42 thoughts on “Should Puerto Rico become a state of the United States if Spanish remains the first language of the island?”
No historical basis or legal guarantees
There is no historical basis or legal guarantee for believing that Puerto Rico would ever be allowed to be this mythic jibaro state. The Treaty of Guadalupe guaranteed that Mexicans living in California, Colorado, New Mexico, etc. would be allowed to continue to speak Spanish and continue their way of life. That never happened. California laws, for example, are supposed to be promulgated in Spanish and English in accordance with the agreement reached between the U.S. and Mexico after the Mexican American War. It never happened. So I don’t think this topic has any really substance to it.
I don’t think Puerto Rico should become a state unless it is willing, truly willing to give up its culture and history–that is, unless the people of Puerto Rico are truly willing to give up being Puerto Ricans to become an ethnic minority called Nuyoricans, Hispanics, Latinos, etc.
RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
I don’t think that Puerto Ricans will have to “Give Up” Spanish or give up their culture.
First let me tell you a story, when I was in college at Purdue University, One weekend a friend invited me to his house over the weekend, so I went and to my surprise his mother spoke maybe ten words of english and his father maybe a little more, and my friend was quite fluent in Itailian, and while I was there we ate traditional foods and drank his fathers homemade wine.
My point being, I was in Valparasio, Indiana and at the same time I was in Italy, My friends family after living in the states for over 18 years, still had thier language and still had thier culture. Because that was important to them and they wanted to keep thier culture alive.
Today when I visit my friend we joke about how our children can teach each other a different language, my son speaks english and spanish and his son speaks english and itailian.
I pretty sure that I can say that my Itailian friend has decided that eventhough he lives in the U.S. His culture will make it through the next generation, and My son will know and experiance his Puerto Rican Culture even though his father is a gringo, because that is what is important to us.
I have ran into many Nuyoricans that have to speak english to thier children, why ? have they decided to give up being Puerto Rican? The only way you can give up your culture is if you quit living it! the only way you can loose you language is if you quit speaking it! being a state has nothing to do with it.
RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
Gotta agree with u there–the “best” that can happen is that PR takes on the look/feel of New Orleans. Besides, PR as a state is extremely unlikely–after all, this is a country that gets excited over such deep slogans as “English Only.”
RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
It’s got nothing to do with giving up culture if as a parent u have to speak English to your kids–ALL foreign born parents have to do this to some extent or another. It has to do with the fact that this is an English world power and parents understand that if they can’t “make” it, their kids will. How? By speaking English. But don’t be fooled by the fact that bilingual people are not really that visible–lots of people are bi lingual and bicultural in this country. Yet the PR case is different; this is a population with Spanish as the dominant language that will be asked to give up that language in order to enter (not to push it too far, but the Mormons had to give up polygamy before entering the US)
Unclear point
Your point is unclear. The fact is that you are referring to Puerto Rico, a nation within a nation, as if it were an immigrant. This is not the case. What is being proposed by estadistas is that a nation give up its language and, thereby, its historical basis for the tranmission of culture in the most profound sense of the word. That a people consider themselves foreign in their own land. That through some statutory act that began and continues to be perpetuated through acts of intimidation and demonstrations of military and economic prowess, a people abolish themselves. This is very different from people immigrating somewhere and taking on the language and customs of their host nation. The United States is not the host nation to Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is not the guest of the United States but its hostage. If any analogy holds here it is the Stockholm syndrome, where the victim in order to survive identifies with the agressor and attempts to find some equilibrium by being sympathetic towards him or her. If Puerto Ricans want to “make it” in the U.S., they should move to New York or to Florida or any other state in the U.S. and play the successful immigrant story. They should not take their whole country down with them.
RE: Unclear point
My point is worse than unclear–I have NO idea what the hell I was thinking about, or responding to. Damn! 🙂
RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
And yet people like Rosello and Romero exist. N’est-ce pas? So Louisiana has become the gumbo state and Puerto Rico would become–the cuchifrito state?
These men are more than happy to give up Spanish. Their actions speak louder than their words which–because they are spoken in Spanish, may not, to them, carry the same weight as their English words to the Congress.
RE: RE: Unclear point
Fuzzy, isn’t it. Come on Victor!!!
RE: RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
I do not agree with your premise.
But just for the sake of discussion, with 4 million people in 8,000 sq kms, with a higher pop. density than Haiti and far less natural resources than El Salvador, I prefer to see my children bein raised in the Cuchifrito State than watching them become citizens of the Poorest Nation of the Western Hemisphere.
