“We Haven’t Come Very Far:” Puerto Ricans’ Perspectives on Racism

Individual beliefs about how racism operates simultaneously reflect and sustain racial inequality. Although research on Black-White racial attitudes in the United States is extensive, comparatively little sociological research examines how Latines discuss racism and racial inequality. This gap is notable given the increased racial and ethnic diversification of the U.S. population due in part to Latin American migration. Additionally, the racialization process for Latines reveals a reshaping of the U.S. racial stratification system that complicates the Black-White racial binary. To address the research gaps, this study uses stateside Puerto Ricans as a case study and takes an open-ended, qualitative approach to explore the themes that arise during discussions about racism. Findings from 58 in-depth interviews with Puerto Ricans reveal four themes that characterize their perspectives on racism: racism as a structural problem, racism as manifesting more overtly in the present day, racism as stemming from individual prejudice, and anti-Black racism as perpetuated among Puerto Ricans and Latines. Such findings suggest that Puerto Ricans’ multidimensional racialization leads them to explain racism using a mixed modal approach of structural and colorblind narratives. They also have implications for understanding the racial ideologies that shape Latines’ perspectives on racism.