ABSTRACT
The Puerto Rican woman is too often pictured as a passive female, bending first to the will of her father, then of her husband-an obscure figure shuffling to the needs of her children and the men in her family. The Puerto Rican woman in the United States fits the historical pattern of the immigrant woman who worked alongside her man, sharing the burden of work and responsibilities. For many reasons, Puerto Rican women found employment more readily. The situation in Puerto Rico helps to debunk further the stereotype of a passive Puerto Rican woman. The Puerto Rican woman, both in Puerto Rico and in the United States, must examine the issues surrounding the women's movement. The participation of Puerto Rican women in the women's movement in the United States has been limited to a small core of middle class professional women and, to a lesser degree, working class women who have always had to struggle for survival.
