Puerto Rico: What Everyone Needs to Know

by Jorge Duany

Acquired by the United States from Spain in 1898, Puerto Rico has a peculiar status among Latin American and Caribbean countries. As a Commonwealth, the island enjoys limited autonomy over local matters, but the U.S. has dominated it militarily, politically, and economically for much of its recent history. Though they are U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans do not have their own voting representatives in Congress and cannot vote in presidential elections (although they are able to participate in the primaries). The island's status is a topic of perennial debate, both within and beyond its shores. In recent months its colossal public debt has sparked an economic crisis that has catapulted it onto the national stage and intensified the exodus to the U.S., bringing to the fore many of the unresolved remnants of its colonial history. Puerto What Everyone Needs to Know? provides a succinct, authoritative introduction to the Island's rich history, culture, politics, and economy. The book begins with a historical overview of Puerto Rico during the Spanish colonial period (1493-1898). It then focuses on the first five decades of the U.S. colonial regime, particularly its efforts to control local, political, and economic institutions as well as to "Americanize" the Island's culture and language. Jorge Duany delves into the demographic, economic, political, and cultural features of contemporary Puerto Rico-the inner workings of the Commonwealth government and the island's relationship to the United States. Lastly, the book explores the massive population displacement that has characterized Puerto Rico since the mid-20th century.Despite their ongoing colonial dilemma, Jorge Duany argues that Puerto Ricans display a strong national identity as a Spanish-speaking, Afro-Hispanic-Caribbean nation. While a popular tourist destination, few beyond its shores are familiar with its complex history and diverse culture. Duany takes on the task of educating readers on the most important facets of the unique, troubled, but much beloved isla del encanto.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Latinx, Travel, The United States Of America

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2017

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished:

"Puerto Rico: What Everyone Needs to Know"

By: Jorge Duany (professor of Anthropology at Florida International University)

The books in these series are great for someone who doesn't know much about a topic, great for beginners and it's in a Q and A format.

I came away learning a lot about Puerto Rico that I didn't know before. In many ways Puerto Rico could be it's own country. Citizens of the island pushed for independence under Spanish and American rule. As of now, many Puerto Ricans value the ability to move from the island to the US since they are American citizens. However, the island has difficult financial challenges. I did learn that Puerto Ricans Christmas season lasts from Black Friday to January 6.

Probably not my best review, but I found it to be an interesting little book.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A “safe for schools” version and includes no corruption discussion

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the information is dated but valuable (though not entirely in line with other sources I have read and/or leaving out parts), but some of the language really threw me off (inconsistent and, once, dehumanizing). The Q&A format seemed cool at first but became tedious, especially as certain passages were cut-and paste into multiple sections. Some Qs were either repeated, or overlapped so heavily with others as to be redundant. Not my favorite read of my PR research blitz.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of historical information here. I had hoped for a more contemporary-focused book. Still a decent read ... er skim.

[Marisabidilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great information, but it is not engaging. It reads like plain research, and it's just not for me.



I recommend reading War Against all Puerto Ricans instead.

[Chanele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find myself now connected closely to the island, and I wanted to learn the important social, political, and cultural elements in a concise but useful manner. This book does just that. It is an excellent primer on these topics. It is much like an academic text, and that made it a bit of a slow read, but it’s important content more than made up for it. Definitely worth a read for anyone trying to learn the important basics of Puerto Rico’s past and recent present. (This caveat I add because it was written pre-Maria, which is a major event that is missing from the story and would have made a great addendum.)

[Alisha Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview with suggestions and reference for further reading. As a white Puerto Rican living in the US, this book helped validate my identity as a Puerto Rican by stating that Puerto Rican identity is unlike any other since it is not tied to land, language or specific external appearance. It also helped explain why I feel rootless sometimes by giving the history behind Puerto Rico as the region with the highest rates of migration in the world. It also gave me ideas on how to connect to my culture by highlighting food, artists, political figures, cultural traditions and more authors. Good read for a condensed overview of the entire history.

