Puerto Rican Puertorriqueño
Notable Puerto Ricans: Graciela Rivera · Ángel Rivero Méndez · Luis Muñoz Rivera · Roberto Clemente · Ricky Martín · Sila Calderon · Benicio del Toro · Yolandita Monge
Total population
Puerto Rican 3,994,259 (Island) (Island's population are U.S Citizens) It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Puerto Rican. ... Image File history File links Graciela_Rivera. ... Image File history File links AngelRiveroMendez. ... Luis Munoz Rivera (Library of Congress) 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 200-roberto. ... Image File history File links RickyMartin. ... Dr. Graciela Rivera (born April 17, 1921 in Ponce, Puerto Rico), is the first Puerto Rican to sing a lead role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. ... Captain Ángel Rivero-Méndez (October 2, 1856 – February 23, 1930) was a soldier, writer, journalist and a businessman who is credited with inventing the Kola Champagne soft drink. ... Luis Muñoz Rivera Luis Muñoz Rivera (July 17, 1859 - November 15, 1916) was a poet, journalist and a politician from Barranquitas, Puerto Rico. ... Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a professional baseball player and a former Major League Baseball right fielder. ... Enrique José Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), better known as Ricky Martín, is a Grammy Award and Latin Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican pop singer who rose to fame, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991. ... Sila María Calderón Serra (born September 23, 1942) was the seventh Democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico from 2001 to 2005. ... Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (born February 19, 1967) is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award- and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award-winning Puerto Rican actor and film producer. ... Yolandita Monge (born September 16, 1955) is an international singer and actress from Puerto Rico. ...
Regions with significant populations
Puerto Rico (2007 est.) 3,994,259 [1]  United States (2006 est.) 3,987,947 [2]
Languages
Spanish
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic and large Protestantism. Minority Judaism, Islam, others.
Related ethnic groups
Spanish  · Italian · French · Mestizos · Amerindians · Mulattos · Zambos · Africans

A Puerto Rican (Spanish: puertorriqueño) (Taíno term: boricua) is a person who was born in Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, people use the Spanish language as their primary tongue. Image File history File links Flag_of_Puerto_Rico. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Languages Italian, Sicilian, Neapolitan, Corsican, Sardinian, Emiliano-Romagnolo, Ligurian, Lombard, Piedmontese, Venetian, Ladin, Friulian Religions predominantly Roman Catholic      The Italians are a Southern European ethnic group found primarily in Italy and in a wide-ranging diaspora throughout Western Europe, the Americas and Australia. ... Mestizo (Brazil Portuguese. ... A Sioux in traditional dress including war bonnet, circa 1908. ... Representation of Mulattos during the Latin American colonial period Mulatto (also Mulato) is a term of Spanish and/or Portuguese origin describing the first generation offspring of a Sub-Saharan African and a European. ... A representation of Zambos in Pintura de Castas during the Latin American colonial period. ... World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second_largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Taino (disambiguation). ... This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ...

Puerto Ricans born and raised in the United States who use the English language as their mother tongue are also referred to as Puerto Rican, although they are not native Puerto Ricans, but descendants of Puerto Ricans. Rarely are Puerto Ricans born in the diaspora called Puerto Rican Americans, or simply Americans. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... First language (native language, mother tongue, or vernacular) is the language a person learns first. ... For other uses, see Diaspora (disambiguation). ...

Puerto Ricans, who also commonly identify themselves as "Boricuas," are largely the descendants of Europeans, Taíno Indians, Africans or a blend of these groups which has produced a very diversified population. The population of Puerto Ricans and descendants is estimated to be between 8 to 10 million worldwide, with most living within the islands of Puerto Rico, Central Florida, and in New York City there is a large Nuyorican community, It should be noted that most Boricuas don't consider Nuyoricans to be Puerto Rican or Boricua. This article deals with the European people as an ethnic group or ethnic groups. ... For other uses, see Taino (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Nuyorican Poets Cafe. ... Nuyorican is a blending of the phrases New York and Puerto Rican and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Rican diaspora located in or around New York City, or of their descendants (especially those raised or still living in the New York area). ...

