Privileged whites and white privilege in Puerto Rico

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ascribed exclusively to the wealthy, white privilege is often understood and explained in Puerto Rico as a localized phenomenon, confined to select geographies, social circles, habits of thought, and action. This paper problematizes this notion by first highlighting the social significance of elite whites, commonly referred to as blanquitos, and then exploring some of the ways in which white privilege operates more broadly across Puerto Rican society, as evidenced in recent autoethnographic writings by self-identified white Puerto Rican authors.