Click on the word past highlighted in blue to proceed to the Historical Background section.
The history of Puerto Rico's language is inevitably connected to its political history. Why? Because the persistently divided and tangled status of the island is a consequence of its past. In Puerto Rico, there are three mainstream opinions on what its political future and instructional language should be: an independent nation--where people generally find needless the English language being a part of Spanish instruction; a commonwealth--where people also favor Spanish but are fine with bilingualism; and a state--where people think that English should be the main language in education and that it is necessary for statehood.
"English class for Spanish speakers in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, March 1, 1968." [31]
Taíno Arawak.
Conquistadors brought the Spanish from the South of Spain.
Spanish integrated Arawak words. After Spaniards brought African slaves into Puerto Rico, African words were adopted. Spanish was the main language until the invasion.
The U.S. brought English amidst their invasion in 1898. This marked the beginning of the language battle between Puerto Rico and the U.S.
"The first language policy in education was implemented in 1898 by the Eaton-Clark Administration. This policy established English as the only language used as medium of instruction in schools throughout all grade levels. Spanish was eliminated from the curriculum completely..." [32]
The primary way that Americanization and language policies were implemented was through Puerto Rico's educational system.
"The ideology of Americanization guided U.S. colonial policies in early twentieth-century Puerto Rico (1898–1930). Americanization called for the economic, political, and military integration of Puerto Rico into the U.S. federal system. In the case of public education, the goal was to teach young Puerto Rican school boys and girls to love, support, and advocate for U.S. colonialism on the island and to imagine themselves as members of the United States." [33]
The Official Languages Act of February 21, 1902 made English and Spanish co-official languages of Puerto Rico.
"By 1903 political pressures called for English to be the medium of instruction in all grades and President Theodore Roosevelt's new appointee, Roland Falkner, complied. For the next fourteen years the use of English made steady but controversial progress. Many students in the elementary grades found understanding to be difficult or impossible, and learned neither Spanish nor English well. Although the situation was hardly the decisive factor in the Puerto Rican politics of the time, it undoubtedly contributed to the popularity of the pro-independence Unionista party, which went undefeated from 1904 to 1924." [35]
The Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico [Puerto Rico Teachers Association] was founded on July 8th, 1911. "As the public school system expanded, teachers united to create an island-wide union and professional organization, the Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico... the teachers... promoted the 'regeneration' of their students... Teachers wanted to rebuild the Puerto Rican people and cultivate future citizens of the island patria, children who would be proud of their culture, heritage, and history. This goal clashed with Americanization, for the AMPR leadership was not preparing brown and black students for a subordinate place in the U.S. racial hierarchy. Many Puerto Rican teachers had their own vision for their students, schools, communities, and island, and it did not prioritize Americanization." [33]
In 1936, Franklin D. Roosevelt "summarized the Puerto Rican English language problem, past, present and future: 'It is regrettable that today hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans have little and often virtually no knowledge of the English language.... It is an indispensable part of the American policy that the coming generation of American citizens in Puerto Rico grow up with complete facility in the English tongue. It is the language of our Nation.'" [35]This reinforced English presence in Puerto Rico.
In 1949, Villaronga became the first Department of Education secretary under the first Puerto Rican elected governor of the island, Luis Muñoz Marín. Villaronga “...established Spanish as only medium of instruction and English as a subject throughout all grade levels.” [32]
"The attempt to declare Spanish as the only official language in Puerto Rico did not occur until 1992, when the Partido Popular Democrático (Pro-Commonwealth), the political party in power at the time, repealed the Official Language act that established English and Spanish as official languages." [32]
"In 1993, the Partido Nuevo Progresista (pro-statehood) took over the government and reverted to the old language act that established English and Spanish as official languages in the island. This, however, did not change the status of Spanish as the heritage language of Puerto Ricans nor did it replace it as the language of medium of instruction in the public education system." [32]
Spanish was made the official language of Puerto Rico again when the commonwealth party was in power.
Elementary student holding a USA flag during the early 1900's, Puerto Rico. [36]
Continuation of Franklin D. Roosevelt summary of "the Puerto Rican English language problem, past, present and future." [35]
In the end, Puerto Rico won the long-fought language battle. The most the US could do to americanize Puerto Rico was to ratify language policies and integrate English through their educational system, but even that unhindered the heritage language and cultural identity of the Puerto Rican people. Through the policies mentioned, the U.S. communicated that they wanted Puerto Rico to be an americanized territory, ingrained with American customs, ideals, and the English language. Nonetheless, the politically inhibited Puerto Rican teachers, who envisioned "the regeneration of the Puerto Rican people" and "children who would be proud of their culture, heritage, and history," [33] communicated their resistance to americanization by teaching in Spanish. Neither the teachers nor the students connected to these foreign policy changes. Therefore, through the patriotism of Puerto Rico, Spanish has been preserved, but of course, Spanglish would have never been created without English involvement in Puerto Rican instruction.
Joaquin Gonzalez : Junior Individual
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