Section 5

The New Great Migration

Tracking Puerto Ricans’ migration patterns: who is migrating, their motivations for leaving, and how they are characterized by others.

Puerto Ricans’ migration patterns

have been greatly affected by the debt crisis. Seeking employment, they are typically blue-collar workers and people who have not completed a college degree. These migrants’ primary destination is Florida, where due to the massive influx of the Puerto Rican population, they often face many difficulties finding jobs and housing. The shooting at Pulse represents another crucial dampening of the idea that Puerto Ricans can find better living conditions abroad. One subsection is dedicated to contextualizing this tragedy and explaining how mainstream news invisibilized both the queer community and the large presence of Puerto Ricans among the dead.

Regardless, the new wave of migration continues, and it provoked a campaign that attempts to motivate people to stay on the Island and to believe in Puerto Rico’s capacity to move forward. This campaign uses the slogan “Yo no me quito.” However, many authors problematize this message: they explain that it stigmatizes those who decided to form part of the diaspora and disregards their resistance.

While so many Puerto Ricans leave, there are tax incentives in place to lure millionaires to the Island. These tax breaks operate under the idea that wealthy financiers will improve the economy. Furthermore, the large quantity of abandoned houses has become attractive for foreigners seeking beach front properties and second homes.

“Huyendo:” Fleeing Crisis

Richard Luscombe, “Puerto Rico’s economic migrants escape to US mainland in search of stability,” The Guardian, December 7, 2015.

This article describes the large wave of Puerto Rican migration to Florida, which took place between 2010 and 2015. There has always been a steady migration of Puerto Ricans to Florida; however, since the debt crisis erupted, there has been a massive surge. This new wave includes economic migrants from different social classes, who are trying to escape unemployment and the looming debt crisis. The growing demands of space and resources for this new population is increasingly felt in Florida.

Kate Kilpatrick, “Job migration the new ‘normal’ for all professions in Puerto Rico,” Aljazeera America, August 3, 2015.

Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate is 12 percent, more than double the mainland’s. This article describes the large percentage of people who are leaving the Island in order to seek employment. These migrants are not the most highly educated; the majority consists of blue-collar workers and Puerto Ricans who have less than a college degree.

Melissa Fernández Arrigoitía, “The rise of Puerto Rico’s ‘crisis-citizen,’” Open Democracy, August 26, 2015.

This article provides an overview of the origins of Puerto Rico’s debt crisis, focusing on the debates that emerged regarding its political status. While crisis can be a catalyst for transformation, it can also be surrounded by a discourse that reproduces societal divisions in the name of change. The author explains the different ways in which those who stay (and “make the most of a bad situation”) and those who leave (because “they have no other choice”) are characterized, and how this characterization reflects traditional and gendered arguments concerning loyalty and sacrifice to family and nation. Moreover, the author clarifies that both decisions are bound to a neoliberal capitalist ethos: both have to do with personal economic effort.

Zahaira Cruz Aponte, “Migración boricua: ¿fuga de cerebros o de familias pobres?,” Diálogo, March 17, 2017.

This article analyzes recent data about Puerto Rican migration to the United States, which steadily increases each year. The author explains that, although more and more professionals are moving to the mainland, currently only 23% percent of those migrants possess university degrees. The author also describes other details about the immigrants’ profile, such as their age, income, and gender. Furthermore, the author takes into consideration those Puerto Ricans who return to the Island.

Harry Franqui-Rivera, “Too Many Of Puerto Rico’s Veterans Are Moving Away,” NBC News, May 28, 2017

This article describes the participation of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. military service in order to, ultimately, illustrate how the veterans have been negatively affected as the Island undergoes a debt crisis. Even though Puerto Ricans continue to enroll, the Island-based veteran population does not increase—many, especially the youth, choose to live in the mainland. This exodus will depend on the Island’s crisis because the military population has typically been instrumental to the Island’s socio-economic well-being.

Harry Franqui-Rivera, “What the Wall Street Journal Got Wrong About Puerto Rican ‘Refugees,’” The Huffington Post, May 6, 2016.

This article condemns the tone of the referenced Wall Street Journal and its offensive implication that Puerto Ricans are refugees, and like all refugees, they go to the United States to live off of welfare and vote in elections to skew results in favor of one party or another. Using the term “refugees” to refer to Puerto Ricans escaping the danger and insecurity of living on the island to move to the U.S imply that Puerto Ricans are foreigners. And while this may be offensive, it does reflect how Puerto Ricans are treated in the U.S, despite the fact that they are citizens. This treatment stems from the uncertainty surrounding the Islanders due to many Supreme Court cases stating that full constitutional rights do not apply to all places under the U.S’s control. Puerto Ricans escaping the devastation of Maria can, therefore, be considered domestic refugees.

