How do Puertrricans feel about DNA study that shows 80% of them are 60% Taino?

Question

American Anthropology magazine reported that contrary to history and popular belief, the majority of Puertorrican`s DNA shows that they are 60% Taino indian. Does the United States recognice them as part of Native Americans? Are they entitled to the same rights and benefits as Native American indians, since Puertorricans are American citizens?

Answer 1

Very  Proud!!!!

Answer 2

Feel?   Most puetorricans feels proud of our taino heritage.  We recognize we are a mix of taino, europeans (spaniards mostly but also smaller groups of other europeans from Corcega, France, Portugal, Belguim, Germany, etc.), and africans brought here as slaves to replace the tainos the spaniards exterminated with diseases and war.

I would like to check how the study(ies) was(were) conducted and how they reach to their conclusions, but in general I feel proud.

Are we considered Native Americans?  No.

Do we have similar rights / goverment treatment like Native Americans do? No.

Answer 3

They are not that offended by it.  It is still seen strong in their history.  They did just find a lady in the mountains that is 90% taino.  I have never heard that they are considered native americans, in the 4 years living here.

Answer 4

It just proves what has been in front of our eyes always. Taino indian features are visible in most of the island population. It makes me proud and grateful that the Spaniards were not able to wipe them out as history has always said. Our culture is saturated also with Taino language words like Hammocks (hamaca), BB-Q (barbacoa), Hurricane (huracan), Guiro (music instrument made from iguera tree fruit and a pronged hand instrument) Iguera (local tree), Dajita (bowls made from Iguera tree fruit), Yuca / malanga / name / yautia / apio ( all of these are local roots that the Tainos cultivated, it provided them another food staple other than fishing) Casabe (bread made by the Tainos from the Yuca root) et. I believe now we`re two ethnic groups in one.

Answer 5

There is proof. The University of PR tested DNA of many puerto ricans & found that over 60% contained Taino DNA. You can read about the study right here:

http://www.taino-tribe.org/pr-taino-dna....

The US to this day still denies that puertoricans have any indian blood. They say its less than 1%, which we as puertoricans have always known otherwise. Noone is trying to deny african or spanish heritage, but we want our taino heritage also recognized. Its very apparent in alot of boricuas appearance that some of us do contain taino & we don't want  people to keep denying it. I don't know why the US keeps overlooking the facts, I beleive it has something to do with their hatred towards natives & all the crimes they have already commited against them.

Answer 6

very proud indeed

i have all three mixes in my physical apperance and i am extremely proud of it. i dont deny either.

Answer 7

Name your source.... is it the study that was done back in 2003 or the one in 1999?

I can tell you one thing I know for sure... I am Puertorrican but I do not have Taino blood. My parents are not from Puerto Rico. I am the only person in my family born on the island, which does not automtically make me Puertorrican according to many there.

I also think it could cause a lot of Puertorricans to start denying another part of their heritage... African ancestry.

*Edit With all the inbreeding, I'm not surprised.

Answer 8

i already knew that.  we are thought tainos are part of our race/heritage in schools, but most people dont know what percentage they are.    in the study i saw a while back, (possibly wikipedia-i forgot what online source it was)    it said something like most p.ricans are have a spanish father and a taino mother, with the smaller group being a spanish father and an african mother.   in my case my familiy came here from cuba, although we have somewhat a similar history with P.R.

Answer 9

When you take PR history in school in PR what they talk about the most is the Taino indians and how we are decendents of them so I guess Its not too surprising.  We love our culture.