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103-469: Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana (English: Citizens' Victory Movement , generally abbreviated as MVC ) is a Puerto Rican political party founded in 2019. It ran in the 2020 general elections on an anti-colonial platform, proposing a constitutional assembly to determine a final decision regarding the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico . The Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana

206-465: A U.S. territory , Puerto Ricans have automatic birthright American citizenship , and are considerably influenced by American culture . The population of Puerto Ricans is between 9 and 10 million worldwide, with the overwhelming majority residing in Puerto Rico and mainland United States . The culture held in common by most Puerto Ricans is referred to as a Western culture largely derived from

309-558: A 54% majority of the ballots cast against the continuation of the island's territorial political status, and in favor of a new status. Of votes for new status, a 61.1% majority chose statehood. This was by far the most successful referendum for statehood advocates. In all earlier referenda, votes for statehood were matched almost equally by votes for remaining an American territory, with the remainder for independence. Support for U.S. statehood has risen in each successive popular referendum. The fifth Puerto Rican status referendum of 2017 ,

412-526: A Puerto Rican population count, especially if they have ancestry of at least one parent born in target country, for example people of Dominican, Cuban, or Mexican etc ancestry born in Puerto Rico and later returning to their ancestral country- wouldn't be counted in a Puerto Rican population count, but likely rather counted as a "returning emigrant". Similarly, Puerto Ricans born in the mainland United States would be counted under an "American" statistic, so

515-628: A discrete genetic population. Native American admixture in Puerto Ricans ranges between about 5% and 35%, with around 15% being the approximate average. Puerto Rico's self-identified indigenous population therefore consist mostly of indigenous-identified persons (oftentimes with predominant Indigenous ancestry, but not always) from within the genetically mestizo population of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry, even when most other Puerto Ricans of their exact same mixture would identify either as mixed-race or even as white. For its 2020 census,

618-482: A dozen of the over 1,400 public schools aimed at conducting instruction in English only. Objections from teaching staff are common, perhaps because many of them are not fully fluent in English. English is taught as a second language and is a compulsory subject from elementary levels to high school. Home to a sizeable deaf community , the actual numbers are unknown due to unavailable source data. A 1986 estimate places

721-520: A fee to be classified as white, which was the opposite of " one-drop rule " in US society after the American Civil War. Studies have shown that the racial ancestry mixture of the average Puerto Rican (regardless of racial self-identity) is about 64% European, 21% African, and 15% Native Taino, with European ancestry strongest on the west side of the island and West African ancestry strongest on

824-697: A free association status with the United States. In economic terms, the party's platform known as the "Urgent Agenda" places emphasis on strengthening labor rights and opposing privatization . The 2019 Telegramgate scandal that implicated the ruling New Progressive Party helped define the focus of the MVC on government reform. Puerto Rican people Puerto Ricans ( Spanish : Puertorriqueños ), most commonly known as Boricuas , but also occasionally referred to as Borinqueños , Borincanos , or Puertorros , are an ethnic group native to

927-428: A free trolley provided limited service to Old San Juan seven days a week but is not available any longer. People get around the city on foot or by car. There have been plans to turn the historic district into a pedestrian-only zone , and to either rebuild the trolley system or build a new light-rail train system in the recent years. Old San Juan is the setting for films, books, song lyrics and music videos, including

1030-520: A limited time, not only from property taxes and municipal taxes, but from income tax from activities generated in their properties as well). At least one retailer from the shopping district in Charlotte Amalie was given incentives to set up shop in the Calle del Cristo (the city's red light district during the early 1940s) in order to persuade other retailers to follow suit and somehow "clean up"

1133-656: A majority of the population on the island. In 1791, the slaves in Saint-Domingue ( Haiti ), revolted against their French masters. Many of the French escaped to Puerto Rico via what is now the Dominican Republic and settled in the west coast of the island, especially in Mayagüez . Some Puerto Ricans are of British heritage, most notably Scottish people and English people who came to reside there in

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1236-471: A marked change in the way Puerto Ricans view themselves. This may show that Puerto Ricans are now more open to embracing all sides of their mixed-race heritage and do not view themselves as part of the standard race dynamic in the United States hence the high number of people identifying as "some other race", a similar phenomenon went on in the mainland United States with the overall US Hispanic/Latino population. Most have significant ancestry from two or more of

1339-444: A neighborhood of Old San Juan and its reputation has recently transformed from a dangerous place into a cultural hub. It has appeared on films, literature, TV shows and music videos . With its abundance of shops, historic places, museums, open air cafés, restaurants, colorful homes, tree-shaded plazas, and its old beauty and architectural peculiarity, Old San Juan is a main spot for domestic and international tourism. The district

1442-473: A renewed facility. As in other Operation Bootstrap projects, the Woolworth family was invited in 1957 to reconstruct the former convent (which had more recently been a low-rent apartment building and city garage) into the luxury Hotel El Convento . The Bank provided low interest loans to remodelers, and the government gave triple tax exemptions to commercial activities in the old city (they were exempted for

