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Old 02-12-2016, 10:11 AM
 
218 posts, read 339,598 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by homenj View Post
I have always been fascinated by how many Puerto Ricans in New Jersey have held on to their heritage at the same time assimilating to their home culture. As other ethnic groups in the past and continue to be doing. But it makes me wonder if Puerto Ricans are finally accepted into the mainstream culture considering the fact that they were here since the 1950s as the oldest Hispanic group. Any input?
"American" does NOT equal "white". I dont know if you know this, but the United States was NEVER a all-white country, never has been never will be. Yes, it has white majority since like the 1800s but thats steadily declining.



Quote:
Originally Posted by jwolfer View Post
Some one from Germany may not speak English well, is that person non white as well?

Puerto Rico despite your prejudices has one of the highest percentages of European ancestry in the Caribbean, if someone from PR is of European ancestry they would European features.

You are not alone in your misconception of Puerto Ricans all being dark complected. My friend from Puerto Rico was an exchange student in England when she was in High school. Her host family in England did not expect her to be white, because in their mind everyone from the West Indies is black, think Jamaica. She has red hair and freckles thanks to a grandfather from Germany and a great Grandmother from Ireland as well as her European heritage from Spain.
That doesnt mean most people in Puerto Rico are white/European. It just means the other islands are "blacker". Yes, most people in Puerto Rico SELF-IDENTIFY as "white", but majority of Puerto Ricans are racially mixed to varying degrees, and not only of European ancestry.

No where in America, except in Puerto Rico itself, are most Puerto Ricans considered white. Most people see them as "Hispanic/Latino", which means non-white/non-black in American society, which is kinda true since most Puerto Ricans are mixed anyway. The US one drop rule would make alot of Puerto Ricans be seen a black Hispanic group by non-Hispanics in the US, but many people in Puerto Rico follow the opposite of that (Mulattos and Tri-racials identify as white), which has alot to do with Puerto Rican history and Spaniard rule. For example, people like Beyonce or Chris Brown are considered black in US mainland, but would be considered white in Puerto Rico.


Aside from race, as far as being socio-economically and financially on par with whites, living well-off, and not living in ghettos. Go to most of Florida, Texas, Virginia, and North Carolina, NYC suburbs and certain parts of NJ and Connecticut, Upstate New York and Southeast Pennsylvania, Philly suburbs and Delaware, Boston suburbs and Rhode Island, DC/Baltimore suburbs, Chicago suburbs, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Not all Puerto Ricans live ghettos, some are just as well-off as whites, ESPECIALLY in Central Florida in the Orlando and Tampa metropolitan areas, there you can find whole sections dominated by well-off Puerto Rican families almost like black Atlanta or cuban Miami

Last edited by phillydominican; 02-12-2016 at 10:36 AM..
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Old 02-12-2016, 11:23 AM
 
1,278 posts, read 1,240,169 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwolfer View Post
Some one from Germany may not speak English well, is that person non white as well?

Puerto Rico despite your prejudices has one of the highest percentages of European ancestry in the Caribbean, if someone from PR is of European ancestry they would European features.

You are not alone in your misconception of Puerto Ricans all being dark complected. My friend from Puerto Rico was an exchange student in England when she was in High school. Her host family in England did not expect her to be white, because in their mind everyone from the West Indies is black, think Jamaica. She has red hair and freckles thanks to a grandfather from Germany and a great Grandmother from Ireland as well as her European heritage from Spain.
that isn't true.. a totally caucasian puerto rican is the minority. you are comparing say a 5% caucasian puerto rico to a <0.01% caucasian jamaica, st. lucia, barbados, etc.. yes, there are more in PR, but still a small minority out of the entire population.

i've travelled and done business in puerto rico.. the vast working and middle class is a mixed heritage, as i wrote of mixed hispanic/black and mulatto stock.. there are european genes in puerto ricans but it's mixed in via mulatto.. there ARE caucasian skewed skin color in puerto rico, but from my experience, they were the minority, and mostly in the ruling class.
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Old 02-13-2016, 01:59 PM
 
1,551 posts, read 2,426,550 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phillydominican View Post
"American" does NOT equal "white". I dont know if you know this, but the United States was NEVER a all-white country, never has been never will be. Yes, it has white majority since like the 1800s but thats steadily declining.





That doesnt mean most people in Puerto Rico are white/European. It just means the other islands are "blacker". Yes, most people in Puerto Rico SELF-IDENTIFY as "white", but majority of Puerto Ricans are racially mixed to varying degrees, and not only of European ancestry.

No where in America, except in Puerto Rico itself, are most Puerto Ricans considered white. Most people see them as "Hispanic/Latino", which means non-white/non-black in American society, which is kinda true since most Puerto Ricans are mixed anyway. The US one drop rule would make alot of Puerto Ricans be seen a black Hispanic group by non-Hispanics in the US, but many people in Puerto Rico follow the opposite of that (Mulattos and Tri-racials identify as white), which has alot to do with Puerto Rican history and Spaniard rule. For example, people like Beyonce or Chris Brown are considered black in US mainland, but would be considered white in Puerto Rico.


