The Puerto Rican Diaspora to the United States

What is the Puerto Rican Day Parade? The Puerto Rican Day Parade (Desfile Puertorriqueño) in New York City is the most visible display of Puerto Rican identity in the United States. The parade was first held in 1959 as an offshoot of the...

Puerto Rico Before 1898

What groups inhabited Puerto Rico before the Spanish Conquest? The Taínos were the first indigenous inhabitants of the Americas to come into contact with Europeans. They occupied much of the Larger Antilles, including what is now Puerto Rico, which they called Borinquen or Borikén, when...

The Puerto Rican Diaspora to the United States

Who were some of the most prominent Puerto Ricans who moved to the United States during the late nineteenth century? Several political exiles from Puerto Rico sought refuge abroad, mainly in New York City, after the failure of the Grito de Lares, the Island’s insurrection...

Puerto Rico as a us Commonwealth Since 1952

How did Puerto Rico become a US Commonwealth? In 1950, the US Congress passed, and President Harry S. Truman signed, Public Law 600, authorizing a convention to draft a constitution and establish a republican form of government in Puerto Rico. In a referendum held on...

Introduction Puerto Rico—A Stateless Nation

Puerto Rico has a peculiar status among Latin American and Caribbean countries. On July 25, 1898, the United States invaded the Island during the Spanish-Cuban-American War, and has since dominated the Island militarily, politically, and economically. In 1901, the US Supreme Court defined Puerto Rico...

Puerto Rico as a us Commonwealth Since 1952

How did the Puerto Rican population change after World War II? The Island’s population growth rate contracted markedly during the second half of the twentieth century. This trend was mainly due to the insular government’s campaigns to reduce birth rates, by encouraging family planning and...

Puerto Rico Under us Rule, 1898–1952

How did the US government acquire the Island? On July 25, 1898, US troops invaded Puerto Rico as part of the war against Spain. The Island was a secondary military asset to US objectives (Cuba was the primary target at the time). After a brief...