Ancestry

The original inhabitants of Puerto Rico are the Taíno Indians, who called the island Borikén. 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 was estimated that majority of all the indigenous inhabitants of the New World perished due to contact and contamination with those Old World diseases, while those that survived were killed by warfare with each other and different European groups. For other uses, see Taino (disambiguation). ... Chicken pox, also spelled chickenpox, is a common childhood disease caused by the varicella_zoster virus (VZV), also known as human herpes virus 3 (HHV_3), one of the eight herpesviruses known to affect humans. ... Flu redirects here. ... Acute viral nasopharyngitis, or acute coryza, usually known as the common cold, is a highly contagious, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, primarily caused by picornaviruses or coronaviruses. ...

Both run-away slaves 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) were in Puerto Rico. 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. Hernán(do) Cortés Pizarro, 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca (1485–December 2, 1547) was the conquistador who became famous for leading the military expedition that initiated the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. ...

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, Taínos as a people were extinct on the island.

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. Unlike other immigrations, the majority of the African immigration to Puerto Rico was a result of the slave trade. ...

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. This article is about the islands in the Atlantic Ocean. ...

These were followed by the arrival of French (especially Corsicans) immigrants along with smaller waves of 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 what is now the Dominican Republic and settled in the west coast of the island, especially in Mayagüez. Puerto Rico has some British ancestry, notably Scots came to reside there in the 17th and 18th centuries. Various factors during the mid-19th century contributed to the Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico; among those factors were the social-economic changes which came about in Europe as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution, political discontent and widespread crop failure due to long periods of drought, and crop... The Dutch (Ethnonym: Nederlanders meaning Lowlanders) are the dominant ethnic group[1] of the Netherlands[2]. They are usually seen as a Germanic people. ... This article or section should be merged with Hellenes Greeks in Ancient History In Latin literature, Græci (or Greeks, in English) is the name by which Hellenes are known. ... Languages Italian, Sicilian, Neapolitan, Corsican, Sardinian, Emiliano-Romagnolo, Ligurian, Lombard, Piedmontese, Venetian, Ladin, Friulian Religions predominantly Roman Catholic      The Italians are a Southern European ethnic group found primarily in Italy and in a wide-ranging diaspora throughout Western Europe, the Americas and Australia. ... Motto:  (Portuguese for Rather die free than in peace subjugated) Anthem:  (national)  (local) Capital Ponta Delgada1 Angra do Heroísmo2 Horta3 Largest city Ponta Delgada Official languages Portuguese Ethnic groups  Portuguese Government Autonomous region  -  President Carlos César Establishment  -  Settled 1439   -  Autonomy 1976  Area  -  Total 2,346 km² (n/a... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Nickname: Location within the island of Puerto Rico Coordinates: , Country Territory Founded July 19 1760 Government  - Mayor José Guillermo Rodríguez Rodríguez (PPD)  - Senatorial dist. ... This article is about the Scottish people as an ethnic group. ...

Puerto Rican heritage

Whites redirects here. ...

Ethnic background

The Original Inhabitants of Puerto Rico

• Taíno

The European heritage of Puerto Ricans comes primarily from one source: For other uses, see Taino (disambiguation). ...

• Spanish

Other sources of European populations: Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ...

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

African Heritage: Image File history File links Flag_of_Corsica. ... Various factors during the mid-19th century contributed to the Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico; among those factors were the social-economic changes which came about in Europe as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution, political discontent and widespread crop failure due to long periods of drought, and crop... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... 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 Domingue (Haiti) and in Europe. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... During the mid-19th century, hundreds of German families fled Europe and immigrated to the New World in search of a better life. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... In the 19th century, there was considerable Irish immigration to Puerto Rico, for a number of reasons. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Scotland. ... This article is about the Scottish people as an ethnic group. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malta. ...

• West Africans, mostly forced-migration to Puerto Rico
• Yoruba
• Igbo

People from Asia: This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Yoruba (Yorùbá in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (èdèe Yorùbá; èdè = language). ... -1...

• Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico began in the late 19th Century when the United States passed the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. 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...

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 the rich contribution of all cultures represented on the island. This diversity can be seen in the everyday lifestyle of many Puerto Ricans such as the profound European influences in Puerto Rico regarding food, music, dance, and architecture. This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ...

