Photo by Ava Traill.
Many people of Hispanic descent who move to the United States struggle to not ever feel “American” enough. Puerto Ricans may also relate to this feeling, yet the island has been a part of the U.S. in some capacity since 1898. But without being a state, P.R. remains isolated and never fully equal.
The beautiful Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico has been a territory of the United States since the Treaty of Paris when the U.S. won the Spanish-American war. Guam and Puerto Rico are the only territories that still remain under U.S. control following this agreement.
As a territory, Puerto Ricans are considered American citizens. However, they do not have all the rights someone living in a state would, such as voting in the Presidential elections.
The elections of local political figures in P.R. are completely in the hands of the Puerto Rican people, but this middle place between independence and statehood causes some challenges when it comes to economics, healthcare, voting rights, and the procedures of the legal systems.
For decades, the debate of whether P.R. should become a state, remain a territory or become independent has been a heated topic among Puerto Rican’s.
“Even my own family is torn,” said Hector Alberty, the Student Activities Specialist at DSC. “They do like their independence, but then I have the other side of my family who want the statehood.”
There have been six different referendum votes held to see what the people of Puerto Rico want, and the last two have been in favor of statehood. However, Congress is not obligated to abide by the outcome of the polls.
As it is, the current state of the island is not ideal. The crime rates are high, the economy is stagnant and with the constant natural disasters, the island is always in a state of rebuilding and rising through tribulations.
While many are conflicted about the best course of action, I see no option for Puerto Rico to become independent. The culture on the island is already so Americanized, with the primary languages spoken being Spanish and English. It would not make sense to separate from the US after all this time.
I am proud of my indigenous Taino lineage, but it would be foolish to ignore the hundreds of years of African slave trade done by the Spanish that allowed for the deep incorporation of African culture in Puerto Rican culture as well.
Photo by Ava Traill.
Beyond that, the people of the island are so interconnected with the American cuisine, culture and lifestyle. Separating would be just as foreign as the Florida Keys becoming an independent nation.
Those opposed to independence would likely move to the U.S., specifically Florida, and considering how much the population of Florida has been increasing already within the past few years, it would be devastating to our economy.
That being said, I think joining the U.S. as a state would do a world of good for the Puerto Rican people.
Besides gaining right to vote, they would also be able to apply all the U.S. federal laws to the island, which would hopefully help the crime rates decrease. This could also help improve the healthcare available on the island and the financial support received for natural disasters.
Of course, statehood would not be a magical fix for every problem on the island, however, this could be a first step towards equity and a chance at stability for the Puerto Rican people.
As a Puerto Rican, I understand wanting individuality and having pride in my island. But I would never let my pride get in the way of something that could better the lives of everyone in Puerto Rico.