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The Spanish American War and
its Effects on Puerto Rican Migration
1998 is the 100 year anniversary of
the Spanish American War, which, upon its ending with the signing of the Treaty of Paris
on December 10, 1898, resulted in Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Hawaii, and Guam being
ceded to the United States. It is an appropriate time for each and every Puerto Rican
throughout the world, especially in the United States and Puerto Rico, to reflect on how
we have been personally affected by the events that occurred as a result of this war.
As most of you know,
Puerto Rico’s second worst hurricane (San Ciriaco, 1899) left the island economically
devastated and its people suffering. Consequently, Puerto Ricans began migrating to
countries like Santo Domingo, Mexico, and Hawaii (then a U.S. territory), with the hope of
seeking better livelihoods, always thinking and hoping that one day they would return to
their homeland.
The Spanish American
War, however, also had a profound effect on subsequent Puerto Rican migration to the
United States. There was an ever-increasing number of Puerto Ricans on the island feeling
the necessity to migrate shortly after the beginning of the 20th century. Thus, the mass
exodus to the United States began as early as 1900 and continued well into the 1990s.
Today, nearly one half of the more than six million Puerto Ricans worldwide and their
descendants live within the United States as opposed to on the island.
Puerto Rican
sociologist, Dr. Clara E. Rodriguez, in her book entitled The Ethnic Queue in the U.S.:
The Case of Puerto Ricans (1974, San Francisco), made the following observations on the
origins of the historical relationship of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rican migration, and the
United States, when she pointed out that:
"...it is important to present that
from which...Puerto Ricans came in order to better us as a people entering the United
States environment. In this way, with an understanding of the histories and perspectives
of the United States and of Puerto Ricans we will hopefully better understand the effects
of the contact, i.e., the migration."
It has been almost 100
years since the Spanish American War began and ended, and the subsequent Puerto Rican
population figures during this mass migration process to the United States are
overwhelming. For example, Luis Antonio Cardona, in his recent book entitled A History of
Puerto Ricans in the United States of America (1995, Vol. 1, Carreta Press), presents a
demographic chart displaying the Puerto Rican population movement to the United States,
from 1910 through 1990, as follows:
Percent %
Total Born in
Year Total
Increase in
NYC P.R.
1910
1,513
36.6 1,513
1920 11,811
680.6
32.6
11,811
1930 52,774
336.8
52,774
1940 69,967
32.6
87.8
69,967
1950
301,375 330.7
81.6
226,110
1960
887,662 194.5
69.0
615,384
1970
1,429,396
61.0 56.8
783,358
1980 2,013,945
41.0
1990 2,727,754
30.6
In addition to
summarizing the above population migration figures, Mr. Cardona presented the effects this
migration process had on Puerto Ricans arriving into the United States, when he stated the
following, from the Introduction of A History of Puerto Ricans in the United States of
America:
"Toward the end of the 19th
century, there were few Puerto Ricans in New York City. Some were merchant seamen who
traveled between San Juan and American ports. Sons of well to do families who previously
studied in Paris, Madrid, London, and Rome, now came to American universities in New York,
Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago. Many political refugees came to New York."
"By 1910, there were little more than
1,532 Puerto Ricans in New York City; by 1930, 40,000; by 1960, 60,000. The piers of
Brooklyn were the first landing places for the earliest Puerto Rican migrants. They had
spent most of their lives in a relatively homogeneous tropical island. The lifestyle was
highly personal based on one to one contact. They shared common values, with minor social
concerns. Economic, business, religious, and political matters were handled in a relaxed
way...In New York, Puerto Ricans became part of a highly complex industrial
society...."
In the October, 1997
issue of Hispanic Business, an article entitled Puerto Rican Population by County, 1996,
identified the present Puerto Rican population distribution within the United States, by
County, as follows:
"Puerto Ricans living on the mainland
generally are associated with the Empire State. Four of the five counties with more than
100,000 Puerto Ricans are in New York City (the fifth is Chicago’s Cook County). But
new centers are popping up in areas such as San Antonio, Houston, Los Angeles, and
Hawaii."
