The Puerto Rican Community: From Neighbors to Citizens

The beginnings of the relations between Puerto Ricans and the United States can be traced back to 1898, when Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship with the enactment of the Jones Act. Since 1952 the island of Puerto Rico has functioned as a self-governing territory of the United States pursuant to a Commonwealth Constitution authorized by the US Congress.

Puerto Ricans began moving to the mainland United States in the early 1940's seeking better economic conditions and job opportunities made possible by US manufacturing companies needing workers to satisfy wartime production. By 1970, 1.5 million Puerto Ricans lived in the United States. Between 1990 and 2000, the Puerto Rican population in the US grew by 24.9 percent, from 3.2 to 3.6 million. According to the 2000 US Census, there are approximately 7 million persons of Puerto Rican heritage in the United States and Puerto Rico. In 2003, the Census estimated that there were 3.8 million Puerto Ricans on the mainland US (unpublished data from the Current Population Survey).

The Puerto Rican population is a significant part of the US Hispanic population. The number of Hispanic-Americans has increased five-fold since 1960 to 40 million, and is anticipated to become the largest minority population by 2010. The Puerto Rican community represents the second largest national origin group among Hispanics, behind the Mexican origin population.

Puerto Ricans on the mainland are predominantly concentrated in the Northeastern states. The states with the largest Puerto Rican populations in 2000 were New York, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. During the last 30 years, there has also been significant population growth in Connecticut, Illinois, California, Ohio, and Texas and areas in the Midwest.

The Puerto Rican community in the United States has experienced significant socioeconomic progress in recent years, albeit educational and economic gaps between Puerto Ricans and other ethnic/racial groups. In 2002, the average individual income for this community was $33,927. Such amount represents only 68.7 percent of the income for non- Hispanic Whites ($48,687) and is below the average incomes for Asians ($49,981), Cubans ($38,733), and “other Hispanics” ($38,200), but is higher than the incomes for Mexicans, Dominicans, and Central and South Americans. Moreover, in 2002 an estimated 24,450 Puerto Ricans in the US had individual incomes of $100,000 or more, compared to 4,059 ten years ago. The number of persons enrolling in institutions of higher education has also increased in recent years; however, Puerto Ricans continue to lag behind the general population as well as other Hispanic populations. The proportion of stateside Puerto Ricans¹ in poverty has changed little in the last 20 years. Factors contributing to the poverty rate include low levels of educational attainment, location in poorly performing labor markets, and high unemployment. Child poverty rates are particularly alarming as Puerto Rican children constitute the poorest population group in the United States.² In 2001, over 33 percent of Puerto Rican children lived in poverty, as compared with 28 percent of Latinos and 9.5 percent of non-Latino White children.³ In Puerto Rico, more than half (58.4%) the child population lives below the poverty level. Other factors affecting socio-economic status are a high school drop out rate which is above the national average, and that many Puerto Ricans are not native English speakers and must overcome language barriers to upward mobility.

However, Puerto Ricans have one distinguishing characteristic over others that have moved to the United States in search of better lives - we are American citizens. While the 3.9 million Puerto Ricans on the island cannot vote in national elections, the 3.8 million on the US mainland may fully exercise their voting rights in national and local elections. As a result, there are currently three Members of Congress of Puerto Rican heritage, Luis Gutiérrez, Chicago, IL, José Serrano, Bronx, NY, and Nydia Velázquez, Brooklyn, NY. Hundreds of others have been elected to positions in municipal and state legislative bodies, local school boards and as mayors of cities and towns across the nation. In March 1997, the first Puerto Rican to sit as a member of a US President's Cabinet, Aida Alvarez, was appointed by President William J. Clinton to head the US Small Business Administration.

Puerto Ricans are also making history in the US Congress with the Honorable Luis Fortuño as Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner, marking the first time since the establishment of the Commonwealth that Puerto Rico sends a Republican to Washington, DC. This also presents the first time since the creation of the Commonwealth that the Governor and the Resident Commissioner are from opposing parties: Governor Aníbal Acevedo-Vilá belongs to the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) and Congressman Luis Fortuño belongs to the New Progressive Party (NPP).

Puerto Ricans have contributed to the development, defense and prosperity of the United States since 1898 when the Island was ceded to the United States at the end of the Spanish-American War. As the presence and influence of the Hispanic population in the United States continues to grow, so will that of the Puerto Rican community and consequently, our contribution to American society.

1: Puerto Ricans living on the US mainland.
2: National Council of La Raza. Census Information Center. “Hispanic Poverty Fact Sheet.” November 2000.
3: Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund: Latino Data Center. “Latinos in the United States and Puerto Rico” From March 2002 Current Population Survey. No. 1 May 1, 2004.