1545-417: A significant minority. Also present in today's Puerto Ricans are traces (about 10-15%) of the aboriginal Taíno natives that inhabited the island at the time European colonizers arrived in 1493. Recent studies in population genetics have concluded that Puerto Rican gene pool is on average predominantly European, with a significant Sub-Saharan African, North African Guanche , and Indigenous American substrate,

1648-794: A total of 3,644,515 (91.9%) of the population being born in Puerto Rico and 201,310 (5.1%) born in the United States. The total population born outside Puerto Rico is 322,773 (8.1%). Of the 108,262 who were foreign born outside the United States (2.7% of Puerto Ricans), 92.9% were born in Latin America, 3.8% in Europe, 2.7% in Asia, 0.2% in Northern America , and 0.1% in Africa and Oceania each. The populations during Spanish rule of Puerto Rico were: The original inhabitants of Puerto Rico are

1751-530: Is Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a fort built by the Spaniards when settled on the Island. Besides the magnificent fort, tourists are drawn to La Perla , a colorful neighborhood outside of the historic city wall. Old San Juan is one of the two barrios , in addition to Santurce , that made up the municipality of San Juan after 1864 and prior to 1951, in which the former independent municipality of Río Piedras

1854-595: Is a Puerto Rico Registered Historic Zone and a National Historic Landmark District , Old San Juan Historic District , and is also listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places . Several historical buildings and structures, particularly La Fortaleza , the city walls , and El Morro and San Cristóbal castles, have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1983. Historically

1957-566: Is characterized by numerous public plazas, which are filled with local shops that sell traditional craftwork, sculptures and typical musical instruments. Moreover, Old San Juan is known for its historical churches, such as San José Church and the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista , which contains the tomb of the Spanish explorer and first European to discover modern day Florida , Juan Ponce de León . Tourists' main spot to visit at Old San Juan

2060-643: Is currently prohibited. Even with the Puerto Ricans' vote for statehood, action by the United States Congress would be necessary to implement changes to the status of Puerto Rico under the Territorial Clause of the United States Constitution . Old San Juan Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and the historic colonial district of the city of San Juan. This historic district

2163-401: Is even a Francosign language like ASL. Indeed, there is a hesitancy amongst Puerto Rican Deaf to even mention LSPR after heavy handed oralist education of English, Spanish, and Signed English . Today, there is much contact between ASL, PRSL, and Signed Spanish . The Spanish of Puerto Rico has evolved into having many idiosyncrasies in vocabulary and syntax that differentiate it from

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2266-554: Is internationally recognized by Spain, which considers Puerto Rico to be an Ibero-American nation. Therefore, Puerto Rican citizens have the ability to apply for Spanish citizenship after only two years residency in Spain (instead of the standard 10 years). Puerto Rican voters, despite not voting in the 2024 election for the President on the island, nevertheless were a surprisingly important political "hot potato" for both parties, due to

2369-477: Is one of the most important components in which many villages were founded from these immigrants, which started from 1493 to 1890 and beyond. Many Spaniards, especially Canarians, chose Puerto Rico because of its Hispanic ties and relative proximity in comparison with other former Spanish colonies. They searched for security and stability in an environment similar to that of the Canary Islands and Puerto Rico

2472-559: Is represented in the House of Representatives by an elected representative commonly known as the Resident Commissioner , who has the same duties and obligations as a representative, with the exception of being able to cast votes on the final disposition of legislation on the House floor. The Resident Commissioner is elected by Puerto Ricans to a four-year term and does serve on congressional committee . Puerto Ricans residing in

2575-578: The 2012 and 2016 gubernatorial elections, running under the PPT and receiving 0.098% and 0.034% votes, respectively. On Tuesday, March 5, 2019, Rivera Lassén, registered the party logo as well as the intention of forming a new party at the Puerto Rico State Commission on Elections . Rivera Lassén submitted the sworn declaration, however, the domain name was registered by a company incorporated by Lúgaro and her mother. When made public,

2678-515: The Bar Association of Puerto Rico , then-independent Representative, Manuel Natal Albelo , Claridad -publisher and urban planner José “Tato” Rivera Santana, and union leader Roberto Pagán. Additionally, early proponents included former-gubernatorial candidates, who were Alexandra Lúgaro , who ran under an independent ticket in the 2016 Puerto Rico gubernatorial election , receiving 11.13% of votes, and Rafael Bernabe Riefkohl , who ran in

2781-492: The Canary Islands , this is also true for many Dominicans and Cubans. Canarians are of partial Guanche ancestry, a North African Berber ethnic group who were the original inhabitants before Spanish conquest. This means that by extension, many Puerto Ricans have minuscule amounts of North African blood through the indigenous Guanches of the Canary Islands. In the 1899 census , taken the year Spain ceded Puerto Rico to