In the 2000 U.S. Census Puerto Ricans were asked to identify which racial category with which they personally identify. The breakdown is as follows: white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9%. It is important to note that the U.S. Census does not have the option to choose ethnic background. Based on current DNA studies in Puerto Rico, the majority of Puerto Ricans can be considered to be Mestizos (Spanish and Amerindian), a mix of three races, Spanish, Taino Indian and African, predominantly Spanish (European), or Mulattos and African. The U.S. Census is mandated by the United States Constitution. ... Whites redirects here. ... Though most indigenous Africans possess relatively dark skin, they exhibit much variation in physical appearance. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... Asian people[1] is a demonym for people from Asia. ... Mestizo (Brazil Portuguese. ... Representation of Mulattos during the Latin American colonial period Mulatto (also Mulato) is a term of Spanish and/or Portuguese origin describing the first generation offspring of a Sub-Saharan African and a European. ...

Puerto Ricans and the United States

Puerto Rican Migration Patterns

Main article: Puerto Ricans in the United States

See also: Puerto Rican migration to New York

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. They are also a part of the United States. Part of the money made is also by the production of sugarcane and tourism. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 584 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (646 × 663 pixel, file size: 79 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Angelo Falcon I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 584 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (646 × 663 pixel, file size: 79 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author: Angelo Falcon I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Language(s) English and Spanish Religion(s) Roman Catholic, Christianity, Protestantism,Santeria,Judaism,Islam Related ethnic groups Other Spanish people, African people, Amerindians, Mulattos, Zambos, and Mestizos National Puerto Rican Parade in New York City, 2005 (photo by Angelo Falcón) A Puerto Rican American (Spanish: Puerto Ricans in the... It can be said that the Puerto Ricans have both immigrated and migrated to New York. ... For other uses, see San Juan. ...

Boricua

Puerto Ricans often proudly identify themselves as Boricua, 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 the island's original 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 Boricua has been popularized in the island and abroad by descendents of Puerto Rico heritage, commonly using the phrase, "Yo soy Boricua" ("I am Boricua", or "I am Puerto Rican") to identify themselves as Puerto Ricans. Another variation which is also widely used is Borincano which translated means "from Borinquen." For other uses, see Taino (disambiguation). ...

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. More recently, exclusively used 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 (for example: Lonchar: to go to lunch), creating a mixture of both languages known as Spanglish. The spanish used by Puerto Ricans is very creative. Such words like socio, bostel, and mano(spanish slang for bro or homie) have become monumentally moving in the Puerto Rican world. World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second_largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Taino (disambiguation). ... For the James L. Brooks motion picture, see Spanglish (film). ...

Religion

The great majority of Puerto Ricans are Christians, though 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 Protestant, Latter-Day Saint (Mormon), Pentecostal and Jehovah's Witnesses denominations has increased under U.S. sovereignty, making modern Puerto Rico an inter-confessional community. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ... A Latter-day Saint is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). ... This article is about the history and use of the word Mormon. For information about the religious beliefs and culture of Mormons, see Mormonism. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ...

Political and international status

Since Puerto Rico is a so-called "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. Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... This act applies to the grant of citizenship to all citizens of Puerto Rico. ... // 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...

Puerto Ricans residing in Puerto Rico cannot vote in the U.S. Presidential election, nor are they represented by a voting 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. The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... A High Commissioner is a person serving in a special executive capacity. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ...

As statutory U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans born in Puerto Rico 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, such as World War II, 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^{[citation needed]}. The participation of Puerto Ricans in World War II as members of the United States armed forces included guarding U.S. military installations in the Caribbean and active combat participation in both the European and Pacific theatres of the war. ...

See also

• Afro-Puerto Rican

Main article: History of Puerto Rico The Black History of Puerto Rico begins with the colonization of the key Caribbean island of Puerto Rico by the Spanish Empire. ...

Notes

4. U of PR Taíno DNA study- http://www.taino-tribe.org/pr-taino-dna.htm is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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)

Angelo Falcón at age 54 Angelo Falcón (dob June 23, 1951 as Angel Manuel Falcón), is a political scientist best known for starting the Institute for Puerto Rican Policy (IPR) in New York City in the early 1980s and his studies of Puerto Rican and Latino politics...

See also

• 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