3 ms·
Your map of the article is partially wrong because the article, at least part of it, is wrong. In order to make the "boring" parts of Taíno genetic research in
by adolfojp 6y ago
Your map of the article is partially wrong because the article, at least part of it, is wrong.
In order to make the "boring" parts of Taíno genetic research interesting to your casual reader some magazines sell this false romanticized narrative about Puerto Ricans using DNA to learn the Taíno history that was denied to them.
But in reality every Puerto Rican gets taught in school that they are a mix of Taíno, Spaniard, and African. It's a gross oversimplification but that's how Puerto Rican identity is built by the school system. And this isn't something new. I learned this story in school in the 80s. My parents learned it in the 40s. Our colloquial demonyms Boricua, Borinqueño, and Borincano are derived from Taíno words.
What we are told that went extinct is the direct cultural lineage of the Taíno, and this is true. Taíno women were taken as "wives" by the conquerors, and this was confirmed by DNA research, and their children were raised in Spanish culture and traditions. Virtually all that we know about Taíno culture comes from Spanish historians, Taíno remains, and a few artifacts. Throughout most of our history we were raised without Taíno elders or teachers.
What these articles reveal are specifics about genetic composition, distribution, migration paths, etc. And all of that is wonderful. I just wish that these magazines published those discoveries without lying about how Puerto Ricans are ignorant of their past and genetic composition to make the articles more appealing. It's appalling.