Images of the Puerto Rican in Young Adult Books: Fact or Fancy

Abstract

This paper contrasts the literary portrayal of Puerto Ricans in young adult books written between 1950–1970 with the factual data about Puerto Ricans for the same period. These findings are based on a review of thirty-three books as perceived by the author and a cross-cultural group of reviewers (four Puerto Rican and four non- Puerto Rican). A summary of the factual data concerning the portrayal of Puerto Ricans in ethnic literature reveals four chief deficiencies. The books fall short of meeting the needs of adolescent readers because they (1) provide an inappropriate perspective, (2) misrepresent reality, (3) omit significant causes, and (4) present rigid characters. Recent studies indicate that Puerto Rican adolescents can benefit from books which accurately reflect their culture and with which they can identify. A perspective which constantly stresses the disparity between the Puerto Rican’s status and that of the total population is inappropriate for young adult readers.