The racial mixing of the Puerto Ricans during this time probably evolved within the context of the hinterlands that were occupied by old lower class settlers. The slaves would seek refuge in these lands from the oppressive life of the plantation. The elite that remained in the island towards the end of the sugar industry and Coffee industry were not a strong force and did not seek to resist the Americans that would take over in 1898. The lower social class of mulattos and black could not even as much as take on the task of resisting another form of colonialism for obvious reasons. Ironically Spanish influences of the dominant social class seem to be embraced in present day conceptions about Puerto Rican identity, yet the African components both of blackness and social class seem to have been filtered out of the discussions.
Language remains by far the premier legacy of Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rican society.
Works Cited Bergad, Laird. Lecture, September 1998 Gonzales, Jose Luis.