RE: RE: RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
With the level of sophistication the Puerto Rican population has, I do not agree with the comparison to Haiti. Also, the problem of the Third World should not be addressed by running into the hands of one of the seven Richest Nations that helps impoverish and keeps impoverished the Third World. We should think and act conscientiously to resolve these problems on a global scale.
The problems Puerto Rico would face as an independent nation are similar to those that Cuba and Haiti faces but they are distinctly in different positions for handling those problems.
If you want to sell your nation for a material standard of living then, really, that’s your prerogative–but see clearly what you are doing which is basically committing treason. You can opt for it but call it what it is. You are willing to betray your country in order to assume a certain standard of living that you feel is valuable and can only come to you via the United States. And you are very likely right, that under these historical circumstances, the kind of life you have grown accustomed to has come through the U.S. occupation of the island and the agitation in reaction to it that caused the U.S. over time to remove itself from overtly governing the island and also to neutralize the opposition through the development of a subsidized market on the island.
Your decision, too, is part of the Third World predicament and, I believe, people who want a certain material life and are willing to sacrifice or give up any drive for independence or national identity, I believe they are usually called the vendor class or something like this. It’s late and perhaps tomorrow I will think more clearly.
Not the question…
The topic question suggests that statehood is conditional on language.
“If” is conditional. The corollary question would be, “if the United States govenment granted Puerto Rico the right to retain its native language,
would Perto Ricans generally be inclined to acceed to statehood. The question is misguided and devious.
The position that Puerto Rico is entitled to its independence is based on a natural right and/or a human right; not on which would be the first language if it becomes a state. This is not about language; it is about the right to self-determination.
Language, culture, territory, economic and other considerations comprise the argument for self determination. These components are integral to one another, and the concession of one should not and cannot deter the drive for self rule. The only remote consideration would be economic viability; but even that, in a world where every single nation is economically dependent on others, from the wealthiest to the poorest (of course the poorest often yield natural resources that enrich the 1st world nations), economic dependency is not a valid argument against self-determination.
The question does an injustice to the drive for self rule in Puerto Rico.
RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
The problems Puerto Rico would face as an indepentent nation are far greater than those of Cuba and Haiti, two nations with less population density and far more natural resources.
Those my friend are facts.
Wether we like them or not.
If you think the problems I am worried about are typical of what you call the vendor class – not having enough JCPenneys, Armani, and Sears or suffering a sudden shortage of french fries at Burger King, then you dont understand my point.
Now, as far as “selling my nation”, “committing treason”, and “giving up any drive for independence” is concerned, I do call them what they are: pure nationalistic phrases that belong to a XIX Century philosophy. Concepts – may I add- that have been used over and over by the worst kind of political minds in search of power.
Laureano — FYI
England, the seat of the British Empire & still a prosperous member of the Western World (so much so, as a matter of fact, that it can actually contemplate not joining the EU) has, for all practical purposes, -0- natural resources. It has been totally dependent on its colonies (past & present) and administrative skills for its dominant position in the world. So when you refer to the few natural resources on Puerto Rico, what exactly do you mean. Modern commerce depends as much on services — be they commercial, travel, banking, intellectual, inter alia) — as on natural resources, perhaps more. Contemplate what is happening with trade on the Net, for example.
Point 2: “…drive for self determination” as a phrase uttered by the “worst (sic) political minds in search of political power”…I guess that phrase is your identiyer. A drive for independence is the most natural instinct common to all peoples — then again, the natural rights of man is another 18th/19th Century concept. Less natural is the desire or willingness to remain subjugated to a foreigh power.
Puerto Rico will never become a state because we do not want to. Thanks, but no thanks.
eh?
.~*~.I agree with Nelson!…Thanx but no thanx We can remain da way we are.~*~.
If Puerto Rico becomes independent it will face extreme economical competition from other latin American countries and the US, with far greaters resources and land. So before you think of becoming an independent nation you better come with an very good plan to tackle this problem.
PR is perfectly happy the way it is. All nice and alone why do we even have to touch it.
Smit Are you Puerto Rican?
Anonymous Says:
October 28th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
PR is perfectly happy the way it is. All nice and alone why do we even have to touch it.
To the person who wrote this. Do you actually have any idea what is going on in PR right now? Economically things need to change. Puerto Ricans are born U.S. citizens. Why should they not then be able to become a true state if it would help the Island? So often people like Smit forget that the people who came to America in the very beginning came for freedom to create a new world of tolerance and understanding. Your founding fathers would be ashamed of you smit “If you want to sell your nation for a material standard of living then, really, that’s your prerogative–but see clearly what you are doing which is basically committing treason.” They are not selling their nation or committing treason. You are simply a bigot who should not participate in this discussion.
