The European heritage of Puerto Ricans comes primarily from one source: Spaniards (including Canarians, Catalans, Castilians, Galicians, Asturians, and Andalusians) and Basques. Though, the Canary Islands of Spain has had the most influence on Puerto Rico, and is where most Puerto Ricans can trace their ancestry.
Most have significant ancestry from two or more of the founding source populations of Spaniards, Africans, and Tainos, although Spanish ancestry is predominant in a majority of the population.
Soon after, Puerto Rico became a Spanish colony and remained under Spanish rule for over 400 years. In 1809 the first declarations of independence from Spanish rule occurred, and by the end of the 1800s, Spain had lost all of its New World colonies except Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean region in which inhabitants were Spanish nationals from 1508 until the Spanish–American War in 1898, from which point they derived their nationality from United States law.
Race and Ethnicity
98.7% of the people in Puerto Rico are hispanic (3.21M people). The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Puerto Rico as a share of the total population.
The average Puerto Rican is made up of 12% Native American, 65% West Eurasian (Mediterranean, Northern European and/or Middle Eastern) and 20% Sub-Saharan African DNA, so don't be surprised if your family tells you that their ancestors came from somewhere utterly different to your expectations.
Since most of the original farmers and commoners of Puerto Rico between the 15th and 18th centuries came from Andalusia (Andalucía), the basis for most of Puerto Rican Spanish is Andalusian Spanish (particularly that of Seville) (Sevilla).
Puerto Rico began to produce cattle, sugar cane, coffee and tobacco, which led to the importation of slaves from Africa. As a result, Puerto Rican bloodlines and culture evolved through a mixing of the Spanish, African, and indigenous Taíno and Carib Indian races that shared the island.
The Taínos were governed by Agüeybaná and called the island Borikén (Borinquen) – which means “Land of the Valiant and Noble Lord.” The arrival of the Spaniards in 1493 marked the beginning of the Taíno extinction.
Native Population. Puerto Rico's native Taíno population—whose hunter-gatherer ancestors settled the island more than 1,000 years before the Spanish arrived—called it Borinquén, and referred to themselves as boricua (a term that is still used today).
The short answer: the United States won Puerto Rico in a war. From the landing of Columbus in 1492 until 1898, Puerto Rico was a colony of Spain. In 1898, Spain lost the Spanish-American war and gave Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States.
Representatives of Spain and the United States signed a peace treaty in Paris on December 10, 1898, which established the independence of Cuba, ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States, and allowed the victorious power to purchase the Philippines Islands from Spain for $20 million.
On November 19, 1493, during his second voyage, Christopher Columbus arrived in Puerto Rico. The indigenous Taíno culture dominated the island. The Taíno called the island Borikén (Spanish Boriquen), “the land of the brave lord.” Columbus named the island San Juan Bautista in honor of Saint John the Baptist.
Most of the total population in Puerto Rico identified as 'White and Some Other Race' (38.5%) followed by 'Some Other Race alone' (25.5%) in 2020 compared to a majority of the total population identifying as 'White alone' in both 2000 (80.5%) and 2010 (75.8%).
While some retain substantial amounts of Native American ancestry, others are largely composed of African and/or European ancestry (5–7). Puerto Ricans, for example, harbor between 10 and 15% Native American ancestry; however, it is unclear to what extent this component reflects Taino ancestry.
The Taíno name for Puerto Rico was Boriken. This is why Puerto Rico is now also called Borinquen by Puerto Rican people, and why many Puerto Ricans call themselves Boricua.
The Taíno people populated most of the Caribbean and some adjacent territories during the pre-Columbian era, long before the arrival of Spaniards and others to Puerto Rico.
Taino Descendants of Puerto Rico is associated with Descendants of Puerto Rico's First Nation (DPRFN). DPRFN only accepts Puerto Ricans or descendants of Puerto Ricans who can prove an indigenous heritage to Puerto Rico either through DNA or vital statistics.
The largest contingents of Africans into Puerto Rico came from the Gold Coast (today Ghana), Nigeria and Dahomey, (Guinea Coast). Many were Yoruba, Ashanti, Fon, and Igbo from Nigeria other Bantu areas on the Guinea Coast.
Words like chévere (a colloquial word for something special or 'cool'), food like ñame (mashed yam), and gandules (pigeon peas) are all examples of Puerto Rican expressions with African origins.
Spanish Colonialism
The explorer swiftly claimed the island for Spain and renamed it San Juan Bautista. For 400 years, Puerto Rico was under Spanish colonial rule.
Even though the use of the Taíno language declined under Spanish colonization, Taíno traditions contributed to the everyday life and language development in Puerto Rico. Their food, music, dances, storytelling, and language became a part of Puerto Rican heritage.
In the present day, Spanish and English are both official languages in Puerto Rico. And yet, Puerto Rican language is unique as a result of successive waves of language changes and cultural influences that ensure a hybrid identity.
Puerto Rico has developed a unique version of Spanish. The language was greatly influenced by Puerto Rico's history. Puerto Ricans integrated thousands of Taíno words, adopted some pronunciation habits from African dialects, and incorporated English words or phrases (known as "Spanglish") into the language.