A Study Of The Post-war Mainland Puerto Ricans In The United States

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States, neither a state of the federal union nor a sovereign nation. In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted the U.S. citizenship, allowing for unrestricted movement of islanders to and from the mainland. After World War II, the availability of air travel and inexpensive airfares as well as the island's harsh economic conditions are important factors in facilitating mass migration. According to the 2000 Census, the mainland Puerto Rican population has reached 3.4 million, a figure rapidly approaching that of the island of Puerto Rico's 3.8 million inhabitants. Next to the number of Mexicans, mainland Puerto Ricans is the second largest group among Hispanics in the United States.The thesis introduces the mainland Puerto Ricans who entered the United States after World War II. It starts with the Puerto Rican migration history to the U.S., and covers a wide range of information on mainland Puerto Ricans' economy, education and culture. By viewing mainland Puerto Ricans' social adjustment and cultural identity, the thesis enhances our understanding of the mainland Puerto Ricans and promotes our knowledge about the U.S. multi-culture.The thesis includes three chapters with additional preface and conclusion.The preface explains the reason and significance of studying the mainland Puerto Ricans in the United States, reviews the present research situation and introduces some related terms presented during the course of the study.Chapter one overviews the brief history of Puerto Rico and the migrant experience of the mainland Puerto Ricans. By discussing the development and changes of politics, economy and society in Puerto Rico and the policies carried out by the U.S., it explores why Puerto Ricans migrated to the mainland, and their scale and distribution, in order to present a general idea of Puerto Rican migration.Chapter two analyzes the social adjustment made by the mainland Puerto Ricans. It focuses on the challenges they faced in economy, education and the race problem and examines how Puerto Ricans adapt to a new environment and forge their lives in the United States. In order to shake off the dilemma, mainland Puerto Ricans keep a good balance between ethnic culture and the U.S. mainstream culture.Chapter three deals with the cultural identity of the mainland Puerto Ricans. It provides how mainland Puerto Ricans negotiate their exposure to two cultures and languages and finds that they have formed a new identity model different from that of the previous immigrants, that is, the dual cultural identity. By discussing the factors that contributed to the formation of the dual cultural identity of the mainland Puerto Ricans, it emphasizes that on one hand, mainland Puerto Ricans have a strong ethnic consciousness and national pride, and view Puerto Rican culture positively. On the other hand, they also cherish their rights as U.S. citizens and to a certain extent, agree the social norms and principles in the United States and want to adapt to the U.S.'s values and survival mode to achieve rapid upward mobility. This dual cultural identity has made it possible to promote the Puerto Rican culture on the mainland and enhances their connection to the American society and mainstream culture.The concluding chapter summarizes the principal findings of the study. It provides a further analysis of the specific experiences and ethnic characteristics of the mainland Puerto Ricans and points out that the special political status and cultural background of Puerto Rico, to a large extent, have shaped the dual cultural identity of the mainland Puerto Ricans.