The Puerto Rican Diaspora to the United States

This chapter tackles the Puerto Rican diaspora in the United States with a focus on culture and politics. It starts with the National Puerto Rican Day Parade (Desfile Puertorriqueño) in New York City as the most visible demonstration of Puerto Rican identity in the United States. However, the US media have traditionally represented Puerto Ricans as a social problem due to their dark skin color, foreign language, and culture. The chapter also considers the role of religion, the Spanish and English languages, and music within the Puerto Rican diaspora. On the other hand, the Puerto Rican diaspora has been incorporated into US politics through numerous voluntary associations throughout the country since the late nineteenth century.