Where does come from?
The flag of Puerto Rico, a US territory since 1898, was designed in the 19th century and officially adopted in 1952. It features a white, five-pointed star on a blue triangle atop three red stripes and two white ones.
The flag for Puerto Rico emoji was added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015, made to look like it’s waving on some platforms. On devices that don’t support the emoji, it displays as PR, its country code.
The flag for Puerto Rico emoji was nominated as “Emoji of the Year” by the social media-honoring Shorty Awards in 2018 due to the devastating 2017 hurricane and ensuing responses (or lack thereof). It lost to 🦄, the unicorn face emoji.
Who uses ?
The flag for Puerto Rico emoji can caption pictures of vacations to Puerto Rico, reference the country’s popular reggaeton music (including the hit 2017 single “Despacito”), and Puerto Rican history, heritage, and pride, especially when incorporated into someone’s social-media user name.
Old San Juan is too picturesque 🌇🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/EddL3hCUZL
— Stephen Ochoa (@Stephen0choa) March 29, 2016
when i’m spittin reggaeton🎤🎶🎶⛽🔥🔥🔥💃🏾call me daddy yankee 👦🏻🇵🇷 but when I’m sexin my girl🍆😏👅💦she say daddy spank me 👋🏾💥🍑😩😩😩😩
— Eagles Super Bowl Champs (@thebigkhalifa) March 27, 2016
Four generations of Puerto Rican women 🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/3yq1axJIJR
— Eliel Cruz (@elielcruz) July 29, 2016
The flag for Puerto Rico emoji became very prominent on social media in September, 2017, after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island. The natural disaster caused long, island-wide blackouts and supply shortages, which many think was exacerbated by an inadequate response from the Trump administration. Many people on social media used the emoji to express solidarity with the Puerto Rican people and raise money for their relief.
Here now and despite all the hardship and discouragement- this is something I have heard over and over again from folks who don’t even follow broadway. “En Enero viene Lin-Manuel.” 🇵🇷✊🏽 https://t.co/LGZGHBSVo5
— Nelba Márquez-Greene 🇵🇷 (@Nelba_MG) April 20, 2018
— Piper Perabo (@PiperPerabo) September 29, 2017