If you do not have the right to vote, shut up and move on! Let the people and the gov’t decide what is best.
Puerto Ricans will never commit to becoming a state and throwing away our history. I am a firm believer that the US, although trying to get us against one another so that their is division in our people, will not bring us to independent due to all the money they have invested into PR. Puerto Rico is a treasure to them. Beautiful carribian island in the middle of the ocean. (Mi Borinquen) They own most of the businesses and hotels. My people; if we do not own our own business, we work and we spend money on bills, shopping, etc. But our homes are our homes from generation to generation and we should not be forced to pay addition tax fee for something that has been our for generations. People of all cultures come from all over the world to vacation ato PR; they stay in hotels and spend money at restaurants and shopping. The US will not disown us and they must respect our request. To stay as we are.
I think that it would be unfair for us to say that we do not want to let Puerto Rico to become a state. We have control of them for goodness sake! Yet even though we have control of them, they are not allowed to have any voice in congress?? Not very constitutional. As for the language, i dont feel that just because the bill is being proposed that english will be U.S. first langauge, that it means Puerto Ricans must stop speaking spanish. Letting them become a state should not affect their culture. After all, we have many types of different cultures and languages in our country. That is what makes it so great. Puerto Ricans have served for the United States and many have died in this service. It is highly unreasonable for us americans to say they shouldn’t become a state.
Puerto Rico should unite with Spain once again.
come on puerto rico we need you or we should just take over canada your choice
Puerto Rico should become independant.. really it should, why lose the flag to be replaced by a American flag… it’s like taking the heritage away from my Puerto Rican people.. Thats just my view
i believe puerto rico should become independent. I dont think they should become a state and loose there heritage, and laguage.
Independence.
PR SHOULD BECOME INDEPENDENT OR STAY THE SAME.FOREAL.IF WE BECOME A STATE THATS TAKING ALL OF OUR HERITAGE AND HISTORY AWAY.AND FOR THE POEPLE SAYING”WE OWN YOU”WHY IS IT THAT PR CAN MAKE THE DECISION AND NOT THE US.IF YOU “OWNED US” BE A STATE CAUSE THE US WOULDVE MADE A DECISION A LONG TIME AGO.PR DOES NOT WANT TO BECOME A STATE TRUST ME.LIKE SOMEONE ELSE SIAD WE JUST SMOOCHING OFF OF AMERICANS
PR should become independent or should be given back to Spain, and that decision should not be left to the Puerto Ricans. The US has too many problems to be worrying about having to deal with an island full of people that culturally have very little to do with America, unless you include its illegal immigrant population, and that is light years behind, say, even Mississippi. PR for the Puerto Ricans!
I think Puerto Rico should stay a common wealth of the United States, and try to perserve the true Puerto Rican culture it still has. In fact i think spanish should be the only official language of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico today is too Americanized and we have forgotten the basic traditions that our grandparents has taught us.
But, Joshua, PR could more effectively get back to its traditions (epidemics of stray dogs, dumping garbage onto street while waiting at stop lights, being super noisy all of the time) if it would simply become independent. Then PR wouldn’t have to deal with the a$$hole “yanqui,” who is always keeping the boricua down. Don’t compromise!
i am borikua myself and all i have to say is in my 23 years of living on this earth, even though i look like the whitest guy since john mccain, i have experienced my fair share of “racism” and criticism for being puerto rican, coming from mainly other spanish races ex. dominicans(BIG TIME), peruvians, colombians, salvadorians etc. i guess i will never fully understand this hatred from my fellow latinos but i will say that i am truly saddened to see the american flag boasted everywhere throughout puerto rico right next to our islands flag like its 50% puerto rico and 50% america. This is very sad. And whats even more sad is that we puerto ricans are definately losing our identity and culture no matter what anybody says. We are not considered “real” latinos anymore whether your’e a “nuyorican” or fresh out the salchicha can from some dirt hut in PR. Now im not hating on the US for anything because no matter what anybody says, this country has provided more for so many races than any country in the universe can ever offer, but, we were a foreign island to begin with, only spanish speaking, but now it’s the “americanized” PR as everybody knows it. Everywhere you go you can see its the american flag right next to the puerto rican flag. Lets face it, whether we like it or not, we are no longer just “puerto rican”, now, to everybody, we are american no matter what. I hate the fact that so many other latinos hate on boricuas for this. It makes me sick because since the beginning boricuas always represented for ALL latinos as one. As time goes on and years and generations pass, the island we once knew, will no longer be. Our language has already been ruined as far as the puerto rican americans go because the majority of all latinos in the US who dont speak spanish are of puerto rican heritage, sadly, including myself. My spanish is horrible. I grew up with 100% puerto rican parents who never once spoke spanish with me, not once. My whole entire family speaks spanish and some who cant even speak english but growing up in my house spanish was nowhere to be heard. I am kind of ashamed by this as this gives people a reason to tell me that im not a “real” boricua and what can i say?? Nothing. It just goes to show where we are headed and we let this happen to us. We let America take over yet another piece of land which is puerto rico. I say fight for the independence for future generations of boricuas. Yeah you know what, if we do that, things will probably get alot worse than they already are in PR, but at the end of the day we will have what was ours to begin with, puerto rico.