PRIMARY SOURCES AND MULTIMEDIA:

D’vera Cohn, Eileen Patten, and Mark Hugo Lopez, “Puerto Rican Population Declines on Island, Grows on U.S. Mainland,” Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends, August 11, 2014.

“Puerto Ricans in the United States, 2014,” data sheet produced by the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (2016).

“Maleta and Go: La llegada,” video produced by El Nuevo Día (2016).

“Maleta and Go: ¿Regresar a Puerto Rico?,” video produced by El Nuevo Día (2016).

FURTHER READING:

Ricardo Cortés Chico, “Population decline underestimated,” El Nuevo Día, April 16, 2017.

Jens Manuel Krogstad, “Historic Population Losses continue across Puerto Rico,” Pew Research Center, March 24, 2016.

“Se deshabita Puerto Rico de forma acelerada,” El Nuevo Día, January 4, 2016.

Ricardo Cortés Chico, “The intention to emigrate is decreasing,” El Nuevo Día, June 6, 2017 (Spanish version: “Los boricuas consideran cada vez menos abandonar la Isla”).

#YoNoMeQuito: to stay or to go?

Jacquellena Carrero, “#YoNoMeQuito Movement Aims To Inspire, Uplift Puerto Ricans,” NBC News, May 12, 2016.

This article describes the origins and purpose of the #YoNoMeQuito movement in Puerto Rico. Carlos López-Lay, a founder of the movement, explains the need to motivate Puerto Ricans to move forward, particularly in the context of the financial crisis and the Zika outbreak. López-Lay’s idea, which emerged from his efforts to motivate his employees, has spread across the Island and Facebook. One of the campaign’s goals is to reduce, by means of positive messages, the exile and “brain drain” experienced by the Island.

“La campaña publicitaria que divide a Puerto Rico,” Univision, February 23, 2016.

The #YoNoMeQuito campaign has caused a lot of debate amongst Puerto Ricans residing on the Island and those living abroad. This article describes the different sides of the debate. Primarily, many felt that this hashtag was a criticism directed towards those that form part of the diaspora. Even though the #YoNoMeQuito website makes no clear statement about the diaspora, the article discusses how the aesthetic of the campaign’s sign clearly reflects this message with its harsh white letters and black background, along with the Puerto Rican flag next to it.

“La violencia del YO NO ME QUITO,” Mi Puerto Rico Verde, January 9, 2016.

In this opinion column, the author describes diverse analyses put forth about a protest against the Fiscal Oversight Board: students who participated in the protest were accused of stealing the Pell grant, and of being lazy and violent. The author situates this “violence” in the context of the violence from which Puerto Rico suffers, enacted by the government and the Fiscal Oversight Board. Moreover, the author explains that, if the “Yo No Me Quito” campaign provides a sense of pride to those who stayed, it is not because they conformed, but rather because they chose to fight and defend themselves.

Xavier Montalvo, “Entre ‘quitaos’ y ‘quedaos,’” QiiBo, February, 24, 2016.

The #YoNoMeQuito campaign has caused much discord between the Puerto Ricans who live on the Island and those who live abroad, even resulting in another hashtag—#YoSiMeQuito. This opinion piece, written by a “quitao,” (someone who “gave up” and, in this case, left Puerto Rico) describes the shortcomings of the original campaign, which has caused what he describes as a nonsensical and ignorant war between the two factions. Instead of motivating Puerto Ricans, the campaign has provoked conflict.

Miguel Alvelo Rivera, “Soy Diáspora y #YoTampocoMeQuito,” Chicago Boricua Resistance, September 11, 2016.

This blog post, which combines personal anecdote and political criticism, responds to the #YoNoMeQuito campaign, explaining how it has stigmatized the Puerto Ricans who have left the Island, and simplified their reasons for deciding to migrate. Moreover, the author argues that the campaign creates a false idea that the only locus for resistance and protest is within the Island. The Puerto Rican diaspora also has the ability and desire to influence the future of the nation.

PRIMARY SOURCES AND MULTIMEDIA:

“Creador de #YoNoMeQuito reacciona a críticas,” Univision, February 29, 2016.

