As the two largest groups of Hispanics in the United States, Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans share many similar experiences. However, both in the past and in the present, the situations of these groups also differ because of the different relationships the United States maintains with Mexico and Puerto Rico. In this chapter, Schaefer highlights these distinctions by explaining the United States’ historical and contemporary economic and immigration policies with these countries. In addition to this international perspective, he discusses the current situation of these groups in the United States.