NuYorkRican:
I don’t think PR’s status as an American territory has anything to do with why so many other hispanic countries dislike Puerto Ricans. I’m not sure what it is, but Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Argentinians are pretty much universally disliked by other hispanics. I think you and your family should go back to PR and fight for Puerto Rican independence. Imagine the effect it would have if all Puerto Ricans in the US would go back to Puerto Rico.
i think that this site shoud be public and not just for the use of the pipol that want to do harm to puerto rico and get rich of the towns we shod look for a better way to use this site .and not to descrate the isla of puerto rico .wen we hone a grat love to the usa …. i was born in puerto rico and i am 45 yers old and the USA has bien ther in the good and in the bad for us with …. yes money becose it money even if the goverment that we have miss use it and gives it self ever year the congres a raze of money and dont aten the hospitols and the childrin ,and the pour of it puerto rico ……..thank you for the site my frens i hope that the cogres of the USA look at this and makes us part in full a state and clean up this this puerto rico and make it the beutty she is bloom to it beutty like she is …………
puerto rico should become a state in the united states BRAH.
puerto rico is BANGIN’ HOLA. ADDIOS!!!!!
Is very unlikely that Puerto Rico will ever become a state unless they find oil or diamonds in there. Anyway I don’t think they have to give up their culture at all. What’s american culture?? Is New York the same culture than in Texas? Is Chicago like Nebraska?? Do the US have any dishes that the same on all the nation apart from thanksgiving that is also celebrated in PR? Each state has it’s own culture, since the US is not one race but a bunch of immigrants from everywhere. Many Puertoricans speak english anyway. But I think in the end, the US will not do it for economics reasons. The same reason PR wants to be a state.
You know this is not going to happen so shut the fuck up
@ Whaat – that was the most ignorant statement i heard. if u cant vote shut up and move on? are you kidding me?
@ NuYorkRikan _ i agree with you about the hate we recieve from fellow latinos but you have to remeber it is just that , hate. we recieve us citizenship at birth meanwhile all other latin races have to work for their citizenship and have a immigrant political stauses. they have to take extra steps to get what we get at birth and that one big reason why they hate on puertoricans so much. i worked in a landscaping company with a bunch of immmigrant mexicans and uruguayians. they would talk mad crap bout how wwe are sell outs are what not but at the end of the day you know if they had the choice of being like us they would choose it in a heart beat. we are sell outs to them but they arer in the same country illegally at that working the same jobs or even harder and earning a lot less money. thats why they hate on us.
i think that we have gotten off subject here, as a Puerto Rican, and living in America, it would be almost impossible from Puerto Rico to NOT lose their sense of culture, (notice i did not ay history, its impossible to lose history, it cant be changed and had already happened) but as for culture and language, it would be fairly easy and almost essential to have to change in order for the people in my country to survive as an “Americano”, but also noting the fact that America already clams the land of Puerto Rico, its not as if Puerto Rico isnt going to eventually take on the language of American anyway.
Yo pienso que Puerto Rico deve ser estado por que los gringos nos llaman mexicanos y eso no es cool, yo vivo en Louisiana. Aqui ahy mucho rascismo com los latinos. Estoy a favor de que P.R. se haga estado. ATTE, BRADY
listen people, being US citizen is a good thing. you don’t have to give up your culture or history. the US government chose puerto rico for a reason. also remember that no one in puerto rico is a real puerto rican. a real puerto rican is of taino descent or the fact that some are mixed with taino or are moisistes, which means that they are mixe with other races. however, because of the spanish rule, the spanish language dominated the culture of the people of puerto rico. the spanish almost dissimated the taino people which are the real puerto rican people–everybody else is a wannabe puerto rican–most of them are spaniards. my point is that there is nothing wrong with speaking english. no one is taking away your culture of language. it is up the puerto rican to keep teaching their offspring to speak spanish if they wish. however, if you want equal rights with the united states and running for public offices, for example, the united state sente, congress or president you must know or learn how to speak english–there is no way around this. you cannot vote for the presidential election or the congressional election unless puerto rico become a state. so stop bitching so much people and become a state.
