Puerto Rico was discovered on November 19, 1493 by Columbus and a fleet of men. Columbus had brought with him a fleet of fifteen vessels and fifteen hundred men was well as horses, cattle and vines to start colonizing in the West Indies. No one knows for sure where he landed in Puerto Rico and it is still up for debate, though there are two towns on the northwest coast Aguada and Aguadilla, who have the best claim on his landing, and still argue about it today. Columbus’s officer Juan Ponce de Leon had the greattest influence in developing Puerto Rico, when he returned to the island 15 years later after its discovery.

Priir to their discovery the island was inhabited by Indians. They were known as Arawak Indians and their was about thirty thousand of them who lived on the island. The Arawak people were known to be very peace loving individuals who were governed by a cacique or a chief or king. The men had roughly six or seven wives who worked in the field while they hunted. Together the Spaniards and the Arawak Indians colonized the island and helped each other out. However in 1513 Ponce lost his job as governor and migrated to the states. After his departu

The Puerto Ricans differ from many other Hispanic and Latino cultures because of their heritage, culture, and history. They became part of America as a result of a war that did not even involve them. Remember again, they did not ask to be part of America they were told. But, instead of bringing rebellion they brought a wealth of culture with them. They have added to our society through festivals, politics, diversity, and sharing their culture. To this day they still play a important role in making America what it is.

Why did so many Puerto Ricans Migrate to New York? Among the islander people of Puerto Rico it was believed to be “the best people go off”, and is shown to be true. Joseph Monserrat. A young director of the Migration Division’s New York office, stated, “Our statistics show that the Puerto Rican migrants have a generally higher education and better skills to prepare themselves for life in New York”. The main reason why Puerto Ricans fled their island to come to the United States were for employment opportunities, better living conditions, and a better education for their children. The most significant reason though is for the work that Puerto Rico does not offer. The following will show that opportunity given to the Puerto Ricans that migrated to New York help develop another diverse culture of America.

As the presence of the Puerto Ricans swelled the U.S. government faced the difficult task of classifying this race of people. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the Bureau of the Census has frequently altered its racial designation of Puerto Ricans and other Hispanic immigrants. Until 1970, most Puerto Ricans in the United States were considered white, unless they were definitely Negro, Indian, or some other race. In 1980, the census introduced two separate self-identification questions, one on Hispanic origin and one on race, based on the premise that Hispanics could be of any race. The U.S. government encouraged Puerto Ricans to classify themselves as Hispanics, rather than white or blacks.

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