In recent years Puerto Ricans in New York City have become difficult to locate in the public realm. This is a paradox given that Puerto Ricans make up the largest Hispanic subgroup in the larger metropolitan region. This study examines how, when, and why Puerto Ricans became publicly invisible in New York City.
Demographic, media-based, political, and cultural changes have all contributed to the decline in Puerto Rican ethnic visibility. The consequence is that although Puerto Ricans continue to be racialized (as evidenced by their socioeconomic indicators), their racialization cannot be seen in the public realm. Instead, Hispanic characteristics are highlighted in public discourse. The subsuming of Puerto Ricans into the quasi-racial Hispanic category means that their ethnic specificity is muted. This story of invisibility is not a story of assimilation, it is a story of racialization.
","abstract_html":"<p>In recent years Puerto Ricans in New York City have become difficult to locate in the public realm. This is a paradox given that Puerto Ricans make up the largest Hispanic subgroup in the larger metropolitan region. This study examines how, when, and why Puerto Ricans became publicly invisible in New York City.</p> <p>Demographic, media-based, political, and cultural changes have all contributed to the decline in Puerto Rican ethnic visibility. The consequence is that although Puerto Ricans continue to be racialized (as evidenced by their socioeconomic indicators), their racialization cannot be seen in the public realm. Instead, Hispanic characteristics are highlighted in public discourse. The subsuming of Puerto Ricans into the quasi-racial Hispanic category means that their ethnic specificity is muted. This story of invisibility is not a story of assimilation, it is a story of racialization.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Pina Saghera, Samantha"],"institution":"The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"Sociology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Vilna Bashi Treitler"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Richard Alba","Philip Kasinitz"],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-06-02T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-06-02T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:14Z","subjects":["Community-Based Research","Inequality and Stratification","Politics and Social Change","Race and Ethnicity","Sociology","Latino Panethnicity","Identity","Politics","Race","Culture","Ethnic Invisibility"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2085","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Vilna Bashi Treitler"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Richard Alba","Philip Kasinitz"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Pina Saghera, Samantha"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-06-02T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Community-Based Research","Inequality and Stratification","Politics and Social Change","Race and Ethnicity","Sociology","Latino Panethnicity","Identity","Politics","Race","Culture","Ethnic Invisibility"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2085"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In recent years Puerto Ricans in New York City have become difficult to locate in the public realm. This is a paradox given that Puerto Ricans make up the largest Hispanic subgroup in the larger metropolitan region. This study examines how, when, and why Puerto Ricans became publicly invisible in New York City.
Demographic, media-based, political, and cultural changes have all contributed to the decline in Puerto Rican ethnic visibility. The consequence is that although Puerto Ricans continue to be racialized (as evidenced by their socioeconomic indicators), their racialization cannot be seen in the public realm. Instead, Hispanic characteristics are highlighted in public discourse. The subsuming of Puerto Ricans into the quasi-racial Hispanic category means that their ethnic specificity is muted. This story of invisibility is not a story of assimilation, it is a story of racialization.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Becoming Ghosts: The Public Veiling of Puerto Ricans in New York City"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Vilna Bashi Treitler"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Richard Alba","Philip Kasinitz"],"dc:creator":["Pina Saghera, Samantha"],"dc:date.available":["2019-06-02T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In recent years Puerto Ricans in New York City have become difficult to locate in the public realm. This is a paradox given that Puerto Ricans make up the largest Hispanic subgroup in the larger metropolitan region. This study examines how, when, and why Puerto Ricans became publicly invisible in New York City.
Demographic, media-based, political, and cultural changes have all contributed to the decline in Puerto Rican ethnic visibility. The consequence is that although Puerto Ricans continue to be racialized (as evidenced by their socioeconomic indicators), their racialization cannot be seen in the public realm. Instead, Hispanic characteristics are highlighted in public discourse. The subsuming of Puerto Ricans into the quasi-racial Hispanic category means that their ethnic specificity is muted. This story of invisibility is not a story of assimilation, it is a story of racialization.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2085"],"dc:subject":["Community-Based Research","Inequality and Stratification","Politics and Social Change","Race and Ethnicity","Sociology","Latino Panethnicity","Identity","Politics","Race","Culture","Ethnic Invisibility"],"dc:title":["Becoming Ghosts: The Public Veiling of Puerto Ricans in New York City"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Sociology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:14Z"}