No historical basis or legal guarantees
There is no historical basis or legal guarantee for believing that Puerto Rico would ever be allowed to be this mythic jibaro state. The Treaty of Guadalupe guaranteed that Mexicans living in California, Colorado, New Mexico, etc. would be allowed to continue to speak Spanish and continue their way of life. That never happened. California laws, for example, are supposed to be promulgated in Spanish and English in accordance with the agreement reached between the U.S. and Mexico after the Mexican American War. It never happened. So I don’t think this topic has any really substance to it.
I don’t think Puerto Rico should become a state unless it is willing, truly willing to give up its culture and history–that is, unless the people of Puerto Rico are truly willing to give up being Puerto Ricans to become an ethnic minority called Nuyoricans, Hispanics, Latinos, etc.
RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
I don’t think that Puerto Ricans will have to “Give Up” Spanish or give up their culture.
First let me tell you a story, when I was in college at Purdue University, One weekend a friend invited me to his house over the weekend, so I went and to my surprise his mother spoke maybe ten words of english and his father maybe a little more, and my friend was quite fluent in Itailian, and while I was there we ate traditional foods and drank his fathers homemade wine.
My point being, I was in Valparasio, Indiana and at the same time I was in Italy, My friends family after living in the states for over 18 years, still had thier language and still had thier culture. Because that was important to them and they wanted to keep thier culture alive.
Today when I visit my friend we joke about how our children can teach each other a different language, my son speaks english and spanish and his son speaks english and itailian.
I pretty sure that I can say that my Itailian friend has decided that eventhough he lives in the U.S. His culture will make it through the next generation, and My son will know and experiance his Puerto Rican Culture even though his father is a gringo, because that is what is important to us.
I have ran into many Nuyoricans that have to speak english to thier children, why ? have they decided to give up being Puerto Rican? The only way you can give up your culture is if you quit living it! the only way you can loose you language is if you quit speaking it! being a state has nothing to do with it.
RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
Gotta agree with u there–the “best” that can happen is that PR takes on the look/feel of New Orleans. Besides, PR as a state is extremely unlikely–after all, this is a country that gets excited over such deep slogans as “English Only.”
RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
It’s got nothing to do with giving up culture if as a parent u have to speak English to your kids–ALL foreign born parents have to do this to some extent or another. It has to do with the fact that this is an English world power and parents understand that if they can’t “make” it, their kids will. How? By speaking English. But don’t be fooled by the fact that bilingual people are not really that visible–lots of people are bi lingual and bicultural in this country. Yet the PR case is different; this is a population with Spanish as the dominant language that will be asked to give up that language in order to enter (not to push it too far, but the Mormons had to give up polygamy before entering the US)
Unclear point
Your point is unclear. The fact is that you are referring to Puerto Rico, a nation within a nation, as if it were an immigrant. This is not the case. What is being proposed by estadistas is that a nation give up its language and, thereby, its historical basis for the tranmission of culture in the most profound sense of the word. That a people consider themselves foreign in their own land. That through some statutory act that began and continues to be perpetuated through acts of intimidation and demonstrations of military and economic prowess, a people abolish themselves. This is very different from people immigrating somewhere and taking on the language and customs of their host nation. The United States is not the host nation to Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is not the guest of the United States but its hostage. If any analogy holds here it is the Stockholm syndrome, where the victim in order to survive identifies with the agressor and attempts to find some equilibrium by being sympathetic towards him or her. If Puerto Ricans want to “make it” in the U.S., they should move to New York or to Florida or any other state in the U.S. and play the successful immigrant story. They should not take their whole country down with them.
RE: Unclear point
My point is worse than unclear–I have NO idea what the hell I was thinking about, or responding to. Damn! 🙂
RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
And yet people like Rosello and Romero exist. N’est-ce pas? So Louisiana has become the gumbo state and Puerto Rico would become–the cuchifrito state?
These men are more than happy to give up Spanish. Their actions speak louder than their words which–because they are spoken in Spanish, may not, to them, carry the same weight as their English words to the Congress.
RE: RE: Unclear point
Fuzzy, isn’t it. Come on Victor!!!
RE: RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
I do not agree with your premise.
But just for the sake of discussion, with 4 million people in 8,000 sq kms, with a higher pop. density than Haiti and far less natural resources than El Salvador, I prefer to see my children bein raised in the Cuchifrito State than watching them become citizens of the Poorest Nation of the Western Hemisphere.
RE: RE: RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
With the level of sophistication the Puerto Rican population has, I do not agree with the comparison to Haiti. Also, the problem of the Third World should not be addressed by running into the hands of one of the seven Richest Nations that helps impoverish and keeps impoverished the Third World. We should think and act conscientiously to resolve these problems on a global scale.
