Moors). An ancient source, Ibn Husayn (ca. 950, recorded that these troops were "Sudanese", an Arabic word for Black people. When the Romans entered West Africa in 46 B.C., they saw Africans and called them Maures, from the Greek adjective Muaros, meaning dark or black. It is from Muaros and the Latin term Marues, that the word Moor is derived. Since the inhabitant of North Africa at that time were black, the Romans and later the Spaniards called them Moors. Although many Moors practice Islam, as a result of the Islam expansion into Africa, the Moors are not Arabian, as they are often identified(also, not all Moors are Muslims). After the Moors had conquered most of Spain, the Arabs arrived. Instead of treating the Moors fairly, the Arab chiefs assigned themselves the most fertile regions. The dissatisfied Moors not long in coming to blows with the Arabs (The History of Spain by Louis Bertrand and Sir Charles Petrie - published by Eyre & Spottiswood, London, 1945, page 36).Ultimately, the Moors acquired two-thirds of the peninsula, which they named Al-Andulus. The first blacks came to Spain during Moorish domination . By the middle of the 13th century all of the Iberian peninsula had been reconquered by the Spanish. A section of the city of Seville, which once was a Moorish strongehold, was inhabited by thousands of Moors (blacks).The Moors (blacks)converted to christianity and lived fully integrated in Spanish society.The Moors (blacks) had intermarried with Spanish women, and after hundreds of years of interracial mixing with Spanish women, most of the desendants of the Moors became racially mixed (mulatoes)(Morenos). Mulatoe women (Morenas) and Black women were highly sought after by Spanish males. Spain's exposure to peoples of color over the centuries accounted for the positive racial attitudes that were to prevail in the New World. Therefore, it was no surprise that the first conquistadors who arrived to the island, intermarried with the native Taínos and later with the African immigrants.

• Second, by 1868, the majority of the population of Puerto Rico was interracially mixed.

(7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Seville (Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain, crossed by the river Guadalquivir (, ). It is the capital of Andalusia and of the province of Sevilla. ...

Spanish-American War

After the Spanish-American War of 1898, Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States by way of the Treaty of Paris of 1898. The United States took over control of the islands institutions. Political participation by the natives was restricted. One Puerto Rican politician of African descent who distinguished himself during this period was José Celso Barbosa (1857-1921) who on July 4, 1899, founded the pro-statehood Puerto Rican Republican Party. He is known as the "Father of the Statehood for Puerto Rico" movement. Another distinguished Puerto Rican, who in this case was an advocate of Puerto Rico's independence was Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (1874-1938) who became known as the "Father of Black History" in the United States and who coined the phrase "Afroborincano" meaning African-Puerto Rican. Combatants United States and Cuban rebel forces Spain Casualties 379 dead (U.S. only) Unknown The Spanish-American War took place in 1898, and resulted in the United States gaining control over the former colonies of Spain in the Caribbean and Pacific. ... The Treaty of Paris of 1898, signed on December 10, 1898, ended the Spanish-American War. ... Dr. José Celso Barbosa (1857 – December 1921), born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, was a medical doctor, sociologist, and political leader. ... Arturo Alfonso Schomburg a. ...

After the United States Congress aproved the Jones Act of 1917, every Puerto Rican became a citizen of the United States. Many Puerto Ricans were drafted into the armed forces, which at that time was segragated. Puerto Ricans of African descent were subject to the discrimination which was rampant in the U.S. Congress in Joint Session. ... For the law regarding sailor rights, see the Jones Act The Jones-Shafroth Act conferred United States citizenship to Puerto Ricans, and created the present system of government in Puerto Rico by creating a government mirroring the government structure of the United States. ... // Possession of Citizenship U.S. citizens have the right to participate in the political system of the United States (with most U.S. states having restrictions for felons, and federal restrictions on naturalized persons), are represented and protected abroad by the United States (through U.S. embassies and consulates), and...

Lieutenant Pedro Albizu Campos (U.S. Army)

Black Puerto Ricans residing in the mainland United States were assigned to all-black units. Such were the cases of Rafael Hernández (1892-1965) and Pedro Albizu Campos (1891-1965) who were assigned to the 396th Infantry Regiment, African-American regiment which gained fame during World War I and became known as the "Harlem Hell Fighters". Campos was a Lieutenant in the unit. According to Campos, the discrimination which he witnessed influenced his political beliefs. Image File history File links Lt_Pedro_Albizu_Campos. ... Image File history File links Lt_Pedro_Albizu_Campos. ... Rafael Hernández Marín (October 24, 1892 – December 11, 1965), who was born in the town of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, was a composer who is considered by many to be the greatest composer of Puerto Rican music. ... Pedro Albizu Campos Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos (September 12, 1891 – April 21, 1965) born in Tenerías Village in Ponce, Puerto Rico was the son of Alejandro Albizu and Juana Campos. ...

