One of the most popular tourist destinations south of Florida raises the rainbow flag to a diverse heritage. Modern Puerto Rico culture is a rich brew of Taíno Indian, Spanish, African, and American influences. Puerto Ricans maintain a strong and unique cultural identity, of which they are immensely proud, despite their home's century-old colonial ties to the United States. Those ties are not without their benefit, however, and most Puerto Ricans cherish their U.S. citizenship and want to maintain their political relationship, either through continued commonwealth status or statehood. A smaller percentage (the pro-independence party gubernatorial candidate usually gets 5% of the vote) favor outright separation from the United States to make Puerto Rico a sovereign nation.
Millions of Puerto Ricans have flocked stateside over the last six decades in search of economic and educational opportunities and an improved quality of life, and they continue to do so. In fact, Puerto Ricans living stateside now just about equal the number living on the island: roughly 4 million. But for most stateside boricuas, their heart's devotion still belongs to their island homeland, which means frequent trips during vacations and holidays. A sizeable number of Puerto Rican passengers are on most planes from the states arriving at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan. They will burst into applause upon touchdown on Puerto Rican soil. Many others return to Puerto Rico after retiring.
Puerto Rican writer René Marqués, who came of age in the 1940s and 1950s when Puerto Rico was modernizing into an industrial economy and getting a big dose of U.S. influence, spoke of the dual nature his island, which nevertheless contributed to its uniqueness. "Puerto Rico has two languages," he claimed, "and two citizenships, two basic philosophies of life, two flags, two anthems, two loyalties."