The problems Puerto Rico would face as an independent nation are similar to those that Cuba and Haiti faces but they are distinctly in different positions for handling those problems.
If you want to sell your nation for a material standard of living then, really, that’s your prerogative–but see clearly what you are doing which is basically committing treason. You can opt for it but call it what it is. You are willing to betray your country in order to assume a certain standard of living that you feel is valuable and can only come to you via the United States. And you are very likely right, that under these historical circumstances, the kind of life you have grown accustomed to has come through the U.S. occupation of the island and the agitation in reaction to it that caused the U.S. over time to remove itself from overtly governing the island and also to neutralize the opposition through the development of a subsidized market on the island.
Your decision, too, is part of the Third World predicament and, I believe, people who want a certain material life and are willing to sacrifice or give up any drive for independence or national identity, I believe they are usually called the vendor class or something like this. It’s late and perhaps tomorrow I will think more clearly.
Not the question…
The topic question suggests that statehood is conditional on language.
“If” is conditional. The corollary question would be, “if the United States govenment granted Puerto Rico the right to retain its native language,
would Perto Ricans generally be inclined to acceed to statehood. The question is misguided and devious.
The position that Puerto Rico is entitled to its independence is based on a natural right and/or a human right; not on which would be the first language if it becomes a state. This is not about language; it is about the right to self-determination.
Language, culture, territory, economic and other considerations comprise the argument for self determination. These components are integral to one another, and the concession of one should not and cannot deter the drive for self rule. The only remote consideration would be economic viability; but even that, in a world where every single nation is economically dependent on others, from the wealthiest to the poorest (of course the poorest often yield natural resources that enrich the 1st world nations), economic dependency is not a valid argument against self-determination.
The question does an injustice to the drive for self rule in Puerto Rico.
RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: No historical basis or legal guarantees
The problems Puerto Rico would face as an indepentent nation are far greater than those of Cuba and Haiti, two nations with less population density and far more natural resources.
Those my friend are facts.
Wether we like them or not.
If you think the problems I am worried about are typical of what you call the vendor class – not having enough JCPenneys, Armani, and Sears or suffering a sudden shortage of french fries at Burger King, then you dont understand my point.
Now, as far as “selling my nation”, “committing treason”, and “giving up any drive for independence” is concerned, I do call them what they are: pure nationalistic phrases that belong to a XIX Century philosophy. Concepts – may I add- that have been used over and over by the worst kind of political minds in search of power.
Laureano — FYI
England, the seat of the British Empire & still a prosperous member of the Western World (so much so, as a matter of fact, that it can actually contemplate not joining the EU) has, for all practical purposes, -0- natural resources. It has been totally dependent on its colonies (past & present) and administrative skills for its dominant position in the world. So when you refer to the few natural resources on Puerto Rico, what exactly do you mean. Modern commerce depends as much on services — be they commercial, travel, banking, intellectual, inter alia) — as on natural resources, perhaps more. Contemplate what is happening with trade on the Net, for example.
Point 2: “…drive for self determination” as a phrase uttered by the “worst (sic) political minds in search of political power”…I guess that phrase is your identiyer. A drive for independence is the most natural instinct common to all peoples — then again, the natural rights of man is another 18th/19th Century concept. Less natural is the desire or willingness to remain subjugated to a foreigh power.
Puerto Rico will never become a state because we do not want to. Thanks, but no thanks.
eh?
.~*~.I agree with Nelson!…Thanx but no thanx We can remain da way we are.~*~.
If Puerto Rico becomes independent it will face extreme economical competition from other latin American countries and the US, with far greaters resources and land. So before you think of becoming an independent nation you better come with an very good plan to tackle this problem.
PR is perfectly happy the way it is. All nice and alone why do we even have to touch it.
Smit Are you Puerto Rican?
Anonymous Says:
October 28th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
PR is perfectly happy the way it is. All nice and alone why do we even have to touch it.
To the person who wrote this. Do you actually have any idea what is going on in PR right now? Economically things need to change. Puerto Ricans are born U.S. citizens. Why should they not then be able to become a true state if it would help the Island? So often people like Smit forget that the people who came to America in the very beginning came for freedom to create a new world of tolerance and understanding. Your founding fathers would be ashamed of you smit “If you want to sell your nation for a material standard of living then, really, that’s your prerogative–but see clearly what you are doing which is basically committing treason.” They are not selling their nation or committing treason. You are simply a bigot who should not participate in this discussion.
If you do not have the right to vote, shut up and move on! Let the people and the gov’t decide what is best.