2884-564: The Caribbean archipelago and island of Puerto Rico , and a nation identified with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico through ancestry , culture , or history . Puerto Ricans are predominately a tri-racial , Spanish-speaking , Christian society, descending in varying degrees from Indigenous Taíno natives , Southwestern European colonists , and West and Central African slaves , freedmen , and free Blacks . As citizens of

2987-599: The Great Famine of the 1840s , immigrated to Puerto Rico. They were followed by smaller waves from other European countries and China. During the early 20th century Jews began to settle in Puerto Rico. The first large group of Jews to settle in Puerto Rico were European refugees fleeing German–occupied Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. The second influx of Jews to the island came in the 1950s, when thousands of Cuban Jews fled Cuba after Fidel Castro came to power. The native Taino population began to dwindle, with

3090-658: The National Geographic Genographic Project , "the average Puerto Rican individual carries 12% Native American, 65% West Eurasian (Mediterranean, Northern European and/or Middle Eastern) and 20% Sub-Saharan African DNA." In genetic terms, even many of those of pure Spanish origin would have North and, in some cases, West African ancestry brought from founder populations, particularly in the Canary Islands. Along with European, West African, and Taino, many Puerto Ricans have small amounts of North African blood due to settlers from Canary Islands ,

3193-644: The Taíno , who called the island Borikén or Borinquen ; however, as in other parts of the Americas, the native people soon diminished in number after the arrival of Spanish settlers. Besides miscegenation , the negative impact on the numbers of Amerindian people, especially in Puerto Rico, was almost entirely the result of Old World diseases that the Amerindians had no natural/bodily defenses against, including measles , chicken pox , mumps , influenza , and even

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3296-802: The Vietnam War , the Gulf War , the War in Afghanistan , and the Iraq War . Since 2007, the Puerto Rico State Department has developed a protocol to issue certificates of Puerto Rican citizenship to Puerto Ricans. In order to be eligible, applicants must have been born in Puerto Rico; born outside of Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican-born parent; or be an American citizen with at least one year residence in Puerto Rico. The citizenship

3399-733: The Zona Antigua Histórica Casco de San Juan ( English : Historic Old Town Area of San Juan). In 1972, the same area was recognized by the National Register of Historic Places as the San Juan Historic Zone ( Spanish : Zona Histórica de San Juan ). In 2012, the National Register increased the boundaries and renamed the district to Old San Juan Historic District ( Spanish : Distrito Histórico del Viejo San Juan ). Old San Juan

3502-669: The common cold . In fact, it was estimated that the majority of all the Amerindian inhabitants of the New World died out due to contact and contamination with those Old World diseases, while those that survived were further reduced through deaths by warfare with Spanish colonizers and settlers. Thousands of Spanish settlers also immigrated to Puerto Rico from the Canary Islands during the 18th and 19th centuries, so many so that whole Puerto Rican villages and towns were founded by Canarian immigrants, and their descendants would later form

3605-493: The 17th and 18th centuries. When Spain revived the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 with the intention of attracting non-Spanish Europeans to settle in the island, thousands of Corsicans (though the island was French since 1768 the population spoke an Italian dialect similar to Tuscan Italian) during the 19th century immigrated to Puerto Rico, along with German immigrants as well as Irish immigrants who were affected by

3708-573: The 1940s, the Puerto Rican economy was small and undeveloped, it relied heavily on agriculture. At this time, Puerto Rican migration waves were mainly to Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands, and US cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami, New Orleans, and most importantly metropolitan area surrounding New York City and North Jersey. Over 5,000 Puerto Ricans migrated to Hawaii from 1900 to 1901. Puerto Rican migration to

3811-566: The 50 States and the US territory of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican populations in other countries are very small, not large enough to have dominance over certain neighborhoods and cities like in Florida and the US Northeast. Unsurprisingly, Puerto Rico's neighbors have the biggest Puerto Rican communities outside Puerto Rico and the US mainland, to the west Dominican Republic with as high as 20,000 Puerto Ricans according to some sources, and to

3914-785: The Africans who were brought to Puerto Rico did so as a result of the slave trade taking place from many groups in the African continent, but particularly the West Africans , the Yoruba , the Igbo , and the Kongo people . Indigenous people make up the third largest racial identity among Puerto Ricans, comprising 0.5% of the population. Although this self-identification may be ethno-political in nature since unmixed Tainos no longer exist as

4017-704: The District of Columbia through the Electoral College system. Nevertheless, both the Democratic Party and Republican Party , while not fielding candidates for public office in Puerto Rico, provide the islands with state-sized voting delegations at their presidential nominating conventions. Delegate selection processes frequently have resulted in presidential primaries being held in Puerto Rico. U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico do not elect U.S. representatives or senators . However, Puerto Rico

