essay

'Que assimilated, brother, yo soy asimilao': the structuring of Puerto Rican identity

Divided borders : essays on Puerto Rican identityHouston • Published In 1993 • Pages: 182-195, 245

By: Flores, Juan.

Abstract
This is a comparative look at two Hispanic populations, the Chicanos of Los Angeles and Puerto Ricans of New York. Chicanos and Puerto Ricans share a common Latin American culture and immigrant experience of discrimination and exploitation. However they are notably different in their relationships with African-Americans. Puerto Ricans are close to Blacks, which is not the case for Chicanos, who instead have a closer relationship with American Indians. Alarcón attributes this to the different ethnic mix between the Caribbean and Mesoamerica. Alarcón identifies four definitive moments in the awakening of mainland Puerto Rican cultural consciousness. First is the state of abandonment: The immigrant's realization of the awful conditions of life of poverty and discrimination in an urban ghetto. In the second state of enchantment, immigrants rediscover and appreciate the idyllic nature of their homeland. The third state is a renewed encounter with New York in which the indigenous culture is proudly asserted. The fourth state is the selective interaction with other minority and migrant peoples, jointly celebrating a Caribbean New York
Subjects
Music
Verbal arts
Ethnic stratification
culture
Puerto Ricans (Mainland)
HRAF PubDate
2002
Region
North America
Sub Region
Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Unknown
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 2000
Field Date
Not Specified
Coverage Date
1965-1985
Coverage Place
New York, N.Y., United States
Notes
Juan Flores
Includes bibliographical references
LCCN
91037313
LCSH
Puerto Ricans--United States