Puerto Ricans will never commit to becoming a state and throwing away our history. I am a firm believer that the US, although trying to get us against one another so that their is division in our people, will not bring us to independent due to all the money they have invested into PR. Puerto Rico is a treasure to them. Beautiful carribian island in the middle of the ocean. (Mi Borinquen) They own most of the businesses and hotels. My people; if we do not own our own business, we work and we spend money on bills, shopping, etc. But our homes are our homes from generation to generation and we should not be forced to pay addition tax fee for something that has been our for generations. People of all cultures come from all over the world to vacation ato PR; they stay in hotels and spend money at restaurants and shopping. The US will not disown us and they must respect our request. To stay as we are.
I think that it would be unfair for us to say that we do not want to let Puerto Rico to become a state. We have control of them for goodness sake! Yet even though we have control of them, they are not allowed to have any voice in congress?? Not very constitutional. As for the language, i dont feel that just because the bill is being proposed that english will be U.S. first langauge, that it means Puerto Ricans must stop speaking spanish. Letting them become a state should not affect their culture. After all, we have many types of different cultures and languages in our country. That is what makes it so great. Puerto Ricans have served for the United States and many have died in this service. It is highly unreasonable for us americans to say they shouldn’t become a state.
Puerto Rico should unite with Spain once again.
come on puerto rico we need you or we should just take over canada your choice
Puerto Rico should become independant.. really it should, why lose the flag to be replaced by a American flag… it’s like taking the heritage away from my Puerto Rican people.. Thats just my view
i believe puerto rico should become independent. I dont think they should become a state and loose there heritage, and laguage.
Independence.
PR SHOULD BECOME INDEPENDENT OR STAY THE SAME.FOREAL.IF WE BECOME A STATE THATS TAKING ALL OF OUR HERITAGE AND HISTORY AWAY.AND FOR THE POEPLE SAYING”WE OWN YOU”WHY IS IT THAT PR CAN MAKE THE DECISION AND NOT THE US.IF YOU “OWNED US” BE A STATE CAUSE THE US WOULDVE MADE A DECISION A LONG TIME AGO.PR DOES NOT WANT TO BECOME A STATE TRUST ME.LIKE SOMEONE ELSE SIAD WE JUST SMOOCHING OFF OF AMERICANS
PR should become independent or should be given back to Spain, and that decision should not be left to the Puerto Ricans. The US has too many problems to be worrying about having to deal with an island full of people that culturally have very little to do with America, unless you include its illegal immigrant population, and that is light years behind, say, even Mississippi. PR for the Puerto Ricans!
I think Puerto Rico should stay a common wealth of the United States, and try to perserve the true Puerto Rican culture it still has. In fact i think spanish should be the only official language of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico today is too Americanized and we have forgotten the basic traditions that our grandparents has taught us.
But, Joshua, PR could more effectively get back to its traditions (epidemics of stray dogs, dumping garbage onto street while waiting at stop lights, being super noisy all of the time) if it would simply become independent. Then PR wouldn’t have to deal with the a$$hole “yanqui,” who is always keeping the boricua down. Don’t compromise!
i am borikua myself and all i have to say is in my 23 years of living on this earth, even though i look like the whitest guy since john mccain, i have experienced my fair share of “racism” and criticism for being puerto rican, coming from mainly other spanish races ex. dominicans(BIG TIME), peruvians, colombians, salvadorians etc. i guess i will never fully understand this hatred from my fellow latinos but i will say that i am truly saddened to see the american flag boasted everywhere throughout puerto rico right next to our islands flag like its 50% puerto rico and 50% america. This is very sad. And whats even more sad is that we puerto ricans are definately losing our identity and culture no matter what anybody says. We are not considered “real” latinos anymore whether your’e a “nuyorican” or fresh out the salchicha can from some dirt hut in PR. Now im not hating on the US for anything because no matter what anybody says, this country has provided more for so many races than any country in the universe can ever offer, but, we were a foreign island to begin with, only spanish speaking, but now it’s the “americanized” PR as everybody knows it. Everywhere you go you can see its the american flag right next to the puerto rican flag. Lets face it, whether we like it or not, we are no longer just “puerto rican”, now, to everybody, we are american no matter what. I hate the fact that so many other latinos hate on boricuas for this. It makes me sick because since the beginning boricuas always represented for ALL latinos as one. As time goes on and years and generations pass, the island we once knew, will no longer be. Our language has already been ruined as far as the puerto rican americans go because the majority of all latinos in the US who dont speak spanish are of puerto rican heritage, sadly, including myself. My spanish is horrible. I grew up with 100% puerto rican parents who never once spoke spanish with me, not once. My whole entire family speaks spanish and some who cant even speak english but growing up in my house spanish was nowhere to be heard. I am kind of ashamed by this as this gives people a reason to tell me that im not a “real” boricua and what can i say?? Nothing. It just goes to show where we are headed and we let this happen to us. We let America take over yet another piece of land which is puerto rico. I say fight for the independence for future generations of boricuas. Yeah you know what, if we do that, things will probably get alot worse than they already are in PR, but at the end of the day we will have what was ours to begin with, puerto rico.
