Migration in a Small Semiperiphery: The Movement of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans

Abstract

This article argues that the semiperipheral development of Puerto Rico since around 1975 has led to the creation of a relative labor surplus in the formal sectors of the economy while at the same time increasing the demand for cheap labor in the informal service sector. Thus, Puerto Ricans leave their country in search of good jobs in the United States while Dominicans migrate to Puerto Rico and find work in the informal sector. The return migration of Puerto Ricans has also been significant, but is due to their strong national culture, rather than economic reasons. The article concludes that migration to and from Puerto Rico is of a semiperipheral type because it combines characteristics of migration previously described as “migration from the periphery to the center” and “migration within the periphery.” A precise definition of the semiperipheral characteristics of Puerto Rico is given.