"Outside the Northeastern U.S., there
are at least 18 counties with 10,000 or more Puerto Ricans. Smaller but growing
pockets—between 1,000 and 10,000—can be found in Southern California, north
Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and Washington State." Therefore, what we have,
continuing to this day, is what has previously been identified as the Puerto Rican
Diaspora (from Historical Perspectives on Puerto Rican Survival in the United States,
1997).
The New York Times, 1898
Following are verbatim
excerpts from articles which were published in The New York Times in 1898, regarding
Puerto Rico and the Spanish American War:
Headline - March 10. Autonomy in Puerto
Rico
"Washington, March 9. Official reports
indicate that the autonomy scheme projected for Puerto Rico has been put into successful
operation. This is interesting mainly because of resemblance between the project and the
plan which it is now sought to put into play in Cuba....the whole population seemed to be
happy over the thought that ‘home rule’ at last had been granted to Puerto
Rico."
Headline - March 20. Puerto Rico May Revolt
"Washington, March 19. In spite of
official and other denials, it is believed that serious troubles for Spain in Puerto Rico
are imminent...the Spanish cruiser Vizcaya, when she leaves Havana will go to Puerto Rico
in order to strengthen the hands of the Government officials there. Puerto Rico has been
the theatre of almost as many disturbances as Cuba itself...."
Headline - April 22. THE WAR HAS COME.
"Spain Refuses to Receive Our
Ultimatum and Gives Passports to Woodford. OUR FLEETS EXPECTING ORDERS TO MOVE. President
to Issue a Call for 100,000 Men to Form the Volunteer Army."
"Washington, April 21. With war at
hand, and the President, Cabinet, departments, and the military forces on land and water
hurrying the imminent strife, Washington is in a fever of excitement. All business except
that of war is paralyzed by the absorbing interest of war. War legislation takes
precedence over everything else in Congress."
Excitement in Washington
"About every flag
owned in Washington has been fluttering to-day in the northwest breeze. War has been
welcomed by this sort of display as if the conflict with Spain was a matter for general
jubilation. Among the flags shown were many with the triangular field of red and the
single white star of the Cuban Republic, thrown out from windows and displayed from
staffs. Bulletin boards have been surrounded by crowds eager to read every line about the
war, the Army, and the fleets."
Headline - April 29. PUERTO RICO TO BE
DEFENDED. Four Spanish Gunboats at San Juan and Harbor - Mines Laid – Martial Law
Enforced.
"ST. THOMAS, West Indies, April 28.
Puerto Rican advices received here to-day say that four Spanish gunboats are at San Juan
de Puerto Rico."
"Marshall law has been proclaimed in
Puerto Rico and it is being enforced in a tyrannical manner. Crowds of people are leaving
for the interior; the capitol is almost deserted by the civilian population; and the roads
leading from San Juan are at present presenting a remarkable appearance. Household goods
in carts, wagons…seen everywhere."
"Arecibo Bay, on the west coast of the
Island, has been planted with torpedoes…There are many spanish volunteers here and on
their way to Puerto Rico."
"Spanish steamers landed at Mayaguez,
seventy miles from San Juan, on Wednesday, a quantity of arms and ammunition, and there
was a similar landing of supplies at San Juan on Tuesday. Besides this, about 5,000 tons
of provisions were landed on San Juan this Sunday past."
"The warehouses of Puerto Rico are to
be full of provisions, and the Spanish authorities say they can stand a siege of two
months. All the coast lights have been ordered to be extinguished. No United States
warships are known to be in the vicinity of Puerto Rico."
For more information
please contact:
La Casa de Puerto Rico
P.O. Box 81982
San Diego, CA 92138
(619) 685-2847
lacasa@inetworld.net
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