Date of Completion

5-1-2024

Degree Type

Honors Thesis - Campus Access

Discipline

Chicana/o Studies (CHST)

First Advisor

Dr. Juan Mah y Busch

Second Advisor

Dr. Vanessa Diaz

Abstract

The Puerto Rican community has had a longstanding presence within the United States that has helped shaped the country’s understanding of Latine populations as a whole. Once concentrated largely in the New York area, the Puerto Rican diaspora has expanded to multiple different states as the population has grown. According to the Pew Research Center’s most recent estimates from 2021, there are nearly 6 million Puerto Ricans living in the continental United States. As the Puerto Rican diaspora has increased, in numbers and geographically, the identity of “Nuyorican,” a Puerto Rican from New York, no longer accurately represents all Puerto Ricans in the diaspora. Instead, as my research shows, a new identity formation emerged: “Diasporican.” In my research, I utilize online media and Puerto Rican Studies literature to construct a definition for this new identity that has increased in usage over the past few years. My research explores the following questions: 1. Why was the term "Diasporican" created? 2. Who coined this term and what does it mean? 3. Who is utilizing this term and how? From the research, it is evident that the term "Diasporican" emerged out of a desire for distinction from the terms "Nuyorican" and "Puerto Rican," which is reflective of a larger diasporic awakening. Through analyses of employments of the term "Diasporican," those using the term are intentionally referring to a specific experience within the diaspora. The formation of "Diasporican" signals that Puerto Ricans within the diaspora are understanding themselves and their relationship to both Puerto Rico and the United States in new ways.

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