Racial Disparities in Puerto Rican Law-Making as a Result of the Americanized Census
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v12i3.4873Keywords:
Puerto Rico, Inequality, Race, Census, AmericanizationAbstract
The island of Puerto Rico is characterized not only by its tropical landscapes but also by its extensive history of “mestizaje” and welcoming nature, regardless of race and ethnicity. However, the apparent lack of racial prejudice in its culture is contradicted by the recent increase in racial inequality throughout the island's municipalities. Such racial and ethnic inequalities in Puerto Rico result from the lack of government institutions, tools, and models specifically designed for the island's complex national identity. In particular, implementing the census and its Americanized view on race has further increased inequality among racial minorities in Puerto Rico. Despite the U.S. government's attempts to broaden the census' scope of racial understanding, many of the island's inhabitants remain disadvantaged and unacknowledged by a system that cannot accurately identify their needs, perpetuating the cycle of governmental inaction through inaccurate data regarding Puerto Rican's racial composition.
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