4120-484: The Northeast region and in Florida, in the metropolitan areas of New York , Orlando , Philadelphia , Miami , Chicago , Tampa , and Boston , among others. Though, over 95% of Puerto Ricans living outside of Puerto Rico, live in the United States (US states), there is a significant and growing number of Puerto Ricans, mainly from Puerto Rico itself but to a lesser degree stateside Puerto Ricans as well, living outside

4223-571: The Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Aníbal José Torres , who had previously stated that the PPD was the only party that could "face the "monster" of the [PNP]." Nevertheless, early on, the MVC had not made public which individuals would be chosen as future candidates for the 2020 elections, instead concentrating on collecting the close to sixty-thousand signatures needed to become a registered party. Early supporters, who tended to publish

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4326-441: The Puerto Rican deaf population to be between 8,000 and 40,000. Due to ongoing colonization from the US mainland, the larger American Sign Language (ASL) is supplanting the local Puerto Rican Sign Language (PRSL, also known as LSPR: Lenguaje de Señas Puertorriqueño ). Although assumed to be a dialect or variant of ASL, it is currently unknown the degree of mutual intelligibility between Puerto Rican Sign Language nor whether it

4429-420: The Puerto Rican expressed his/her intentions to remain a Spanish subject. Since 1948, it was decided by Congress that all Puerto Ricans, whether born within the United States or in Puerto Rico, were naturally born United States citizens . Puerto Ricans and other U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico cannot vote in presidential elections as that is a right reserved by the U.S. Constitution to admitted states and

4532-492: The Puerto Rican people to take decisions in a sovereign manner, and to address their urgent economic and social needs, including unemployment, marginalization, insolvency and poverty". Puerto Rico has held four referendums to determine whether to retain its status as a territory or to switch to some other status such as statehood. The fourth, the Puerto Rican status referendum, 2012 occurred on November 6, 2012. The result

4635-526: The Puerto Rican populations abroad may be slightly larger as some may be stateside-born and counted as "American" rather than "Puerto Rican" on local government statistics on immigrants. Spanish and English are the official languages of the entire Commonwealth. A 1902 English-only language law was abolished on April 5, 1991. Then on January 28, 1993, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved Law Number 1 again making Spanish and English

4738-429: The Spanish colonial period, there was significant migration from Puerto Rico to Santo Domingo (DR), Cuba, the Virgin Islands, and Venezuela, and vice versa, because migration between neighboring colonies especially under the same European power, was common. Nearly all Puerto Ricans who migrated to these areas during these times, assimilated and intermixed with the local populations. In the early days of US rule, from 1900 to

4841-521: The Spanish province where most Puerto Ricans draw their European ancestry from, being of partial North African blood. Very few self-identified Black Puerto Ricans are of unmixed African ancestry, while a genetically unmixed Amerindian population in Puerto Rico is technically extinct despite a minuscule segment of self-identified Amerindian Puerto Ricans due to a minor Amerindian component in their ancestral mixture. Research data shows that 60% of Puerto Ricans carry maternal lineages of Native American origin and

4944-546: The Spanish spoken elsewhere. While the Spanish spoken in all Iberian, Mediterranean and Atlantic Spanish Maritime Provinces was brought to the island over the centuries, the most profound regional influence on the Spanish spoken in Puerto Rico has been from that spoken in the present-day Canary Islands. The Spanish of Puerto Rico also includes occasional Taíno words, typically in the context of vegetation, natural phenomena or primitive musical instruments. Similarly, words attributed to primarily West African languages were adopted in

5047-529: The Teatro Tapia in Old San Juan on Monday, March 11, 2019, the party was founded. The ceremony, which was moderated by Rivera Lassen, was standing-room only and some people had to be left out. The doors opened at 6:30 p.m., and the queue "extended beyond the sidewalk." Attendees received a document titled "Citizen Victory Urgent Agenda", which included part of the party platform and a summary of

5150-475: The U.S. Census Bureau listed the following groups to constitute "Asian": Asian Indian, Bangladeshi , Bhutanese, Cambodian, Chinese , Filipino, Hmong , Indonesian, Japanese , Korean, Laotian, Malaysian , Nepalese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Thai, Vietnamese , and Other Asian. Though, the largest groups come from China and India . These groups represented 0.1% of the population. People of "Some other race alone" or "Two or more races" constituted 75.3% of

5253-473: The U.S. states have all rights and privileges of other U.S. citizens living in the states. As statutory U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans born in Puerto Rico may enlist in the U.S. military and have been included in the compulsory draft when it has been in effect. Puerto Ricans have fully participated in all U.S. wars and military conflicts since 1898, including World War I , World War II , the Korean War ,

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5356-417: The US northeast started as early as the 1890s; however, it was a very, very small flow at the time. During the 1940s, Puerto Rican desire for independence slowly started to decline while desire for statehood and dependence on the US started rise, due to this more Puerto Ricans started to look at the US more favorably and take full advantage of their US citizenship, huge flows of Puerto Ricans started to arrive in

