Puerto Rico: The 51st State?

The United States took possession of Puerto Rico after its war of Independence from Spain in 1898. While the United States has had a continuous presence in Puerto Rico, the island has maintained its cultural uniqueness. In 1917, Congress passed the Jones Law, which granted U.S. citizenship to all of the island's residence. In 1952, the Puerto Rican's approved a constitution that recognized an autonomous government in the island and defined Puerto Rico as a Free Autonomous State (Estado Libre Asociado).⁽¹⁾

Over the years, there has been a great deal of controversy over what to do with Puerto Rico and whether it should become a state, remain a commonwealth, or become independent. People in both the United States and Puerto Rico seem to be split about the idea of statehood, and both sides have good arguments to support their beliefs. There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to making Puerto Rico a state, for example, Puerto Rico´s rich Hispanic heritage, beautiful beaches, and ideal location could be great for our country ⁽²⁾, however, at the same time, over three-fourths of the people in Puerto Rico don't speak or understand English. Many people argue that making Puerto Rico a state would transform America into a "bilingual nation overnight", and that it would be just as much of a hassle to us as is French Quebec to Canada.⁽³⁾

Some believe that by transforming Puerto Rico into a state, we would be showing compassion and demonstrating to other Latin American governments that the United States does not view Hispanic societies as inferior or second-class.⁽²⁾ However, others argue that statehood would cost the rest of us a great deal in taxes and since the average Puerto Rican family income is less than half that of our poorest state's citizens, statehood would require massive federal funding. Over two-thirds of Puerto Rico's population lives below the federal poverty level, and at least half of the Puerto Rican population receives food stamps. Their infrastructure, environment, and education are so bad that they fall way below American standards.⁽³⁾