Africans in Puerto Rico

Immigrated African there are some in the island but I am not aware of any organization or club that they have formed in order to find each other.

Puerto Ricans original racial mix is Taino Indian, African from different tribes and Spaniard. We have plenty of people in the island that like and get braids. Almost every Beauty shop offers braids.

Puerto Ricans are of African descent which is also influenced in our culture through music, dance, food, art and even with certain words. Friday was Emmancipation Day, by the way.

For trenzas (braids) these are a couple popular spots in the metro area:

Trenzas By Shorty
Trenzas Dreadlocks

PR celebrates it's African roots.

My friends here who are native PR, say that Puerto Rican’s are “mixo” which I take to mean a blending of Spanish, native Tanio Indians (the ones that escaped slaughter by the Spanish) and black runaway slaves.   A town in north east PR (Loiza) was established by slaves that escaped their captors in the 1800’s.

Some native Puert Ricans have fairly dark brown skin, others are white,  but all that we have gotten to know are very friendly and always willing to help.

Puerto Ricans can be of predominant African or European descent or a mix of everything in between.

For example,  Modesto Lacen (actor) who is predominately of African descent and Ricky Martin (singer/actor) who is of predominant European descent.

Then the mixture of African/Taino/European like Rosie Perez, Marc Anthony, Sonya Sotomayor, Luis Guzman, Carlos Beltran, Felix Trinidad, LaLa Vasquez, Lauren Valez and the list goes on...

It doesn’t matter how much Taino, African or European you have because you are 100% Boricua either way. That’s the beauty of our culture: the diversity that doesn't make you any more or less Boricua. This is also reflected in our culture where we celebrate our African and Taino roots in everything from food, music, dance and art no matter our DNA phenotype.

According to an article I read several months ago, there are 13 distinctive skin colors in PR.

One minor correction Sitka, Spain ended slavery in 1873, since then we have mixed with the ex-slaves also. Still to this date, we intermix freely with just about every race. As times go by we have less and less Taino Indian blood since they died off fairly early. But we continue celebrating our SATO humble beginnings and all 3 original races. We are proud of being Mixed (Satos). In reality most of us don't care about what mix or pure blood line somebody is we are all Puerto Ricans or if you prefer Boricuas.

Article "Freedmen at the beginnig of the twentieth century
Freedmen at the beginnig of the 20th century: Family of free slaves. (Library of Congress of United States)
It was on March 22, 1873, that the Spanish Cortes passed the law abolishing slavery in Puerto Rico. The decree freed a total of 29, 335 slaves, of both sexes, which was 5 percent of the overall population of Puerto Rico. " https://enciclopediapr.org/en/encyclope … very-1873/

Santeria is practiced in PR still to this date, it is a mix of the Africans Believes and the Catholic believes that were fomented by the spaniards.

We have few records of our Tainos, but there are dictionaries of Taino words and most of the words are still in use / mixed in our Spanish for example Batey (Yard), Borinken (Taino name for Puerto Rico), Huracan (Hurricane).

From the Spaniards we have the strongest influence for example in the food and language and many of our laws. We love Bacalao (Cod fish preserved in Salt), and Patitas (Pig Feets preserved in Salt), Paellas and many others.

My family is a perfect example of what Rey stated. My mami is of predominant European descent and my papi is of predominant African descent. My brother and I came out looking like satos and my sister looks of European descent like our mom.

We all are 100% Boricuas and embrace our roots. Fortunately, I never experienced colorism with any of my family like you hear of in the states.

Yes I still do not understand why racism has yet to die off in the US.

We are integrated in PR. We are one people, we speak one language, we don't dwelt on the slavery or the treatment of the spaniards or the Americans when they attacked the island. We have moved on, all of that is simply history to be studied.

I have family members with black hair, brown, red, blond. Some super curly (Afro), some with waves, some straight. We have brown eyes, black, hazel, green, blue. Some are super short, some are tall. We have many skin colors too.

We are Satos.

ReyP wrote:

According to an article I read several months ago, there are 13 distinctive skin colors in PR.

One minor correction Sitka, Spain ended slavery in 1873, since then we have mixed with the ex-slaves also. Still to this date, we intermix freely with just about every race. As times go by we have less and less Taino Indian blood since they died off fairly early. But we continue celebrating our SATO humble beginnings and all 3 original races. We are proud of being Mixed (Satos). In reality most of us don't care about what mix or pure blood line somebody is we are all Puerto Ricans or if you prefer Boricuas.

