Nation, Migration, Identity: the Case of Puerto Ricans

This article explores the impact of transnational migration on the cultural identities of Puerto Ricans on the Island and in the US mainland. The author argues that, although Puerto Ricans are US citizens, they cross significant geographic, cultural, and linguistic borders when they migrate between the Island and the mainland, and this displacement helps to reconfigure their national identities. More specifically, the author proposes that the emergence of cultural nationalism as a dominant discourse in Puerto Rico is partly the result of a growing diaspora since the 1940s. The author’s thesis is that cultural nationalism is better attuned than political nationalism to the widespread geographic dispersion and the continuing colonial status of Puerto Rico. This historical trend helps to explain why most Puerto Ricans today do not desire political independence.