Puerto Rican Social Structure

Family is the foundation of the Puerto Rican social structure. ”Familismo” is a Puerto Rican word meaning close family connections, stressing the well-being of the family, as opposed to cultures which place a greater emphasis on friends and same-age peers as an integral part of the social structure. Puerto Rican family complex is extensive; it is based on the Spanish system of compadrazgo in which many members—not just parents and siblings—are considered to be part of the immediate family. Thus los abuelos(grandparents) and los tios y las tias (uncles and aunts) and even los primos y las primas (cousins) are considered extremely close relatives in the Puerto Rican family structure. Close friends often refer to each other as compadre y