5459-672: The Union, and the states with the largest populations of Puerto Ricans relative to the national population of Puerto Ricans in the United States at large are the states of New York , Florida , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania , with large populations also in Massachusetts , Connecticut , California , Illinois , and Texas . For 2009, the American Community Survey estimates give a total of 3,859,026 Puerto Ricans classified as "Native" Puerto Ricans. It also gives

5562-666: The United States as a result of the passage of the Jones–Shafroth Act of 1917. Since this law was the result of Congressional legislation, and not the result of an amendment to the United States Constitution , the current U.S. citizenship of Puerto Ricans can be revoked by Congress, as they are statutory citizens , not 14th Amendment citizens . The Jones Act established that Puerto Ricans born prior to 1899 were considered naturalized citizens of Puerto Rico, and anyone born after 1898 were U.S. citizens, unless

5665-797: The United States following its invasion and annexation in the Spanish–American War , 61.8% of the people were identified as White . In the 2020 United States Census the total of Puerto Ricans that self-identified as White was 17.1% or 560,592 out of the 3,285,874 people living in Puerto Rico, down from 75.8% in the 2010 Census, reflecting a change in perceptions of race in Puerto Rico. For every United States census until 2010, most Puerto Ricans self identified as "white". The European ancestry of Puerto Ricans comes primarily from one source: Spaniards (including Canarians , Catalans , Castilians , Galicians , Asturians , Andalusians , and Basques ). The Canarian cultural influence in Puerto Rico

5768-439: The United States, particularly industrial cities in the Northeast and Midwest, coinciding with a strong decline in Puerto Ricans migrating to other countries and even other areas in the US like Baltimore, New Orleans, and Hawaii. From 1940 to 1960, the stateside Puerto Rican population rose from 69,967 to 892,513. In the modern day, there are about 5.9 million Puerto Ricans in the US mainland. Large concentrations can be found in

5871-455: The action counts, not the reaction." At its founding assembly, the party platform stated that the MVC was founded "to attend to three urgent duties of our time:" fighting corruption and restoring Puerto Rico's governmental institutions; promoting social, economic, and fiscal reconstruction; and decolonization of Puerto Rico. MVC also calls for a constitutional assembly to choose a decolonization plan that results in statehood, full independence, or

5974-403: The almost land-locked harbor just to the west of the present San Juan metropolitan area. In 1509, the settlement was abandoned and moved to a site which was called at the time "Puerto Rico" (meaning "rich port" or "good port"), a name that evoked that of a similar geographical harbor in the island of Gran Canaria , Canary Islands . In 1521, the name "San Juan" was added, and the newer settlement

6077-408: The arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, through disease and intermarriage. Many Spaniard men took Taino and West African wives and in the first centuries of the Spanish colonial period the island was overwhelmingly racially mixed. "By 1530 there were 14 native women married to Spaniards, not to mention Spaniards with concubines." Under Spanish rule, mass immigration shifted the ethnic make-up of

6180-518: The assembly, to be held at the Teatro Tapia , owned by the municipal government of San Juan. Yulín Cruz, who had been strongly suspected of her intent to join the MVC, inquired at what time he had stated that and if he was in an drunken state. Additionally, she confirmed that she had accepted meetings with the MVC and expressed her support for new political movements, even though she would not be joining them. At an assembly held at 7:00 p.m. in

6283-522: The common colonial Spanish architectural themes of the old city. As with other Operation Bootstrap projects, mainland corporate investors were lured in with tax breaks and other incentives. When a project proposal suggested that the old Carmelite Convent in San Juan be demolished to erect a new hotel, the Institute had the building declared a historic building, and asked that it be converted to a hotel in

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6386-407: The contexts of foods, music or dances. There are many religious beliefs represented in the island. Religious breakdown in Puerto Rico (as of 2006) is given in the table on the right. The majority of Puerto Ricans in the island are Christians . Spiritists have a large secondary following. Muslims , Hindus , Jews , and Buddhists all have a small presence as well. Roman Catholicism has been

6489-584: The demolition of the Capilla del Cristo in favor of a traffic redesign. He advised mayor Rincón de Gautier in having local zoning laws changed to favor remodeling and the incorporation of Spanish colonial motifs in any new construction. This helped preserve the city's architectural profile, and has been a key to San Juan's current status as a tourist destination. Luis Muñoz Marín , as a senator and later as governor of Puerto Rico, supported and implemented what became known as Operation Bootstrap , which included

6592-484: The development of the tourism industry. In 1948 the government invited one of the organizers of Colonial Williamsburg to lead its tourism development efforts. These efforts were further supported by the 1955 creation of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture ( Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña ) head by Alegría. He sought legal and administrative changes that would allow for major remodeling efforts to be successful. At

6695-436: The district. Potential developers were offered sketches of their properties after a remodeling, as to suggest which architectural elements to improve or change. The paradigm to reconstruct and renovate the old city and revitalize it has been followed by other cities in Latin America, particularly Havana , Lima and Cartagena de Indias . The San Juan National Historic Site ( Spanish : Sitio Histórico Nacional de San Juan )