Two Puerto Rican writers who exposed the racism which the Puerto Rican blackman was subject to were Abelardo Diaz Alfaro (1916-1999) and Luis Palés Matos (1898-1959) who was credited with creating the poetry genre known as Afro-Antillano. Abelardo Diaz Alfaro (1916 - July 22, 1999) was a Puerto Rican author who reached great fame throughout Latin America during the 1940s. ... Luis Palés Matos (March 20, 1898-February 23, 1959) born in Guayama, Puerto Rico, was a poet who is credited with creating the poetry genre known as Afro-Antillano. ...

Currently

The descents of the former African slaves became instrumental in the development of Puerto Rico's political, economic and cultural structure. They overcame many obstacles and have made their presence felt in their contributions to the islands entertainment, sports, literature and scientific institutions. Their contributions and heritage can be also be felt today in Puerto Rico's art, music, cuisine, religious beliefs and everyday live.

In Puerto Rico it is common for the terms Negro(a) or Negrito(a) to be used as a term of endearment regardless of his or her background. Puerto Rican school children are taught at an early age about the three main "races" of which the Puerto Rican people is composed.

African Influence in Puerto Rican Culture

Language

Some African slaves spoke "bozal" Spanish, a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, and the language spoken in the Congo. The African influence in the Spanish spoken in the island can be traced to the many words from African languages that have become a permanent part of Puerto Rican Spanish (and, in some cases, English): mango, candungo (storage pot), mofongo (a plantain dish), mondongo (a stew), guineo (banana), or chevere (good!) are just an example. Africans not only introduced words to the Puerto Rican Spanish but, they also had a great influence in the island's speech pattern . For example many Puerto Ricans have the habit of swallowing the "s," and often pronounce the "r" as an "l". This is because in the African tongue there is no "s" or "r" sound. Species About 35 species, including: Mangifera altissima Mangifera applanata Mangifera caesia Mangifera camptosperma Mangifera casturi Mangifera decandra Mangifera foetida Mangifera gedebe Mangifera griffithii Mangifera indica Mangifera kemanga Mangifera laurina Mangifera longipes Mangifera macrocarpa Mangifera mekongensis Mangifera odorata Mangifera pajang Mangifera pentandra Mangifera persiciformis Mangifera quadrifida Mangifera siamensis Mangifera similis Mangifera...

Music

Puerto Rican musical instruments such as la clave (also known as par de palos or "two sticks"), drums with stretched animal skin such as bongos or congas, and Puerto Rican music-dance forms such as la bomba or la plena are likewise rooted in Africa.

Bomba y Plena painting by Obed Gomez

The Bomba represents the strong African influence in Puerto Rico. Bomba is a music, rhythm and dance that was brought by West African slaves to the island of Puerto Rico. Image File history File links Bomba_and_Plena. ... Image File history File links Bomba_and_Plena. ... Obed Gomez a. ...

The Plena is another form of folkloric music of Puerto Rico of African origin. The Plena was brought to Ponce by blacks who immigrated north from the English speaking islands south of Puerto Rico. The Plena is a rhythm that is clearly African and very similar to Calypso, Soca and Dancehall music from Trinidad and Jamaica. Ponce, the second largest city in Puerto Rico outside of the San Juan metropolitan area is named after the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León. ...

The Bomba and Plena were played during the festival of Santiago (St. James), since slaves were not allowed to worship their own gods, and soon developed into countless styles based on the kind of dance intended to be used at the same time; these include leró, yubá, cunyá, babú and belén. Masks were and still are worn to ward off evil spirits and pirates.

Until 1953, the Bomba and Plena were virtually unknown outside of the island until Puerto Rican musicians Rafael Cortijo (1928-1982) and Ismael Rivera (1931-1987) and the El Conjunto Monterrey orchestra introduced the Bomba and Plena to the world. What Rafael Cortijo did with his orchestra was to modernize these Puerto Rican folkloric rhythms with piano, bass, saxophones, trumpets, and other percussion instruments such as timbales, bongos, and replacing the typical barriles (skin covered barrels) with congas. Rafael Cortijo (January 11, 1928- October 3, 1982), was a Puerto Rican musician, orquestra leader and composer. ... Ismael Rivera a. ...