Insecurity Follows: The Other Side of Florida

Lizette Alvarez, “Puerto Ricans Seeking New Lives Put Stamp on Central Florida,” New York Times, August 24, 2015.

There will soon be more Puerto Ricans living in Florida than in New York. This article discusses this wave, which has been occurring for several years, and consists of Puerto Ricans migrating to Florida due to the economic crisis on the Island, as well as Puerto Ricans moving to Florida from other U.S. states. These migrations are transforming Florida in many ways: this article provides an overview of some political, social, and economic implications.

Gerardo Cordero, “Lejos del paraíso la migración,” El Nuevo Día, June 1, 2015.

This article provides the perspective of community leaders in Florida, who are concerned about the increase of the Puerto Rican population in that region. They explain that many of those who arrive in Florida face numerous unexpected struggles. For instance, they have difficulty finding jobs, sometimes because the available jobs require fluency in English. In addition, they are forced to live in shelters due to the large waitlist for low income households. These community leaders insist that Puerto Ricans become fully oriented before deciding to migrate.

Monivette Cordero “Puerto Rican financial crisis drives migration to Central Florida,” Orlando Weekly, July 15, 2015.

This article discusses how Orlando, and Central Florida in general, have become the main targets of Puerto Rican migration, surpassing all other locales. Yet, Puerto Ricans have diverse difficulties once they arrive in the mainland, and Florida’s regional Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration office struggles to help all recent arrivals. For instance, the available jobs require fluency in English and there are not enough rental properties available. Nonetheless, many Puerto Rican migrants are still relieved to escape the Island’s expensive cost of living and lack of opportunities.

Melvin Felix, “Disney hardships: Puerto Ricans living in overcrowded motels in Orlando,”Univision, May 04, 2016.

Many of the Puerto Ricans who migrate to Florida, escaping the economic crisis on the Island, find that they must confront other types of problems on the mainland. This article focuses on the problem of housing, which has forced many Puerto Rican migrants to live in motels. Acquiring a home depends on a series of requirements: a good credit history, cash to cover housing costs, a salary that is three times the rent, and a background check, among others. One person interviewed for the article explains that Puerto Ricans are not sufficiently informed nor prepared for the reality that they face in Florida.

Benjamín Torres Gotay, “La otra cara de Florida,” El Nuevo Día, August 21, 2016.

Many Puerto Ricans who migrated to Florida in search of better opportunities have been extremely disappointed with the struggles they have encountered. This article outlines the ways in which the demand of resources has affected Florida, such as rent prices incrementing, government services becoming insufficient, schools becoming overpopulated, and the lack of Spanish-speaking teachers for the Puerto Rican youth immigrants. Furthermore, the article describes the population that has been most affected: those without formal education, those who do not have savings, and those who arrive without an established job.

VIDEO: “Boricuas narran pesadilla tras ser engañados” Telemundo.PR, June 13, 2017.

This short clip from Telemundo shows the illegal employment practices of the company, Joint Alliance Staffing, that promised to bring over 150 Puerto Ricans to South Carolina, and provide them with housing and an adequate paycheck. This company many Puerto Ricans and left them without homes as the company owed a debt to the hotels that were supposed to house them. Additionally, many worked 40+ hour work weeks and only received $20 paychecks.

FURTHER READING:

REPORT: Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College “Puerto Ricans in Florida, the United States, and Puerto Rico, 2014” Centro DS2016US-4 April 2016.

REPORT: National Council of La Raza “Opportunity in the Sunshine State: Characteristics of Recent Movers From Puerto Rico to Florida” (written by Hector Cordero) July 23, 2016.

Jorge Duany and Patricia Silver, Puerto Rican Florida, special issue of Centro: Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, (2010).

Queer Migration and the Pulse Shooting

Lizette Alvarez and Nick Madigan, “In the Dead in Orlando, Puerto Ricans Hear a Roll Call of Their Kin,” New York Times, June 14, 2016.

The massacre at Pulse was deeply felt in the Puerto Rican community in Orlando; 90% of the 49 victims were Hispanic or of Hispanic descent and, of those, 23 were Puerto Rican. This article describes the contradiction that these killings expose: many Puerto Ricans left the Island to look for more opportunities and to escape criminality, only to die violent deaths abroad. This tragedy, however, has led to the unity of the Puerto Rican community, both on the Island and in Florida, in order to honor the dead.

Javier Arbona, “Queer Boricua Geopolitics and the Pulse Shooting,” June 25, 2016.

