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"Acquired by the United States from Spain in 1898, Puerto Rico has a peculiar status among Latin American and Caribbean countries. As a Commonwealth, the island enjoys limited autonomy over local matters, but the U.S. has dominated it militarily, politically, and economically for much of its recent history. Though they are U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans do not have their own voting representatives in Congress and cannot vote in presidential elections (although they are able to participate in the primaries). The island's status is a topic of perennial debate, both within and beyond its shores. In recent months its colossal public debt has sparked an economic crisis that has catapulted it onto the national stage and intensified the exodus to the U.S., bringing to the fore many of the unresolved remnants of its colonial history. Puerto Rico : What Everyone Needs to Know provides a succinct, authoritative introduction to the Island's rich history, culture, politics, and economy. The book begins with a historical overview of Puerto Rico during the Spanish colonial period (1493-1898). It then focuses on the first five decades of the U.S. colonial regime, particularly its efforts to control local, political, and economic institutions as well as to 'Americanize' the Island's culture and language. Jorge Duany delves into the demographic, economic, political, and cultural features of contemporary Puerto Rico--the inner workings of the Commonwealth government and the island's relationship to the United States. Lastly, the book explores the massive population displacement that has characterized Puerto Rico since the mid-20th century. Despite their ongoing colonial dilemma, Jorge Duany argues that Puerto Ricans display a strong national identity as a Spanish-speaking, Afro-Hispanic-Caribbean nation. While a popular tourist destination, few beyond its shores are familiar with its complex history and diverse culture. Duany takes on the task of educating readers on the most important facets of the unique, troubled, but much beloved Isla del Encanto"--

Cover -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Introduction: Crossing Borders and Boundaries in the Hispanic Caribbean -- CHAPTER ONE: Rethinking Transnationalism: Conceptual, Theoretical, and Practical Problems -- CHAPTER TWO: In the Entrails of the Monster: A Historical Overview of Hispanic Caribbean Migration to the United States -- CHAPTER THREE: The Contemporary Hispanic Caribbean Diasporas: A Comparative Approach -- CHAPTER FOUR: A Transnational Colonial Migration: Puerto Rico's Farm Labor Program -- CHAPTER FIVE: The Orlando Ricans: Overlapping Identity Discourses among Middle-Class Puerto Rican Immigrants -- CHAPTER SIX: Revisiting the Exception: The Cuban Diaspora from a Transnational Perspective -- CHAPTER SEVEN: Beyond the Rafters: Recent Trends and Projections in Cuban Migration -- CHAPTER EIGHT: Los Países Transnational Migration from the Dominican Republic -- CHAPTER NINE: The Dominican Diaspora to Puerto Rico: A Transnational Perspective -- CHAPTER TEN: Transnational Crossroads: The Circulation of People and Money in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic -- Conclusion: How Do Borders Blur? -- Notes -- Works Cited -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y -- Z

"In this comprehensive comparative study, Jorge Duany explores how migrants to the United States from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico maintain multiple ties to their countries of origin. Chronicling these diasporas from the end of World War II to the present, Duany argues that each sending country's relationship to the United States shapes the transnational experience for each migrant group, from legal status and migratory patterns to work activities and the connections migrants retain with their home countries. Blending extensive ethnographic, archival, and survey research, Duany proposes that contemporary migration challenges the traditional concept of the nation-state. Increasing numbers of immigrants and their descendents lead what Duany calls 'bifocal; lives, bridging two or more states, markets, languages, and cultures throughout their lives. Even as nations attempt to draw their boundaries more clearly, the ceaseless movement of transnational migrants, Duany argues, requires the rethinking of conventional equations between birthplace and residence, identity and citizenship, borders and boundaries."--Provided by publisher.

Cuban Americans will likely be one of the key social actors in the reconstruction of the Cuban economy a􀈻ter the restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States. They are already sending large sums of money, purchasing goods, transferring technology, and consuming services in the private sector of the Cuban economy. The role of Cuban-American remittances could be even more significant in the near future as sources of funding for independent business growth on the Island. However, in order to maximize the potential contribution of Cuban Americans to the Cuban economy, substantial changes in the laws and regulations established by both the Cuban and U.S. governments are necessary.