Rafael Cepeda (1910-1996) a.k.a "The Patriarch of the Bomba and the Plena" was the patriarch of the Cepeda Family. The familiy is one of the most famous exponents of Puerto Rican folk music, with generations of musicians working to preserve the African heritage in Puerto Rican music. The family is well known for their performances of the bomba and plena folkloric music and are considered by many to be the keepers of those traditional genres. Rafael Cepeda Atiles a. ...

Cuisine

Puerto Rican cuisine also has a strong African influence. The melange of flavors that make up the typical Puerto Rican cuisine counts with the African touch. Pasteles, small bundles of meat stuffed into a dough made of grated plantain (sometimes combined with pumpkin and potatoes) and wrapped in plantain leaves, were devised by African women on the island and based upon food products that originated in Africa.

The salmorejo, a local land crab creation, resembles Southern cooking in the United States with its spicing. The mofongo, one of the island's best-known dishes, is a ball of fried mashed plantain stuffed with pork crackling, crab, lobster, shrimp or a combination of all of them. Puerto Rico's cuisine embraces its African roots, weaving them into its Indian and Spanish influences.

Religion

The African slaves bought with them their pagan religious beliefs. Even though they were converted into Christianity upon their arrival to Puerto Ricom they did not abandon their pagan religious practices altogether. Santeria is a religion created between the diverse images drawn from the Catholic Church and the representational deities of the African Yoruba tribe of Nigeria. Lukumí or Regla de Ocha, is most widely known as Santeria, (Santería in Spanish) is a set of related religious systems that fuse Catholic beliefs with traditional Yoruba beliefs. ...

Famous Puerto Ricans of African Ancestry

Juan Morel Campos

Roberto Clemente

Ruth Fernandez

Rafael Hernández

Arturo Alfonso Schomberg

• Juan Morel Campos - composer of Danzas

• Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos - Nationalist leader

• Wilfred Benitez - boxer, three-time world boxing champion, youngest world champion in boxing history.
• Carmen Belen Richardson - actress

• Jose Campeche - painter

• Dr. Jose Ferrer Canales, educator, writer and activist

• Bobby Capo - musician, composer

• Roberto Clemente - first Hispanic to reach 3,000 hits in Major League Baseball history.

• Orlando "Peruchin" Cepeda - baseball Hall of Famer

• Jesús Colón - writer and politician, "Father of Nuyorican Movement"

• Rafael Cordero - educator who set up a school for children of all races

• Rafael Cepeda - The Patriarch of the Cepeda Family, keepers of the Boma and Plena tradition in Puerto Rico

• Jose "Cheo" Cruz- baseball player

• Tite Curet Alonso - composer

• Sylvia Del Villard - activist and actress

• Cheo Feliciano - salsa singer

• Ruth Fernandez - singer

• Pedro Flores - composer

• Juano Hernandez - Actor, first Puerto Rican movie star in the black cinema

• Rafael Hernandez - composer who wrote La Borinqueña

• Emilio "Millito" Navarro - first Puerto Rican to play in the Negro Leagues

• Victor Pellot - baseball player

• Arturo Alfonso Schomburg - educator and black historian

• Pedro Telemaco - first Black male leading man to star in a Puerto Rican telenovela

• Félix Trinidad - world boxing champion

• Otilio Warrington - better known as Bizcocho, popular television comedian.