In this blog post, the author describes different aspects that he considers to be missing from reflections on the Pulse massacre. For instance, the author focuses on the large presence of Puerto Ricans among the dead, and the role of Boricuas in queer and LGBT circles, generally. Moreover, the presence of Puerto Ricans in Orlando must be contextualized through colonization, imperialism and, specifically, the recent imposition of the Fiscal Control Board. Another aspect theorized by the author is the queer geopolitical subjectivity of those attacked at Pulse and how Islamophobia can become wrapped up into Latinx identity representations.

Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes, “Queer Puerto Ricans and the Burden of Violence,” Latino USA, June 21, 2016.

In this opinion column, the author contextualized lesbian, gay, and trans activism in Puerto Rico, the United States, and in Latin America in order reflect on the way in which these communities are currently viewed in the United States. On the mainland, Puerto Rican or Latina/o queer people are often invisibilized, misunderstood, or victims of prejudices and aggression. The author condemns how the mainstream news sources have ignored or minimized many important facts about the massacre that occurred in Pulse, such as: (1) 23 of the 49 persons killed by Omar Mateen were Puerto Rican, (2) 90% of those killed were Latinas/os and primarily LGBT Latinas/os, (3) most of them were very young and belonged to the working class, etc.

Steven W. Thrasher, “LGBT people of color refuse to be erased after Orlando: ‘We have to elbow in,’” The Guardian, June 18, 2016.

Although no reporter covered it, the Parliament House remembered and honored those who died at Pulse. After Pulse’s closing, the Parliament House became the biggest queer gathering place in Orlando and, on Hip-Hop night, which attracts many gay people of color, they welcomed staff from Pulse on stage. The author of this article condemns the invisibility of this community in the media in order to contextualize the poor reporting on the massacre at Pulse, as well as the fact that Latino organizations were forced to hold a press conference in order to get the media to acknowledge that the shooting happened on Latino night and in an LGBT club.

Julie Torres, “Mourning in Orlando,” Anthropology News, November 11, 2016.

Puerto Ricans were disproportionately affected by the Pulse nightclub shooting yet were silenced by media outlets. The night of the shooting happened to fall on “Latin Night” and almost half of the casualties were Puerto Rican.

Kaitlyn Hayes, “Puerto Rico unveils first LGBT monument to honour Orlando victims,” Pink News, July 5, 2016.

This news article describes the first LGBT monument to honor Orlando victims, which can be found in Puerto Rico, in San Juan’s Third Millennium Park. It comprises seven rectangular columns in the colors of the rainbow and it contains a plaque that highlights the names of the Puerto Rican victims, alongside the names of the other 26 victims. The mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín, spoke when the monument was unveiled during San Juan’s Pride celebration.

Reflections on One Year Anniversary of Pulse Shooting:

Associated Press, “Comunidad de hispanos gays en Orlando se fortalece a un año de masacre,” El Nuevo Día, June 7, 2017. (English Version: “After Pulse attack, gay Latino community seeks strength”).

After the murder of 49 people at Pulse, the gay, Hispanic community in Orlando has tried to deepen their ties, participating in support groups and local organizations, partaking in politics, and creating foundations to promote gay and Hispanic rights. Before the massacre at Pulse, this community felt that they could only meet at bars and clubs that had hip-hop or Hispanic nights; however, they have now forged new spaces of encounter. This article describes the new generation of leaders that has emerged and some of the initiatives that it has been developing.

Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio, “Pulse victims’ families in Puerto Rico: ‘We have to cry alone,’” Orlando Sentinel, June 8, 2017. (Spanish Version: “Pulse: Familiares de las víctimas boricuas sufren aisladas”).

This article describes the relatives who continue to mourn the deaths of those at Pulse. They are left contemplating contradictions: the fact that their loved ones went to the mainland in order to seek better lives, but were forced to confront lethal homophobia. In particular, many people of the queer community leave the Island in order to find spaces abroad where they can express their identity freely. This article reflects on Puerto Rico’s homophobia and how the families continue to grieve in silence.

The Orlando Sentinel has made its online archive of Pulse coverage available free of charge to the public to mark the one year anniversary of the shooting. It is available here.

PRIMARY SOURCES AND MULTIMEDIA:

“Puerto Rico in Mourning: Nearly Half of the Orlando Massacre Victims were from the Island,” Democracy Now, June 15, 2016.

“Victim of Orlando massacre laid to rest in Puerto Rico,” Reuters, Jun 19, 2016.

Gentrification and “Population Swap”

Lynnley Browning and Julie Creswell, “Puerto Rico Creates Tax Shelters in Appeal to the Rich,” New York Times, March 25, 2013.