6798-505: The early 20th century, the majority of the people of Puerto Rico feel pride in their Puerto Rican nationality, regardless of the individual's particular racial, ethnic, political, or economic background. Many Puerto Ricans are consciously aware of the rich contribution of all cultures represented on the island. This diversity can be seen in the everyday lifestyle of many Puerto Ricans such as the profound Latin, African, and Taíno influences regarding food, music, dance, and architecture. During

6901-571: The east US Virgin Islands with 7,759, 8.9% of the territory's population, second highest percentage of any US state or territory, after Puerto Rico (95.5%) and before Connecticut (8.0%). There are small numbers of Puerto Ricans in other countries like Canada, Spain, Mexico, United Kingdom, and other countries in Europe and the Caribbean/Latin America. Due to Puerto Rico being a US territory, the vast majority of Puerto Ricans leaving

7004-577: The east end of Puerto Rico, and is connected to the mainland of Puerto Rico by three bridges. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and to the south by San Juan Bay ( Bahia de San Juan )—which lies between the city and the mainland. On a promontory ( morro ) about 100 feet (30 m) high, at the west end of the island and commanding the entrance to the harbor, rise the battlements of Fort San Felipe del Morro , and its lighthouse . The San Antonio Channel ( Caño de San Antonio ) lies to

7107-405: The east side, and the levels of Taino ancestry (which, according to some research, ranges from about 5%-35%) generally highest in the southwest of the island. A study of a sample of 96 healthy self-identified White Puerto Ricans and self-identified Black Puerto Ricans in the U.S. showed that, although all carried a contribution from all 3 ancestral populations (European, African, and Amerindian),

7210-475: The executive mansion for the Governor of Puerto Rico . Many of the historic fortifications are part of San Juan National Historic Site . Old San Juan's land area roughly correlates to the following subbarrios of barrio San Juan Antiguo: Ballajá, Catedral, Marina, Mercado, San Cristóbal, and San Francisco. Old San Juan is the location for one of two transportation hubs serving Metropolitan San Juan. At one time,

7313-682: The founding source populations of Spaniards, Africans, and Tainos, although Spanish ancestry is predominant in a majority of the population. Small amounts of Puerto Ricans may have additional ancestries from other parts of the world. Similar to many other Latin American ethnic groups, Puerto Ricans are multi-generationally mixed race, though most are European dominant in ancestry, Puerto Ricans who are "evenly mixed" can accurately be described " Mulatto ", " Quadroon ", or Tri-racial very similar to mixed populations in Cuba and Dominican Republic. According to

7416-621: The island go to the mainland United States, comprising Puerto Ricans of all income brackets and lifestyles. However, majority of the small number of Puerto Ricans living outside of the United States, including outside of Puerto Rico and other territories, are usually financially well-off and entrepreneurial, owning homes and businesses in the countries they choose to settle in. Statistical counts of Puerto Rican populations in other countries usually only center on ethnic Puerto Ricans born in Puerto Rico. Non-Puerto Ricans born in Puerto Rico and later moving to target country usually wouldn't be included in

7519-589: The island, as a result of the Royal Decree of Graces of 1815. Puerto Rico went from being two-thirds black and mulatto in the beginning of the 19th century, to being nearly 80% white by the middle of the 20th century. This was compounded by more flexible attitudes to race under Spanish rule, as epitomized by the Regla del Sacar . Under Spanish rule, Puerto Rico had laws such as Regla del Sacar or Gracias al Sacar , which allowed persons of mixed ancestry to pay

7622-401: The island. The US Census Bureau's 2015 update provides the following: 94.1% of adults speak Spanish, 5.8% speak only English and little to no Spanish, 78.3% do not speak English "very well", 15.8% are fully bilingual in both English and Spanish, 0.1% speak other languages. Public school instruction in Puerto Rico is conducted almost entirely in Spanish. There have been pilot programs in about

7725-555: The large number of Puerto Rican voters on the mainland. Since 1953, the UN has been considering the political status of Puerto Rico and how to assist it in achieving "independence" or "decolonization." In 1978, the Special Committee determined that a "colonial relationship" existed between the US and Puerto Rico. The UN's Special Committee has referred often to Puerto Rico as a nation in its reports, because, internationally,

7828-400: The latter two originating in the aboriginal people of the Canary Islands and Puerto Rico's pre-Columbian Taíno inhabitants, respectively. The population of Puerto Ricans and descendants is estimated to be between 8 and 10 million worldwide, with most living on the islands of Puerto Rico and in the United States mainland. Within the United States, Puerto Ricans are present in all states of

7931-558: The main Christian denomination among Puerto Ricans since the arrival of the Spanish in the 15th century, but the presence of Protestant , Mormon , Pentecostal , and Jehovah's Witnesses denominations has increased under U.S. sovereignty, making modern Puerto Rico an inter-denominational, multi-religious community. The Afro-Caribbean religion Santería is also practiced. In 1998, a news report stated that "Puerto Rico [was] no longer predominantly Catholic". Pollster Pablo Ramos wrote that

