w w w . u m a s s . e d u /
c l a c l s
Less Than Equal: A History of the Extension of
U.S. Citizenship to Puerto Rico, 1898-Present
Continuation of the Series-Puerto Rico at a Crossroad: Emigration, Austerity and Social Struggles
Charles R. Venator-Santiago
Associate Professor Department of Political Science
University of Connecticut
El Instituto: Latino/a, Caribbean
& Latin American Studies Institute
Tuesday-February 16, 2016
Herter Hall 301 ~ 4:00pm
Refreshments to follow
Since 1898, U.S. law and policy makers have debated the use of five different but overlapping types of citizenship to govern Puerto
Ricans. This paper provides an overview of the debates shaping the contours of the corresponding legal and political debates over the use
of: 1) a Puerto Rican citizenship/non-citizen nationality (1898-); 2) individual naturalization (1906-1948); 3) Collective Naturalization
(1917-1940); 4) birthright or jus soli citizenship (1941 to the present); and the 5) statutory citizenship (1989-present).
This event was organized by CLACLS & co-sponsored by the Five College Latin American, Caribbean,
and Latino Studies Counsel, the Spanish & Portuguese unit of LLC, and the Horwitz Endowment.
~ FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ~
CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN, CARIBBEAN AND LATINO STUDIES
THOMPSON HALL 522, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
200 HICKS WAY, AMHERST, MA 01003