Article "Freedmen at the beginnig of the twentieth century
Freedmen at the beginnig of the 20th century: Family of free slaves. (Library of Congress of United States)
It was on March 22, 1873, that the Spanish Cortes passed the law abolishing slavery in Puerto Rico. The decree freed a total of 29, 335 slaves, of both sexes, which was 5 percent of the overall population of Puerto Rico. " https://enciclopediapr.org/en/encyclope … very-1873/

Santeria is practiced in PR still to this date, it is a mix of the Africans Believes and the Catholic believes that were fomented by the spaniards.

We have few records of our Tainos, but there are dictionaries of Taino words and most of the words are still in use in our Spanish for example Batey (Yard), Borinken (Taino name for Puerto Rico), Huracan (Hurricane).

From the Spaniards we have the strongest influence for example in the food and language and many of our laws. We love Bacalao (Cod fish preserved in Salt), and Patitas (Pig Feets preserved in Salt), Paellas and many others.

To add to what Rey mentioned, ingredients like yucca, guanabana, squash, papaya, batata, and corn were all staples of the Taino diet which are part of today’s Boricua traditional food.

Africans brought the religion santeria. As well as the music bomba and plena. Also, pasteles and mofongo were devised by African women in Puerto Rico and based upon ingredients that originated in Africa.

rambla wrote:

ReyP wrote:

According to an article I read several months ago, there are 13 distinctive skin colors in PR.

One minor correction Sitka, Spain ended slavery in 1873, since then we have mixed with the ex-slaves also. Still to this date, we intermix freely with just about every race. As times go by we have less and less Taino Indian blood since they died off fairly early. But we continue celebrating our SATO humble beginnings and all 3 original races. We are proud of being Mixed (Satos). In reality most of us don't care about what mix or pure blood line somebody is we are all Puerto Ricans or if you prefer Boricuas.

Article "Freedmen at the beginnig of the twentieth century
Freedmen at the beginnig of the 20th century: Family of free slaves. (Library of Congress of United States)
It was on March 22, 1873, that the Spanish Cortes passed the law abolishing slavery in Puerto Rico. The decree freed a total of 29, 335 slaves, of both sexes, which was 5 percent of the overall population of Puerto Rico. " https://enciclopediapr.org/en/encyclope … very-1873/

Santeria is practiced in PR still to this date, it is a mix of the Africans Believes and the Catholic believes that were fomented by the spaniards.

We have few records of our Tainos, but there are dictionaries of Taino words and most of the words are still in use in our Spanish for example Batey (Yard), Borinken (Taino name for Puerto Rico), Huracan (Hurricane).

From the Spaniards we have the strongest influence for example in the food and language and many of our laws. We love Bacalao (Cod fish preserved in Salt), and Patitas (Pig Feets preserved in Salt), Paellas and many others.

To add to what Rey mentioned, ingredients like yucca, guanabana, squash, papaya, batata, and corn were all staples of the Taino diet which are part of today’s Boricua traditional food.

Africans brought santeria, bomba and plena. Also pasteles and mofongo were devised by African women in Puerto Rico and based upon ingredients that originated in Africa.

Our sofrito is also from the African side.

Funny how back in time lobsters were feed to the slaves, now it is like 23 dollars a pound or more and a luxury that everyone wants to eat.

ReyP wrote:

I have family members with black hair, brown, red, blond. Some super curly (Afro), some with waves, some straight. We have brown eyes, black, hazel, green, blue. Some are super short, some are tall. We have many skin colors too.

We are Satos.

My mom has green eyes and dark blonde hair. My sister has hazel eyes, freckles, very pale skin (she jokes that my brother and I took all the color seeing she is the last born🤣), strong European features and fine hair. She does have our dad’s side of the family’s physique though (way more so than me!).

Both my brother and I have coarse (afro) hair like our dad with caramel skin, full lips and broad nose. My brother has stronger African features than me and has hazel eyes.

Both my children have dark blonde hair (they’re rubios) like my mom. Even though their dad and I have dark hair. My husband (also Boricua) has more Indigenous blood than me and has very black hair. So it’s amusing to see how our children came out with dark blonde hair.

DNA phenotypes are an amazing and interesting thing!

I have found this to be absolutely true, being here is medicine to my soul in this aspect, it absolutely, delightfully different, I can see and feel there is no separation in that aspect and I am forever grateful for this experience because "NOW" I know it is possible and can be done.

Thank you as well "rambla" gives me a kinda "HOME FEELING"