NuYorkRican:
I don’t think PR’s status as an American territory has anything to do with why so many other hispanic countries dislike Puerto Ricans. I’m not sure what it is, but Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Argentinians are pretty much universally disliked by other hispanics. I think you and your family should go back to PR and fight for Puerto Rican independence. Imagine the effect it would have if all Puerto Ricans in the US would go back to Puerto Rico.
i think that this site shoud be public and not just for the use of the pipol that want to do harm to puerto rico and get rich of the towns we shod look for a better way to use this site .and not to descrate the isla of puerto rico .wen we hone a grat love to the usa …. i was born in puerto rico and i am 45 yers old and the USA has bien ther in the good and in the bad for us with …. yes money becose it money even if the goverment that we have miss use it and gives it self ever year the congres a raze of money and dont aten the hospitols and the childrin ,and the pour of it puerto rico ……..thank you for the site my frens i hope that the cogres of the USA look at this and makes us part in full a state and clean up this this puerto rico and make it the beutty she is bloom to it beutty like she is …………
puerto rico should become a state in the united states BRAH.
puerto rico is BANGIN’ HOLA. ADDIOS!!!!!
Is very unlikely that Puerto Rico will ever become a state unless they find oil or diamonds in there. Anyway I don’t think they have to give up their culture at all. What’s american culture?? Is New York the same culture than in Texas? Is Chicago like Nebraska?? Do the US have any dishes that the same on all the nation apart from thanksgiving that is also celebrated in PR? Each state has it’s own culture, since the US is not one race but a bunch of immigrants from everywhere. Many Puertoricans speak english anyway. But I think in the end, the US will not do it for economics reasons. The same reason PR wants to be a state.
You know this is not going to happen so shut the fuck up
@ Whaat – that was the most ignorant statement i heard. if u cant vote shut up and move on? are you kidding me?
@ NuYorkRikan _ i agree with you about the hate we recieve from fellow latinos but you have to remeber it is just that , hate. we recieve us citizenship at birth meanwhile all other latin races have to work for their citizenship and have a immigrant political stauses. they have to take extra steps to get what we get at birth and that one big reason why they hate on puertoricans so much. i worked in a landscaping company with a bunch of immmigrant mexicans and uruguayians. they would talk mad crap bout how wwe are sell outs are what not but at the end of the day you know if they had the choice of being like us they would choose it in a heart beat. we are sell outs to them but they arer in the same country illegally at that working the same jobs or even harder and earning a lot less money. thats why they hate on us.
i think that we have gotten off subject here, as a Puerto Rican, and living in America, it would be almost impossible from Puerto Rico to NOT lose their sense of culture, (notice i did not ay history, its impossible to lose history, it cant be changed and had already happened) but as for culture and language, it would be fairly easy and almost essential to have to change in order for the people in my country to survive as an “Americano”, but also noting the fact that America already clams the land of Puerto Rico, its not as if Puerto Rico isnt going to eventually take on the language of American anyway.
Yo pienso que Puerto Rico deve ser estado por que los gringos nos llaman mexicanos y eso no es cool, yo vivo en Louisiana. Aqui ahy mucho rascismo com los latinos. Estoy a favor de que P.R. se haga estado. ATTE, BRADY
listen people, being US citizen is a good thing. you don’t have to give up your culture or history. the US government chose puerto rico for a reason. also remember that no one in puerto rico is a real puerto rican. a real puerto rican is of taino descent or the fact that some are mixed with taino or are moisistes, which means that they are mixe with other races. however, because of the spanish rule, the spanish language dominated the culture of the people of puerto rico. the spanish almost dissimated the taino people which are the real puerto rican people–everybody else is a wannabe puerto rican–most of them are spaniards. my point is that there is nothing wrong with speaking english. no one is taking away your culture of language. it is up the puerto rican to keep teaching their offspring to speak spanish if they wish. however, if you want equal rights with the united states and running for public offices, for example, the united state sente, congress or president you must know or learn how to speak english–there is no way around this. you cannot vote for the presidential election or the congressional election unless puerto rico become a state. so stop bitching so much people and become a state.