[Naomi Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

great book to get your facts straight on puerto rico!!!
i’m a daughter of a puerto rican father and there was so much he would tell me about the island, its politics, and relationships btn the US on culture, politics, and race. growing up i didn’t really ask much further because i was just learning who he was in puerto rico; but this helped me put so many things into context. it filled up a lot of gaps of memories and stories i’ve heard, so it’s great if you really need a deep dive into puerto rican history and context towards a lot of action and emotion. i now know why my father wants to go home.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good overview of Puerto Rico history, and some specific questions I had (why didn't the US try to integrate Puerto Rico more at the beginning of the 20th century, what was the origin of 936) were answered. Doesn't cover the violent/revolutionary activities of the 1950s very thoroughly (someone tried to assassinate President Truman and got 3 years only in prison...), and doesn't include the 2016-now period (it talked about the formation of PROMESA, but not the effects, Maria, 20/22, etc.). I'd love an updated second edition.

[Nichola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful straightforward history and current issues book about the island. Starts with arrival of the Spanish finding the native peoples, and proceeds through the different eras in sequence. It addresses current challenges, but traces them from policy decisions. Because of its brevity, it can not be comprehensive, however, it is a great starting point or a reference.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a short, useful, and informative guide to the basics of Puerto Rican history and culture. While not necessarily groundbreaking or deeply impactful, it did answer virtually all of my big questions about the country. Organizing the book by questions and answers also aided this process: for example, "Who were the indigenous inhabitants of Puerto Rico?" or "Why did Puerto Rico's economic growth stall after the 1970s?" I thought the book's sections on Puerto Rican history and the statehood debate were particularly expansive and helpful for understanding the country.

My only real critique of the book is that it was released shortly before Hurricane Maria, and thus isn't an accurate reflection of the island's state today. This isn't Jorge Duany's fault, of course, and in January 2017 this book was likely an updated primer on any relevant information about Puerto Rico. But the book doesn't talk too much about the impacts of hurricanes or other natural factors in general, and it's hard to fully understand the territory today without a discussion of Hurricane Maria.

Nonetheless, this book achieves its stated goals and I feel much more knowledgeable about Puerto Rico after reading it. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read to inform them about a fascinating part of the United States and an under-discussed country.

[Jeremy Rios · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and informative overview of the basics of Puerto Rican history. The book is framed in a basic question and answer format, so it naturally feels a little choppy. But the information was well presented overall.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely informative and easy read about Puerto Rico's history as well more current issues.

[Shir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful book! It's especially helpful for people who need a snapshot synopsis of what's happening in Puerto Rico. A section on health would have been great.

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only 3 stars because author does not provide informational sources.

[Vidura Barrios · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read but it got repetitive at times, specially when talking about race.

[Mallory Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and concise. Great starter knowledge of PR. I would've appreciated more details on the stats utilized throughout.

[Reina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s just so boring. The information is there but damn if this isn’t the least engaging book on the planet. It reads like a list of facts.

[Talal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a textbook, but highly informative.

[Thomas Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puerto Rico: What Everyone Needs to Know, Jorge Duany, 2017, 189 pages, Dewey 972.95

16.1% or 23.6% of Puerto Rico's housing units were vacant in 2021, due to massive outmigration to the U.S. mainland. p. 171:
16.1% according to 2020 census:
https://www.census.gov/library/storie...
23.6% according to 2021 survey:
https://censusreporter.org/data/table...

This book predates Hurricane Maria, September 20, 2017.

Puerto Rico's poverty rate is 40.5% in 2021, vs. 12.8% for the U.S. p. 101-103.
Puerto Rico: https://www.census.gov/search-results...
U.S.:
https://www.census.gov/search-results...

Article about vacant houses:
https://www.khanfazil.com/puertoRicoV...

Puerto Rico lost 5,000 physicians, about 36% of them, from 2006 to 2016, to outmigration. p. 151.

94% of Puerto Ricans live in cities, as of 2010, up from 30% in 1940. p. 109.

Bribery, extortion, and embezzlement are rife in Puerto Rican Commonwealth agencies receiving federal funding: Education, Health, and Housing. p. 87. Police are at it too, and add drug trafficking. p. 88.

The illegality of recreational pharmaceuticals, and its attendant violence, makes San Juan the murder capital of U.S. jurisdictions. p. 115.

