home > TRiO and USP Programs > McNair > symposium > 2003-2004 presentations > Sarah Johnston

Sarah Johnston
Sociology / History

Carlos Aguirre, Mentor

Social Well Being, Stratification, and Immigration: A Comparative Study
of Cuba and Puerto Rico

Cuba and Puerto Rico share much in common, including elements of history and culture. Within the past century, both have been under U.S. control. The divergent ways in which these two nations have interacted with imperialism ultimately set them on very different paths. Cuba resisted American imperialism to the point of socialist revolution. Puerto Rico, however, is a commonwealth, a remnant of colonialism. As a result of the systems and conditions in Cuba and Puerto Rico, a large part of both nations’ populations have immigrated to, or taken refuge in, the U.S. This study explores the nature of immigration from both nations, as determined by immigrants’ published accounts, and the relation of said immigration to measures of social stratification and well being. I expect to find that Puerto Rican immigration is linked to economic issues while Cuban immigration is linked to political issues and the scarcity of non-essential consumer goods.