Aside from race, as far as being socio-economically and financially on par with whites, living well-off, and not living in ghettos. Go to most of Florida, Texas, Virginia, and North Carolina, NYC suburbs and certain parts of NJ and Connecticut, Upstate New York and Southeast Pennsylvania, Philly suburbs and Delaware, Boston suburbs and Rhode Island, DC/Baltimore suburbs, Chicago suburbs, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Not all Puerto Ricans live ghettos, some are just as well-off as whites, ESPECIALLY in Central Florida in the Orlando and Tampa metropolitan areas, there you can find whole sections dominated by well-off Puerto Rican families almost like black Atlanta or cuban Miami
I never said ALL Americans were white. I think you misread what I was saying. I am just asking if Puerto Ricans were becoming "white" or maybe I should have said mainstream, just like the Irish and the Italians were not "white" but then became "white."
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Old 02-13-2016, 04:44 PM
 
218 posts, read 339,598 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by homenj View Post
I never said ALL Americans were white. I think you misread what I was saying. I am just asking if Puerto Ricans were becoming "white" or maybe I should have said mainstream, just like the Irish and the Italians were not "white" but then became "white."
Welll mainstream American does not equal white. Maybe you've seen a few white Puerto Ricans and thought they all looked like that, almost like Italians or Irish ppl, but I've got news for u most Puerto Ricans are not white but mixed, ofcoarse you've got some who are white (like 30%) and some who are black (like 10%), but well over half of them are mixed (Mulattos/Tri-racials/Triquenos/Quadroons or whatever tf u wanna call it) , most of them resemble a slightly lighter version of the average Dominican, a mulatto with more European ancestry then African, and a slight touch of Native.
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Old 02-13-2016, 04:53 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by homenj View Post
I never said ALL Americans were white. I think you misread what I was saying. I am just asking if Puerto Ricans were becoming "white" or maybe I should have said mainstream, just like the Irish and the Italians were not "white" but then became "white."
I get what you're saying. People don't remember that those groups were not always considered white. It doesn't necessarily mean skin tone.
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Old 02-13-2016, 04:54 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
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Originally Posted by phillydominican View Post
Welll mainstream American does not equal white. Maybe you've seen a few white Puerto Ricans and thought they all looked like that, almost like Italians or Irish ppl, but I've got news for u most Puerto Ricans are not white but mixed, ofcoarse you've got some who are white (like 30%) and some who are black (like 10%), but well over half of them are mixed (Mulattos/Tri-racials/Triquenos/Quadroons or whatever tf u wanna call it) , most of them resemble a slightly lighter version of the average Dominican, a mulatto with more European ancestry then African, and a slight touch of Native.
You are completely missing his point.
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Old 02-13-2016, 05:10 PM
 
1,551 posts, read 2,426,550 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801 View Post
I get what you're saying. People don't remember that those groups were not always considered white. It doesn't necessarily mean skin tone.
That is true. The definition of "white" changes over time. By the 2040s, nonwhites will be the majority. It could be that instead of whites being the minority we will just include certain groups into the "white" category. I remember someone telling me that at one time in Spain, Catholics were considered "white" regardless of skin color.
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Old 02-13-2016, 05:24 PM
 
218 posts, read 339,598 times
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A white person is a person with white skin and facial features, and whose mostly or only has ancestral origins in Europe. Its a race, not some type of club you can accept and deny who ever you want. If Puerto Ricans are "declared" white, when racially there not really white but of mixed background, then who's next? Mexicans, Chinese, and Black Americans?
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Old 02-13-2016, 06:58 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
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Quote:
Originally Posted by homenj View Post
That is true. The definition of "white" changes over time. By the 2040s, nonwhites will be the majority. It could be that instead of whites being the minority we will just include certain groups into the "white" category. I remember someone telling me that at one time in Spain, Catholics were considered "white" regardless of skin color.
When my father was growing up in the 20s and 30s, Italians, most of whom were recent immigrants, were not considered white. They lived in the "colored" section of Paterson with black people.

I watched a documentary on the people of Thule, Greenland, the northernmost people on the planet, related to the Inuit. During the winter, Admiral Peary and his assistant Matthew Henson lived with them. Both left children behind, and descendants of Peary were interviewed in the documentary. They said, "we are partly white people, and over in the next village you can see some who are the other kind of white people, the black ones"--Henson's descendants.
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Old 02-13-2016, 06:59 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,119 posts, read 83,978,350 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phillydominican View Post
A white person is a person with white skin and facial features, and whose mostly or only has ancestral origins in Europe. Its a race, not some type of club you can accept and deny who ever you want. If Puerto Ricans are "declared" white, when racially there not really white but of mixed background, then who's next? Mexicans, Chinese, and Black Americans?
I think you're a bit too literal-minded for this conversation.
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