Boricuas in the Magic City: Puerto Ricans in Miami

Book excerpt: People from Puerto Rico have been traveling to Miami for more than a century. The island became a US territory in 1898, and islanders became US citizens in 1917; throughout the 20th century, Puerto Ricans have established communities across Miami-Dade County. They have come as farm workers, garment workers, bankers and investors, or as US service members. By the 1950s, the Puerto Rican community in Miami was strong and diverse. Boricuas in the Magic City: Puerto Ricans in Miami is a photographic voyage through Miami. "Boricua" is a term of endearment that Puerto Ricans call themselves that identifies them with the precolonial period when the native Tainos referred to the island as Boriken.