Its peoples ties to Africa. Puerto Rico is probably the whitest island in the Caribbean, certainly there are blacks, whites and mixed people but the majority of the population is predominantly of European descent and they are aware of that. Culturally speaking neither since the island has been the subject of Americanization since the beginning of times + the Spanish culture is way too strong, the African influence on the island's culture and people is less visible, even Black Puerto Ricans are culturally Spanish/Latin which is understandable since they grew up in a Latin cultural society.