Puerto Ricans maintain a vibrant identity that bridges two very different places- the island of Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland. Whether they live on the island or in the States, or divide time between the two, most imagine Puerto Rico as a separate nation and view themselves primarily as Puerto Rican. At the same time, Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917, and Puerto Rico has been U.S. commonwealth since 1952.   