At the beginning of 2013, Puerto Rico started campaigns to promote tax incentives in order to lure in hedge fund managers and business executives. It has already attracted multiple under-the-radar millionaires. This article explains how these new tax breaks are different from those enacted in the past. Importantly, they focus on financial, legal, and other services—not manufacturing. The economy could be improved with the influx of wealthy financiers. However, moving to Puerto Rico is not always easy for them because, for instance, some investors do not want their hedge fund managers to be far from the mainland office.

Rupert Neate, “Puerto Rico woos US investors with huge tax breaks as locals fund debt crisis,” The Guardian, February 14, 2016.

A conference was held in Puerto Rico, attended by hundreds of financiers, and led by billionaire New York hedge fund manager John Paulson, where he discussed how Puerto Rico’s economy could improve if they moved to the Island and, in turn, saved themselves a small fortune in tax. This article outlines why Puerto Rico, with its relationship to the United States, is particularly attractive for these kinds of arrangements. However, many Puerto Ricans protested the fact that these billionaires, many of them hedge fund managers accused of pushing the Island deeper into crisis, were meeting in Puerto Rico and plotting how to become richer by exploiting the Island’s $72 billion debt crisis.

Franz Strasser, “Puerto Rico’s population swap: The middle class for millionaires,” BBC News, May 5, 2015.

Due to the financial crisis and the high unemployment rate, many Puerto Ricans are fleeing the Island and, consequently, the productive sector is shrinking while the elderly population, who depends on the government, is increasing. The government, searching for relief, has started to lure the United States’ super wealthy by guaranteeing them no capital gains taxes and a mere 4% tax rate on their businesses if they make Puerto Rico their primary residence. This article discusses these different patterns of migration and changing demographics: how this influx of the mainland’s wealthy comes as tens of thousands leave Puerto Rico.

Guy Dixon, “Middle class pain is retirees’ gain in Puerto Rico,” The Globe and Mail, September 15, 2015.

This article discusses how Puerto Rico’s housing market has been affected by the Island’s economic crisis. Puerto Rico could be an attractive investment, as a territory of the United States that has the same currency and many of the same federal financial and baking regulations. However, due to the fiscal crisis, real-estate prices for locations beyond the resorts have been severely affected. Nonetheless, brokers remain hopeful in the depressed market, arguing that there are still prime properties that appeal to retirees and second-home buyers.

Heather Long, “There’s a big sale on Puerto Rican Homes” CNN Money, February 21, 2016.

Due to the fiscal crisis, many Puerto Ricans are migrating to the United States, leaving their homes empty. Consequently, on the Island, it’s a buyers’ market: if Puerto Rico were a state, it would rank second in the US for homes in foreclosure. This article explains how this has lured buyers to take advantage of “beachfront bargains.”

Jesse Barron, How Puerto Rico Became the Newest Tax Haven for the Super Rich, GQ, September 17, 2018.

Due to the huge tax break given to wealthy individuals who live on the island, Puerto Rico has become the ideal place to call home for many of the 1%. This is mainly in part to Acts 20 and 22: Act 20 allows corporations that export goods from the island to pay only 4%, while Act 22 prevents the taxation of personal income from capital gains, interest, and dividends. This new population has seen none of the negative effects of Hurricane Maria, as they were able to leave the island once the storm hit. Their homes in San Juan were restored much quicker, and they were soon able to return in order to complete their mandated 183 days living on the island in order to qualify for Acts 20/22. Since the implementation of Acts 20/22, many revisions were made that don’t explicitly require these companies to own property on the island and to employ at least 5 residents. While many of the newest residents follow choose to employ Puerto Ricans and own property on the island, others just use the island’s tax break for their own greed and do not give back or improve the economy in any feasible way.

Annie Pilon “Why small business owners should be watching Puerto Rico”

This article lists some of the key factors regarding Puerto Rico’s business prospects. The tourism industry brings in $4 billion annually, as well as tax breaks for non-residents who conduct business on the island and tax exemptions for select residents. Puerto Rico becoming a state could potentially lead to more incentives for businesses to set up on the island.

PRIMARY SOURCES AND MULTIMEDIA:

“The Puerto Rican Debt Crisis: Tax Breaks Offered to Rich While Austerity Measures Imposed on Poor,” Democracy Now, November 3, 2015.

“Puerto Rico Rolling Out The Welcome Mat For Millionaires,” NPR news, June 28, 2013.

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