Is my ethnicity SPANISH or PUERTO RICAN?

Question

My family originally descended from Spain (we know the exact towns) and then moved to Puerto Rico, but while in Puerto Rico they only married and mixed with other pure spainards. does that mean I am of spanish descent?

For 140 years, my direct relatives (my grandparents, great grandparents, great great great great grandparents, etc) ONLY were allowed to mix with other pure spaniards who were living in Puerto Rico. My grandfather and grandmothers families were VERY VERY VERY strict and only allowed their children to mix with other pure white Spaniards in Puerto Rico

I do not know anything about Puerto Rican culture, my family speaks pure castilian spanish (the spanish they speak in Spain), not caribbean/puerto rican spanish, and for after we left Spain we only mixed with other Spaniards.

So does that mean that my ETHNICITY would be SPANISH

I know my nationality is American. I was born in America, so I am American.

But as for my ethnicity, I guess I would consider myself half Spanish, not Puerto Rican. The way I look at it is that we were spaniards living in Puerto Rico. We kept the Spanish blood going and all of the traditions that were originally brought over from Spain

Even though my family lived in Puerto Rico (my grandparents lived their til they were 20 then moved to the USA and my mother is American), can I still consider myself Spanish? We have birth certificates and genealogy that shows that our bloodline for 140 years was made up of completely pure white Spaniards who came to Puerto Rico from spain (aka no one in the direct bloodline mixed with any Africans/Indians/etc while in Puerto Rico). I feel like that means that even though we lived in Puerto Rico, since we originally descended from Spain and have kept the Spaniard blood going, then that means I am SPANISH.

And I am talking about ETHNICITY. so please do not answer with U R AMERICAN!!!!!!! i am talking solely about my ethnicity

and I know I posted this a little while ago, but it was accidently deleted so I am reposting! sorry for the trouble!

Answer 1

You nativity would be 1/2 Spanish since you have no Puerto Rican ancestors.  So you are right about your nationality being American.

My step Father lived on the border of Texas and Mexico but they too were very strict about intermarrying and would just about blow a cork if anyone indicated that they were Mexican.  To themselves they were Spanish.  They too have the papers to back it up.

So you are half Spanish and half (whatever your mom is).

Answer 2

If you're looking for a purist answer, your ancestors were Spanish colonials and not Puerto Ricans. They did not embrace the local culture, they were multigenerational Spanish colonists living among the Puerto Rican culture. So no, you're not Puerto Rican. Your ancestors would have been classified as "Spanish nationals" after Spain lost the islands at the end of the Spanish-American war.

You share something with actor Michael Douglas. His family has lived in Bermuda over 400 years, but always as English nationals and not as Bermudans.

Answer 3

You have enough Spanish ancestry to consider yourself to be Spanish.  But the number of ancestors doubles at each generation, and it is easy to lose track of some -- particularly females.

Answer 4

If your family only married into the Spanish community and there was no cross over with other family on the side of those who your family married into, then I would say your ethnicity is definitely Spanish.  They came to Puerto Rico after it had already been populated with Puerto Ricans.  If someone considered you were to be Puerto Rican, then everyone in American ought to be considered Native American even if they didn't have any Native American blood.

Genzoli

Founder CGC

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/california...