Portu Ricans
AncestryDNA can now pinpoint specific Portuguese and Spanish ancestry. It used to bunch these two ethnicities into the Iberian Peninsula. As most Puerto Ricans know, we are a mixed race of people made up of DNA from Puerto Rico's indigenous Taino people, Spanish blood from the Spaniards who colonized the island after Christopher Columbus "discovered" it in 1493, and African DNA from the forced migration of African slaves.
Because of Portugal's long history with and proximity to Spain, it is not unusual for Puerto Ricans to have Portuguese DNA. However, some Puerto Ricans recently have been revealing on social media that their percentage of Portuguese DNA is just as high or higher than their Spanish DNA.
Puerto Ricans are well aware of our Spanish ancestry, but we do not talk much about Portugal's historic connection to Puerto Rico. Why is that? If more and more Boricuas are learning we have clear Portuguese ancestry, we should know why that is the case. This site, “Portu Ricans,” hopes to shed a bit of light on why some Puerto Ricans have greater Portuguese ancestry than Spanish. The overall aim is to recognize the significant contribution the Portuguese have had on the history and ancestry of Puerto Ricans.
(This website was created by Phil Velez, a native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent, who in January 2019 found out he was 29% Portuguese. However, a more recent DNA update shows he is really 19% Portuguese.)
Because of Portugal's long history with and proximity to Spain, it is not unusual for Puerto Ricans to have Portuguese DNA. However, some Puerto Ricans recently have been revealing on social media that their percentage of Portuguese DNA is just as high or higher than their Spanish DNA.
Puerto Ricans are well aware of our Spanish ancestry, but we do not talk much about Portugal's historic connection to Puerto Rico. Why is that? If more and more Boricuas are learning we have clear Portuguese ancestry, we should know why that is the case. This site, “Portu Ricans,” hopes to shed a bit of light on why some Puerto Ricans have greater Portuguese ancestry than Spanish. The overall aim is to recognize the significant contribution the Portuguese have had on the history and ancestry of Puerto Ricans.
(This website was created by Phil Velez, a native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent, who in January 2019 found out he was 29% Portuguese. However, a more recent DNA update shows he is really 19% Portuguese.)