The U.S. Navy ceased using Vieques Island for bombing practice in 2003, and closed its naval base. Puerto Rico is no longer a U.S. naval hub. pp. 89-90.

Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but Puerto Rico is a territory that "belongs to but is not part of the U.S." (So are Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.) Some U.S. constitutional protections don't apply in Puerto Rico. In PR, there's no right to trial by jury. pp. 44, 47, 74-75. Residents of Puerto Rico are subject to most U.S. laws, can't vote for president of the U.S., have no voting representative in Congress, and, though they pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, they don't pay federal income tax. pp. 77, 98.

The author claims that, "federal transfer payments have discouraged employment and labor force participation in Puerto Rico." p. 99.

Tax Code Section 936, 1976-2006, was a giveaway to firms operating in Puerto Rico. Foregone tax revenue exceeded total wages the firms paid their employees. They're operating under a different giveaway now, "Controlled Foreign Corporation" status (although they be U.S. firms). Manufacturing firms have reduced employment (even as output has risen) even more in Puerto Rico than in the United States. Under NAFTA, Puerto Rico lost proportionately more manufacturing jobs even than the U.S. lost. pp. 92-98.
U.S. Senate Finance Committee paper: https://www.finance.senate.gov/downlo...).

Puerto Rico's Commonwealth government has racked up unpayable levels of debt since the federal-tax-free manufacturers left in 2006. The U.S. Congress appointed an oversight board to impose austerity, with Obama's signature. pp. 101-103.

Puerto Ricans were 33% Protestant, 56% Catholic, 8% unaffiliated, 2% other, in 2014. pp. 129, 155. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/...

More data: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-rea...

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good primer but dry. In the wake of the recent news it seemed like this would be a good pick-up. This thin books is a foundational primer to Puerto Rico that guides the reader via a question and answer format. Famous people, specific events, the commonwealth's relationship to the United States mainland and government, its place in history, etc. 
 
That's really it. As I am not very familiar with PR I did find it helpful but I'm not sure if I wasn't in the mood for the info or if the writing style was a bit stilted or what. I found the text difficult to get through despite the format and I can't help but wonder if that the author is a professor has something to do with it or the book was intended to be used in conjunction with course materials/lectures, etc. I think the book is fine if you read it on its own but I also wonder if it's course-specific too.
 
Overall, though, it's helpful. There's a table of contents and an index so if you have a specific question there's a chance you'd be able to find it (or a related question) and flip directly to it. Would suggest in a future edition to update the "Further Reading" section to perhaps provide sources/further reading specific to each chapter. There's a lot of overlap between the major sections of the book but it could be helpful to breakdown what books could provide more detail for specific topics. 
 
I bought it so I could read it at my leisure but in retrospect I probably should have borrowed it instead. I'd say that this probably fit my needs for now: giving me a bit more information about Puerto Rico and its history beyond what the media has reported but it wasn't a humongous textbook that would have bored me to tears. Someone looking for more information or specific info on a particular topic might not find this so useful though.

[Erik Champenois · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of the question and answer setup of this book series, but this book turned out to be a more well-rounded introduction to Puerto Rico than this implied. A brief introduction, it doesn't cover the history or current affairs of Puerto Rico in any kind of depth, but it does present a nice overview of Puerto Rican history, current relationship to the U.S., culture, economy, and the Puerto Rican diaspora. The author's scholarship is focused on transnational migration, hence the treatment of the extensive Puerto Rican diaspora in the United States.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Context matters. Understanding anything regarding Puerto Rico's status as a Commonwealth or its complicated history with Spain and the U.S. is a challenge, but a worthy one. Jorge Duany has compiled a succinct volume, laid out in a question-answer format perfect for reading through or referencing on the fly. He ties in cultural aspects often, noting trends and turning points and personally I found it wonderful for finding subjects and people on which I'd like to do further study.

[Danny Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Question-and-answer format was annoying and made the information feel disjointed but otherwise a comprehensive and incisive look at PR history. Unfortunately this was written before Hurricane Maria, so a lot of the economic or infrastructural problems he writes about would only stagnate or worsen with time. May justice be done for the wonderful island

[Dalia DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to understand the history, culture, religious beliefs, political and the US's hand in Puerto (Porto) Rico.