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Title: Becoming Ghosts: The Public Veiling of Puerto Ricans in New York City

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 2017

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Abstract: In recent years Puerto Ricans in New York City have become difficult to locate in the public realm. This is a paradox given that Puerto Ricans make up the largest Hispanic subgroup in the larger metropolitan region. This study examines how, when, and why Puerto Ricans became publicly invisible in New York City. Through content analysis of archival newspapers, interviews with local politicians’ offices and local residents, analysis of demographic data, and ethnographic fieldwork in historically Puerto Rican neighborhoods in the 2012-2013 academic year, I examine the impact of changes in local demography, media, politics, and culture on the public identity of Puerto Ricans in New York City. With respect to demography, the Puerto Rican has become increasingly dispersed throughout the region, as well as increasingly dispersed among other Latinos. The result is that Puerto Rican concentration has lessened in historically Puerto Rican neighborhoods, contributing to declining visibility. What has not changed, however, is the high poverty rate, the low labor force participation, the low median income, and the low levels of educational attainment that many local Puerto Ricans continue to face. In the media, local news reports about Puerto Ricans have dwindled, and in their place, news reports about Hispanics have flourished. This phenomenon is present in both the English language and Spanish language news. The New York Times and El Diario La Prensa have both shifted their lenses away from local Puerto Ricans, a shift that began in earnest in the 1970s. As one of the primary means of public visibility, local media has also contributed to Puerto Rican public invisibility. In the political realm, Puerto Ricans make up the majority of local Hispanic politicians, and tend to focus on issues that Puerto Ricans do not face. For example, many Puerto Rican politicians are quite passionate about policies related to Hispanic immigration, a process that Puerto Ricans are not subject to. In contrast, the issues that Puerto Ricans face, such as high poverty rates, low labor force participation, and comparatively low median incomes amongst local Hispanics, are rarely a public topic of political discussion. This trend largely began in the 2000s. This combined with the increase in Hispanic local news coverage means that the gains made amongst Puerto Rican politicians in recent decades has been largely ignored. Both of these political developments have contributed to Puerto Rican invisibility. Lastly, Puerto Ricans have become far less visible in the cultural realm. Salsa music, as perhaps one of the most visible Puerto Rican cultural objects in the U.S., is one example of how Puerto Ricans have become culturally invisible. The musical genre was never institutionalized, music marketers have since moved on to promote more pop versions of “Latin” music, and prominent Puerto Rican artists have denied any kinds of ownership of the genre. In sum, demographic, media-based, political, and cultural changes have all contributed to the decline in Puerto Rican ethnic visibility. The consequence is that although Puerto Ricans continue to be racialized (as evidenced by their socioeconomic indicators), their racialization cannot be seen in the public realm. Instead, Hispanic characteristics are highlighted in public discourse. The subsuming of Puerto Ricans into the quasi-racial Hispanic category means that their ethnic specificity is muted. This story of invisibility is not a story of assimilation, it is a story of racialization.

Url: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3113&context=gc_etds

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Authors: Saghera, Samantha, P

Institution: The Graduate Center, City University of New York

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Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

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Pages: 293

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Other, Race and Ethnicity

Countries: United States