Language and Identity in Twentieth Century Puerto Rico

Abstract

Language has been at the centre of controversy in Puerto Rico since 1898, when Spain ceded sovereignty over the island to the United States. United States authorities' attempts to impose English as the language of instruction in schools set the tone for an acrimonious 50-year struggle. While Spanish has remained the language of communication, islanders' attitudes towards English have mapped Puerto Rico's political landscape through out this century. Different perspectives on the appropriate role of English in the island have reflected different positions on Puerto Rico's relationship with the United States; Puerto Rican politics is dominated by the conflict over whether the island should become an independent country, integrate fully into the United States, or retain its current intermediate status as a United States 'commonwealth'. This article reviews the history of the language controversy in Puerto Rico from the United States takeover of the island in 1898 through the 1991 and 1993 language laws that eliminated and then restored English as an official island language. The article emphasises the shifting ways that language has served as a symbolic maker, differentiating groups with opposing political views and providing a focus for efforts to maintain a distinct Puerto Rican identity.

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