Puerto Rico USA

Juan Gonzalez has described the Latino experience in the United States. One of the important things that he discusses in the demographics of Latino population in the United States, noting that Latinos are going to be a major demographic nationwide by 2050 and that half of all Americans could have Latino ancestry by the end of the century. This is something that is likely to be transformative in terms of culture, and will have a strong influence on the United States.

He discusses, for example, the current influence of Latino-Americans on immigration policy. He notes that there is tremendous resistance in conservative circles in particular to the recognition of the strong influx of Latinos to America, in particular undocumented immigrants, but that this policy is something that affects all Latinos, usually negatively.

Yet, it is also at odds with the overwhelming demographic shift in America, where Latinos are going to have more influence going forward, and it is this that drives a lot of conservative fear, since the influence of older, European paradigms is going to be replaced over the next century with paradigms derived more from Latin American tradition. A lot of what Gonzalez discusses is about other Latino groups, rather than Puerto Ricans specifically. Puerto Ricans as a group are different in terms of their relationship with the United States.

The political difference is evident -- Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, albeit with limited rights. But they do have rights of movement, which is something other Latino groups struggle with. Immigration issues, therefore, as less important to Puerto Ricans in the United States that for other groups. He argues, however, that the migration flows of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. exist because of the needs of The Empire. This is an interesting concept, especially applied to Puerto Ricans.

First, this view discounts the fact that Puerto Ricans emigrate to the United States in part of their own volition, seeking opportunity. They are not fleeing political instability, but economic opportunity. Further, the differences in legal status between Puerto Ricans and other Latinos marks a significant differentiation between them. While there is significant hand-wringing about immigration issues concerning Mexicans -- in particular balancing economic and social considerations of the Empire, immigration policy with respect to Puerto Ricans relates to the island's political status, not the needs of the empire.

It is interesting that Gonzalez, a Puerto Rican who has written extensively on this subject, does not make this distinction. Gonzalez does note that Puerto Rico acts as a bridge between the U.S. And Latin America in many respects. Culturally, the island has strong labor unions, for example, and seeks to be a leader in how unions influence economics and politics in the region, extending this influence both inside the U.S. And around the region (Gonzalez, 2008).

This role as a bridge is something that may play itself out as of significant importance as America becomes more Latino. Not only do Puerto Ricans have a privileged position among Latinos in America, but they are also more familiar with mainstream American culture, in particular its political and economic culture. This creates a unique role for Puerto Rico in shaping and defining the integration of Latinos into American culture as they move towards becoming the dominant cultural entity.

It is worth remembering that in many respects, Puerto Rico is more Latin than American. It is more socialist in nature, but its economy is similar. The island's trade is U.S.-dependent. Puerto Rican immigrants to the United States have formed communities similar to those of other immigrant groups, Gonzalez notes, though the patterns of immigration are different. However, they play much the same role in the economy of the island, as their remittances form a significant part of the island's economy, which would otherwise be fairly weak.

This is a form of economic empire, Gonzalez notes. One thing that comes out of Gonzalez's work is the idea of how as America is transformed into a Latin country, it will become increasingly able to readjust how it deals with the "colonies" of its Empire that exist in Latin America. The past attitudes are still embedded, in particular in conservative politics, but there are elements of shift already, particularly in more liberal politics.

The shift will be greater over time, as people of Mexican or Dominican or Guatemalan or Puerto Rican descent are able to move into positions of higher power in the United States. This will represent a completely different outlook on the Latin American region at the highest levels of the U.S. government and industry, something that has the potential to be transformative for the entire region. I would be curious to see where these ideas go. Gonzalez certainly has.