The Rich History of the Term ‘Boricua’ and Puerto Rican Pride

The word “Boricua” is heard in many reggaetón songs and the everyday language of some Latino people. However, to English-speaking people, or just anyone who isn’t in touch with Latino culture, this term may be completely new. So, what does “boricua” mean?

Who is a “Boricua”?

People born in Puerto Rico are known as “boricua.” A “boricua,” therefore, is a Puerto Rican. The majority of Puerto Ricans reside either on the island or in the United States. Puerto Rico has the status of an unincorporated territory of the U.S. It is a nation that maintains a self-governing regime, but under the sovereignty of the United States.

The original design of the Puerto Rican flag has a light blue triangle.

But the definition of “boricua” is not that simple since the term does not apply to all Puerto Ricans. To be considered a real “boricua” you don’t just have to be born on the island of Puerto Rico, but you must also descend from a family that has resided there for several generations. This exact number is not defined, but culturally, it is said that there has to be at least two generations to be called “boricuas” instead of Puerto Ricans. “Boricua” speaks more about being proud of ethnicity rather than nationality.

On the other hand, you don’t have to live in Puerto Rico to be a Puerto Rican. Some statistics indicate that a large part of the Puerto Rican population living in New York today has never even been to the island. Likewise, there are also large communities of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, Canada, and Mexico.

Where does the term “boricua” come from?

The word comes from “Borinquén,” an aboriginal name originally given to the island of Puerto Rico that meant something like “the great land of the brave and noble Lord.”

Throughout the years, the term “Borinquén” went through a metamorphosis in written Spanish. In the 1800s, it was spelled as “Boriqué,” but the “qu” was pronounced as “cu,” Boriqüé. There are also maps and literature in which it is seen as “Boiiqua” or “Boiicua.”

“Boricua” appeared for the first time in 1844, in the Spanish translation of the geography book by Jean-Antoine Letronne “Curso completo de Geografía Universal Antigua y Moderna,” a popular geography document at the time and that was later translated into several languages. Creole geographer Francisco Pastrana adopted the term in 1854 in his book for primary education, “Catecismo de Geografía de la Isla de Puerto-Rico,” popularizing from that moment “Boricua” as a place name for the island and later as a name for its inhabitants.

However, other people say the term derives from “boricuá,” a word from the Arawakan language that referred to those who ate crabs. The Taíno people, who lived on the island, called themselves that way.

Sculpture of Taino, Isabela Puerto Rico.

Various European conquerors came to the island, mainly from France, Spain, Corsica, Germany, Scotland, and Portugal. They brought with them people from Igbo and the Yoruba tribes in Africa as slaves to work the land. Later, Lebanese and Chinese immigrants also settled on the island. All of this would prove detrimental to the native Taíno people, whose population was largely diluted due to the colonization of the island.