What effects will racial and ethnic discrimination have on Puerto Ricans? Will Puerto Ricans go the route of previous immigrant groups? Or will they be like blacks? What bearings does all this have on other ethnic groups? On blacks? The examination of the historical context begins with a discussion of the origins of ethnic and racial prejudice in the U.S. It is postulated that these forces in the context of the economic system were institutionalized in the form of an ethnic queue. The political system established in 1776 legitimated the economic system and the ideology in this formalized political system completed the legitimation of the ethnic queue. Next, substantiation of the existence of the ethnic queue is presented from a review and critique of the literature in the field. Historical materials are used to present evidence for its existence at a particular point in time, 1880-1920. A discussion of history and culture in Puerto Rico lays the background for an examination to the effect of the ethnic queue--working primarily through the economic and educational institutions--on Puerto Ricans. It will be seen that certain Puerto Rican characteristics, e.g., race and citizenship, will make the Puerto Rican experience in the U.S. different from that of previous immigrant groups. (Author/JM)