Las construcciones de lo Español entre los Militares Norteamericanos en Puerto Rico, 1898-1899

Abstract

When evaluating the situation of the Portorrican population, some Northamerican Army officers placed "the Spanish element" vis a vis "the portorrican element" in order to reaffirm their rejection ofthe Island. Others blamed the Spaniards for all the evils they perceived or imagined. These reports were written in the context of a political transition in which the US officers were forced to resolve a contradiction between an invasion allegedly destined to set the Portorricans free from the Spaniards, and the fact that the main task of the military occupation was to protect the Spaniards against the Portorricans. Through the analysis of the attitudes of three Army officers as shown in the military correspondence produced during the first two years of the occupation (US National Archives), the author concludes that the construction of "the Portorrican" as "the Spaniard" began with North Americans themselves, at the time of the military government.