by Jorge Duany, UPR Professor
El Nuevo DÃa (Puerto Rico) (May 12, 2010)
translated from the original Spanish by NiLP
A public controversy recently arose over the racial classification of Puerto Ricans in the 2010 Census. In this article, I underline the increasing “whitening” of the island’s population, according to government figures since the Spanish colonial period. This statistical trend was mainly due to the rise of European immigration and the decline of the slave trade, as well as the incorporation of many “mulattos” in the “white” population, particularly through the unions between couples of different “races.”
Tens of thousands of Europeans came to Puerto Rico during the nineteenth century, especially from the Iberian Peninsula, and the Canary and Balearic Islands. Promoted officially since the late seventeenth century, the influx of peasants from the Canaries continued throughout the nineteenth century. Later, other ethnic groups would arrive from outlying regions of Spain, such as Catalans, Majorcans, Basques, Asturians, and Galicians. A significant minority came from more than a dozen countries, including France, Italy, Santo Domingo, and Venezuela. In 1832, 2,912 foreigners, mostly French, were counted.
These waves of immigration built what the writer José Luis González called the “second tier” of Puerto Rican culture, referring to the “whitening” of the Afro-Caribbean population. In 1824, 3,596 Spanish immigrants arrived in Puerto Rico. By 1897, the island had 19,565 residents from the Peninsula, the Canaries, and Mallorca. Spanish immigration slowed but didn’t end after the Spanish-Cuban-American War of 1898.
During the nineteenth century, about 60,000 African slaves were imported to Puerto Rico. The 1815-1845 period represented the high point of human trafficking to the island. The number of slaves tripled from 17,536 in 1812 to a peak of 51,265 in 1846. In the latteryear slaves accounted for 11.6% of the population. Thereafter, the number of slaves decreased gradually to 29,335 in 1873, when slavery was abolished.
One consequence of the increase of African slaves was a change in the racial composition of the population. The largest proportion (55.6%) of people “of color” (including those listed as “brown” [“pardas”], “mulatto,” or “cruzadas” and “morenas” or “negras”) was recorded in 1820 and was subsequently reduced. In 1864, 52.4% of the population was considered “white.”
The “whitening” of the Puerto Rican population continued in the twentieth century. Census reports show a steady increase in the proportion of persons designated as “white” between 1899 and 1950, and again in 2000 (the local census questionnaire eliminated the controversial question on race between 1950 and 2000).
Although racial terminology changed several times during the period under review, the category of “white” remained intact and the percentage of the population it accounted for increased from 61.8% in 1899 to 80.5% in 2000. At the same time, the proportion of people classified as “nonwhite” fell from 38.2% to 19.5%. According to these statistics, the Puerto Rican population became “whiter” since the mid-nineteenth century.
Today, many people of mixed ancestry (usually called “trigueñas” and “morenas” in Puerto Rico) prefer to classify themselves as “white” rather than “black” in the Census. Prejudice and discrimination against people of African origin are the main reasons for this preference. In addition, several categories in the Census questionnaire (such as “African American” or “American Indian”) are not very relevant to the Island population.
In any case, official figures suggest that the vast majority of the inhabitants of the island perceive themselves as “white.” Judging by the latest estimates, at least three out of four Puerto Ricans will answer that they are “white” in the 2010 census. This response, however, underestimates the widespread miscegenation and the African origin of much of the Puerto Rican population.
Too bad Duany doesn’t reflect on how Puerto Ricans acknowledge a mixture of the Taino, European and African ancestry, and how it contradicts the white annotation on Census forms.
Also, he might have included some thoughts on how these categories may be less racial categories and more economic categories.
Why is that Puerto Ricans always have to be a mixture of all 3 Races and they can never be solely of one Race. In my family everyone i have seen have all been white. I have never seen anyone Black or with there hair texture,nor have i seen anyone who looks remotely Indian. I am 58 years old and my oldest Grandparent my Grandfather on my Mothers side was born in 1892 and mentioned Spaniards, Italians, French, English among others that he remembered who must have been born in the 1800’s. Many Europeans immigrated to Puerto Rico during that time. This was a result of Spain offering free land to Europeans who were Catholic and promised to swear allegence to spain. I beleive that the Spaniards were afraid of the Blacks and the Indians uniting against them. Anyway most of these People who came to Puerto Rico were married and with children. So they were not mixed with Blacks or with Indians. After they settled i am sure they had more children who were the first born in Puerto Rico. Then they intermarried such as Germans with Irish or Spanish with French and so on.This would make the White Race continue to grow and the immigration from Europe continued for decades further growing the numbers in the White Race.From conversations with my late Grandfather this is what i have calculated to have happened,also as a result of much research.
I am seekinginformation about immigration records for Italian and other europeanimmigrants to Puerto Rico for perior 1840 to 1850’s. Are their incoming immigrant records stored inSpain? and if so where? Thank You
This article has touched one if my hot buttons!! The term “white”as it relates to race is just term coined by the Feds and other misinformed in an attempt to be PC (Politically Correct). Through my formative years, during my under grad years & thru post grad years, the only term used in reference to race for category of people some misguided call “white” was Caucasian! There is NO white race! Similarly, some have attempted to refer to non-Caucasians as African Ametican. Again, the only correct term applicable here is: Negroid (Negro). My ancestors are from thd Canary Idlands, and thank you, I am Not shite…I am Caucasion…politically correct or not.
One of the problems is expecting a Latin based culture to now except USA Anglo concepts of race. The one drop rule does not nor has it ever applied in former colonies of Spain or France. Yes there are some Boricuas who are caucasian and others who are Negriod and there is also a small number of bi-racial individuals. The vast number of people are in fact tri-racial. When you have a people of predominant european background with a quarter or less Negriod and Taino it’s easy to understand why some may not identify as Black! The USA and South Africa are the only places where the one drop rule is forced on people of mix ancestry. For 400 years of Spanish rule only full Negroids were Black. Most of these same people who listed themselves as White would tell you with no problem if they had a Black ancestor. In their mind that is not enough to make you Black especialy if you look White. So it’s a matter of Cultural definition. The natives peoples of Africa don’t accept you as Black just because you have a distant Black ancestor. So again it’s Culture.
Here’s my theory: we are not only product of the three races, black, Spanish, and TaÃno, teach you in school, we are more than that. All these processes happening for centuries allowed for the growth and the mixture of this mixture of races and customs until we become what we are today, a country culturally homogeneous. What wrong with being black, white, we are Puerto Ricans and so what. We are hard working, honest, and we are also americans… Our culture and tradtions are the best thing that has happend to us, and it comes from all our mix.
By the way makes me happy to see my pepole reading the books and being able to speak about the island in a good way, it wonderful to hear you and give ideas.
All the people of the world are mixture or admixture of races or ethnic groups.Puerto rico is predominantly “white”.Spaniards largest group followed by French (which includes a very large number of Corsican who are of Italian origin),Italians,Americans and smaller numbers Germans etc.