The Effect of Politics and Race on Identity of Puerto Ricans

The Effect of Politics and Race on Identity of Puerto Ricans

As is present in many articles we read about Spanish rule and American rule, there were always references to race, and the mix of races that the Puerto Ricans are, and how that has affected their identity. Kristen Moran hypothesized as to what was the origin of Spaniard's need to assert their clean lineage: "The attitude of the Spaniards concerning pure lineage, which can be traced back to the Muslim occupation of Spain, further complicated race interaction in Puerto Rico." The Ferré novel begins with Buenaventura's arrival to Puerto Rico from Spain, who is a member of a bourgeoisie family. Immediately there are references to the importance of a “clean lineage” and books which tracked marriages to make sure that families were remaining true to their roots. Families wanted to assert that there was no “bad blood” running through the family when another bourgeoisie family is ready to marry off their son or daughter. David Bernstein expands on this idea by writing that, "Buenaventura preaches his racial superiority and separation from others to his children, in the hope that this will ensure the 'purity' of future generation's white blood." This is why early on the citation by González of “returning to Spanish era” as “returning to a society in which the white and property-owning part of the population has always oppressed and despised the non-white and non-property-owning part.”(González, p4) was utilized in the conclusion of my first paper on early Spanish rule and has not left the schema I have created in my mind of how each set of rulers viewed Puerto Ricans.

Ferré touches on an area that I had not connected myself, nor had read anywhere yet. This realization that...

... middle of paper ...

...n the Twentieth Century. 2nd.ed. (Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1996).

Ferré, Rosario. The House on the Lagoon (NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995).

González, José Luis, “Puerto Rico: The Four-Storeyed Country,” from Puerto Rico: The

Four-Storeyed Country and other essays (Princeton and NY: Markus Wiener Publishing, Inc.), 1-30.

Moran, Kristen. Home page- H378.

http://frontpage.trincoll.edu/kmoran2/project.htm

Morris, Nancy. Puerto Rico: Culture, Politics, and Identity (Westport, Conn.: Praeger,

1995).

Pearson, Stacie. Home page. 10 December 1998.

<http://frontpage.trincoll.edu/spearson/puerto2.htm>.

Puerto Rico Herald Vol. 2 No. 25. <www.puertorico-herald.org>

Rivera, Fabian. Home page-H378.

http://frontpage.trincoll.edu/frivera/newpage3.htm

Rodriguez, Richard. Home page- H378

http://frontpage.trincoll.edu/rrodrigu/h378p.htm