• Bernie Williams - fmr. NY Yankees center fielder

Image File history File links Juan_Morel_Campos. ... Image File history File links RobertoClemente. ... Image File history File links RobertoClemente. ... Image File history File links Ruth_Fernandez. ... Image File history File links Ruth_Fernandez. ... Image File history File links Rafael_hernandez. ... Image File history File links Rafael_hernandez. ... Image File history File links Arturo Alfonso Schomburg File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Arturo Alfonso Schomburg File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Juan Morel Campos (May 16, 1857 – May 12, 1896), born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was one of the composers of danzas who took that musical genre to its highest level. ... Pedro Albizu Campos Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos (September 12, 1891 – April 21, 1965) born in Tenerías Village in Ponce, Puerto Rico was the son of Alejandro Albizu and Juana Campos. ... Wilfred Benitez (right) defeats Roberto Duran by unanimous decision. ... Carmen Belen Richardson (born September 14, 1930 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) - comedian and actress. ... José Campeche (1751-1809), was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ... Dr. Jose Ferrer Canales (September 18, 1913-July 20, 2005) born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, was an educator, writer and political activist. ... Felix Manuel Rodriguez Capo (January 1, 1922_December 18, 1989), better known as Bobby Capo, was an internationally known Puerto Rico. ... Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Major League Baseball right fielder and right-handed batter. ... Orlando Cepeda (born September 17, 1937) is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and right-handed batter who played with the San Francisco Giants (1958-66), St. ... Jesús Colón (1901-1974) born in Cayey, Puerto Rico is the Puerto Rican writer known as the Father of the Nuyorican Movement. ... Rafael Cordero (1790-1868), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a self-educated Puerto Rican of African ancestary. ... Rafael Cepeda Atiles a. ... José Cruz (born August 8, 1947) is a former Major League Baseball player from Arroyo, Puerto Rico. ... Tite Curet Alonso (February 26, 1926-August 5, 2003) born in Guayama, Puerto Rico was a renowned composer of over 2,000 salsa songs. ... Sylvia Del Villard (February 28, 1928-February 28, 1990) born in Santurce, a section of San Juan, Puerto Rico, was an actress, dancer, choreographer and Afro-Puerto Rican activist. ... Cheo Feliciano (born July 3, 1935 in Ponce, Puerto Rico), is a composer and singer of salsa and bolero music. ... Ruth Fernandez (born May 23, 1919 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a singer who is said to be one of three artists whose contributions have helped unite Latin America. ... Pedro Flores born (March 9, 1897-July, 1979) in the town of Naguabo, Puerto Rico was one Puerto Ricos best known composers of Ballads and Boleros. ... Huano G. Juano Hernandez (19 July 1901 San Juan, Puerto Rico - 17 July 1970 San Juan, Puerto Rico) was a Puerto Rican-African-American actor. ... Rafael Hernandez (October 24, 1892 – December 11, 1965), who was born in the town of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, was a composer who is considered by many to be the greatest composer of Puerto Rican music. ... Emilio Millito Navarro (born September 26, 1905 in the city of Patillas, Puerto Rico) was the first Puerto Rican to play baseball in the Negro Leagues. ... Victor Felipe Pellot Pove, a. ... Arturo Alfonso Schomburg a. ... Félix Tito Trinidad Jr. ... Otilio Warrington (aka Bizcocho born, February 26, 1941 in Santurce, Puerto Rico) - comedian, best known for his roles of Bizcocho and Cuca Gomez. Warrington was born in the ghetto known as Barrio Obrero in Santurce; when he was 6 years old, his family moved to the Llorens Torres public housing... Bernabé Bernie Williams Figueroa (born September 13, 1968 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a center fielder for the New York Yankees. ...

See also

Puerto Rican migrations 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
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Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (4000x2949, 1533 KB) Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Puerto Rican Dominican immigration to Puerto Rico Irish immigration to Puerto Rico Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico Puerto Rican immigration to Hawaii German immigration to Puerto Rico User... Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico began in the late 19th Century when the United States passed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1880. Chinese immigrants, such as the one pictured, immigrated to Puerto Rico and South America A Chinese Puerto Rican is a person who was born, or resides, in Puerto... In the 19th century hundreds of Corsicans left their families and homeland, the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean Sea, and immigrated to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. ... During the 2000s, one of the most recurrent themes in Puerto Rican newspapers has been the Dominican immigration to Puerto Rico. ... The French immigration to Puerto Rico during the 18th and 19th Century came about as a result of various economic and political situations which occurred in Louisiana (USA), Saint Dominique (Haiti) and in Europe. ... During the mid-19th century, hundreds of German families fled Europe and immigrated to the New World in search of a better life. ... In the 19th century, there was considerable Irish immigration to Puerto Rico, for a number of reasons. ... The Puerto Rican immigration to Hawaii can be traced to the year 1899, when Puerto Ricos sugar industry was devasted by two hurricanes. ... It can be said that the Puerto Ricans have both immigrated and migrated to New York. ...

External links

• Black Heritage in Puerto Rico

• Brief History of Puerto Rico

• Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico

• Africa and Puerto Rico

• Museum of American History