Memorias. Revista Digital de Historia y Arqueología desde el Caribe E-ISSN: 1794-8886
[email protected] Universidad del Norte Colombia Franqui-Rivera, Harry National Mythologies: U.S. Citizenship for the People of Puerto Rico and Military Service Memorias. Revista Digital de Historia y Arqueología desde el Caribe, núm. 21, septiembre -diciembre, 2013, pp. 5-21 Universidad del Norte Barranquilla, Colombia Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=85529051004 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative MEMORIAS Revista digital de Historia y Arqueología desde el Caribe colombiano National Mythologies: U.S. Citizenship for the People of Puerto Rico and Military Service Mitología nacional: Ciudadanía norteamericana para la gente de Puerto Rico y Servicio Militar Harry Franqui-Rivera 1 Abstract That Puerto Ricans became American citizens in 1917 have been attributed by many to the need for soldiers as the U.S. entered the First World War. Such belief has been enshrined in Puerto Rican popular national mythology. While there is a rich body of literature surrounding the decision to extend U.S. citizenship to Puerto Rico and its effect on the Puerto Ricans, few, if any, challenge the assumption that the need for manpower for the armies of the metropolis influenced that decision. Reducing the issue of citizenship to a need for manpower for the military only obscures complex imperial-colonial relations based upon racial structures of power.