8034-483: The mixed-use commercial and residential real estate in the main street s of Calle Cristo and Calle Fortaleza from Calle Tanca to the Governor’s Mansion is the most valuable in the area and it has kept its value and increased steadily through several years despite the past economic turmoils. Old San Juan is located on a small and narrow island which lies along the north coast, about 35 miles (56 km) from

8137-451: The official languages of Puerto Rico. All official business of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is conducted in English. The official languages of the executive branch of government of Puerto Rico are Spanish and English, with Spanish being the primary language. English is the primary language of less than 10% of the population. Puerto Rican Spanish is the dominant language of business, education and daily life on

8240-425: The old city was evident. The local authorities were considering development proposals for renovating the old city and incorporating modern architecture on new constructions. Anthropologist Ricardo Alegría vehemently advised against the idea of demolishing old colonial buildings in favor of contemporary building designs. He followed the example suggested by his father, a local civic leader who had successfully prevented

8343-563: The party logo generated controversy, due to its similarity to the one used by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela . Afterwards, the social media accounts of people linked, most of whom hailed from the independence and sovereign movements , to the party started replacing the logo on their social media's profile pictures . The announcement of the formation of the party was welcomed by then- Governor of Puerto Rico , Ricardo Rosselló , in stark contrast with then- President of

8446-680: The party logo on their social media as an expression of their endorsement, included Larry Emil Alicea Rodríguez, former-president of the Puerto Rico Professional Social Workers College, lawyer and 2016 PPT candidate for Resident Commissioner Mariana Nogales Molinelli , as well as political sciences professor and author, Manuel S. Almeida. Prior to the constituting assembly, PNP representative Jorge “Georgie” Navarro Alicea , alleged that then- mayor of San Juan , Carmen Yulín Cruz (PPD), "would mobilize municipal resources and employees [that] night" to

8549-467: The people of Puerto Rico are often considered to be a Caribbean nation with their own national identity. Most recently, in a June 2016 report, the Special Committee called for the United States to expedite the process to allow self-determination in Puerto Rico. More specifically, the group called on the United States to expedite a process that would allow the people of Puerto Rico to exercise fully their right to self-determination and independence. ... allow

8652-399: The plan for demolishing the city walls along the eastern side. On May 28, 1897, the wall demolition was officially started after a proclamation was issued by Queen Maria Christina . By the year 1899, the population of Puerta de Tierra had risen to 5,453; while the area comprising the old walled city had a civilian population of roughly 18,103 inhabitants. During the late 1940s, disrepair in

8755-432: The population in the 2020 Census . Although the average Puerto Rican is of mixed-race, few actually identified as multiracial ("two or more races") in the 2010 census; only 3.3% did so. They more often identified with their predominant heritage or phenotype. However, in the 2020 census, the amount of Puerto Ricans identifying as multiracial went up to 49.8% and an additional 25.5% identified as "some other race", showing

8858-432: The population totaled 6000, half of which were soldiers. The garrison town of San Juan included 250 acres of military installations and 62 acres of public and private use. By 1781, the city's fortifications included 376 cannon. By 1876, 24,000 lived inside the walls of San Juan, encompassing 62 acres, and 926 buildings. Prior to the 19th century, the area outside the city walls occupying the east side of Old San Juan Island,

8961-478: The population was 38% Roman Catholic, 28% Pentecostal, and 18% were members of independent churches. However, an Associated Press article in March 2014 stated that "more than 70 percent of [Puerto Ricans] identify themselves as Catholic". The CIA World Factbook reports that 85% of the population of Puerto Rico identifies as Roman Catholic, while 15% identify as Protestant and Other. Puerto Ricans became citizens of

9064-528: The proportions showed significant variation. Depending on individuals, although often correlating with their self-identified race, African ancestry ranged from less than 10% to over 50%, while European ancestry ranged from under 20% to over 80%. Amerindian ancestry showed less fluctuation, generally hovering between 5% and 20% irrespective of self-identified race. The majority of the European ancestry in Puerto Ricans comes from southern Spain, more specifically

9167-401: The purpose of the party. After the ceremony, in which Rivera Lassen and Lúgaro on stage, the leaders of the newly-formed party, which included Bernabe Riefkhol, Natal Albelo, held a press conference, in which Lúgaro rejected the idea of a " wasted vote ," with Rivera Lassen stating that "[a] vote for [MVC] is a vote for the future of Puerto Rico" and Natal Albelo commenting that "in this movement,

9270-404: The southeast, where the island of Old San Juan connects to the mainland through Santurce , by three bridges: Dos Hermanos ( Ashford Avenue ), G. Esteves ( Ponce de León Avenue ) and San Antonio ( Fernández Juncos Avenue ). The city is characterized by its narrow, blue cobblestone streets, and flat-roofed brick and stone buildings, which date back to the 16th and 17th centuries—when Puerto Rico

9373-764: The time, most real estate in Old San Juan had devalued under appraised values because the city was perceived as unsafe (particularly because of building disrepair and social ills such as prostitution ) and not profitable for business (because of rent control statutes, as well as the reluctance of commercial banks to fund remodeling). Under combined efforts by the institute and the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico, "model" remodelings were made to show potential property owners how their renewed properties could look. Strict remodeling codes were implemented to prevent new constructions from affecting

9476-440: The traditions of Spain , and more specifically Andalusia and the Canary Islands . Puerto Rico has also received immigration from other parts of Spain such as Catalonia as well as from other European countries such as France, Ireland, Italy and Germany. Puerto Rico has also been influenced by African culture , with many Puerto Ricans partially descended from Africans, though Afro-Puerto Ricans of unmixed African descent are only

9579-469: The typical Puerto Rican has between 5% and 15% Native American admixture. The Puerto Rico of today has come to form some of its own social customs, cultural matrix, historically rooted traditions, and its own unique pronunciation, vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions within the Spanish language , known as Puerto Rican Spanish . Even after the attempted assimilation of Puerto Rico into the United States in

9682-619: Was a Spanish possession. Near Fort San Felipe del Morro, is the Casa Blanca , a palace built on land which belonged to the family of Ponce de León . In 1508, Juan Ponce de León founded the original settlement, Caparra (named after the Province of Cáceres , Spain , birthplace of the then-governor of Spain's Caribbean territories, Nicolás de Ovando ). The ruins of Caparra are known as the Pueblo Viejo sector of Guaynabo , behind

9785-693: Was a result of an attempt by some minority parties, such as the Movimiento Unión Soberanista (MUS) and the Working People's Party (PPT), political organizations, namely the Hostosian National Independence Movement (MINH), and other prominent political figures, to establish an "ample front", with conversations predating Hurricane Maria . Notable individuals who advocated for its formation were Ana Irma Rivera Lassén , former-president of

9888-455: Was almost uninhabited. In 1838 the so-called area of Puerta de Tierra (or "Land Gate") had a population of 168 residents, mainly of African descent. According to a census made in 1846, the population had risen to 223 inhabitants living in 58 houses. On March 3, 1865, the municipal government of San Juan approved a resolution promoting the city expansion across the Puerta de Tierra which included

9991-486: Was annexed. The oldest parts of the district of Old San Juan remain partly enclosed by massive walls. Several defensive structures and notable forts, such as the Fort San Felipe del Morro , Castle of San Cristóbal , and el Palacio de Santa Catalina (also known as La Fortaleza ), acted as the primary defense of the settlement which has been subjected to numerous attacks. La Fortaleza continues to serve also as

10094-465: Was built between 1533 and 1540, which was followed by the construction of a battery at "the Morro." Plans for the castle portion of San Felipe del Morro were made in 1584. Extensions to the Morro, plus construction of El Cañuelo , and El Boquerón , were made between 1599 and 1609. Circumvallation of the city commenced in 1630 and was concluded by 1641. San Cristobal fort was completed by 1771. By 1776,

10197-488: Was established in 1949 to preserve historic fortifications in Old San Juan and the National Register of Historic Places listed it in 1966. Both that site and La Fortaleza ( English : The Fortress ) were then declared a single World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983. In 1951, the broader area within the old city walls became the first listing of the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones as

10300-496: Was given its formal name of "San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico", following the usual custom of christening the town with both its formal name and the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the islands, honoring John the Baptist . Constructed in 1521, Casa Blanca served as the first fortification of the settlement and residence of Juan Ponce de León descendants, until the mid-eighteenth century. La Fortaleza

10403-480: Was held on June 11, 2017, and offered three options: "Statehood", "Independence/Free Association", and "Current Territorial Status." With 23% of registered voters casting ballots, 97% voted for statehood. Benefits of statehood would include an additional $ 10 billion per year in federal funds, the right to vote in presidential elections, higher Social Security and Medicare benefits, and a right for its government agencies and municipalities to file for bankruptcy. The latter

10506-523: Was the most suitable. This began as a temporary exile which became a permanent relocation and the last significant wave of Spanish or European migration to Puerto Rico. Other sources of European populations are Corsicans , French , Italians , Portuguese (especially Azoreans), Greeks , Germans , Irish , Scots , Maltese , Dutch , English , and Danes . In the 2020 United States Census , 7.0% of people self-identified as Black. Africans were brought by Spanish Conquistadors . The vast majority of

10609-409: Was then designated a National Historic Landmark District in 2013. La Perla (Spanish for the pearl ) is a former shanty town or informal settlement located along the northern section of the historic San Juan city walls. Originally the site of slaughterhouses, the area was later settled by freed slaves and non-white servants in the 18th century. In the 20th century the community grew to become

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