Puerto Rico towards equality as the first Hispanic state

The island of Puerto Rico is more or less a subject of discussion on the national level. According to the latest census data, there are around 3.4 millions of American citizens who live on the island of Puerto Rico, and around 5 million who live in the mainland. Actually, Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States, and while some think differently, Puerto Ricans are American citizens since 1917 by virtue of the Jones Act, and yet, while living on the island they are not allowed to vote for the President of the United States.

Moreover, since 1917, more than 200.000 American citizens from Puerto Rico have served in the United States army in every armed conflict since the Civil War, and there are about 10,000 Puerto Rican citizens that are actively serving in all armed forces.

{mosads}The current political relationship between the island and the United States puts Puerto Ricans in unfavorable position, who are completely being subject to Article IV, Chapter 3, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, also known as the Territorial Clause which gives Congress the power to dispose and make all the rules respecting the Territories.

How Puerto Rico can become first Hispanic State?

On Nov. 6, 2012 the people of Puerto Rico opened a completely new chapter in the political history of the island towards the statehood path. Since 1952 and the previous establishment of its actual status, described as Commonwealth (Estado Libre Asociado – ELA) until today, the status quo (current status, ELA-unincorporated territory) has never been questioned and defeated in any electoral event.

After the establishment of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1952, four referendums were organized in order to resolve the status issue.

The fourth referendum held on Nov. 6, 2012 gathered a new majority composed by a significant coalition of all Puerto Ricans (statehooders, independence, and free association supporters), precisely 970,910 voters representing 54 percent of the votes outside of party lines, defeated the actual political status. Furthermore, for the first time in our history, 834,191 voters (61,11 percent) elected the statehood as an option. Despite being contested, mostly by the center oriented party of the island (Popular Democratic Party), these results represent a mandate for change for both Democrats and Republicans in Washington.

The month after the referendum was held, on Dec. 04, 2012, then-Democratic Hispanic spokesman of the White House Luis Miranda stated:

“To clarify, the results were clear, the people of Puerto Rico want the issue of the status resolved, and a majority chose statehood in the second question..”

After the above mentioned statement, the Obama administration carried out and accomplished an historical budget appropriation of 2.5 million dollars for organization of a referendum with status options that must be approved by the Department of Justice before the electoral event.

On the other hand, the Republican National Committee has approved in 2016 a commitment with Puerto Rico statehood engaging the current Donald Trump administration to comply with its own platform:

“..Once the 2012 local vote for statehood ratified, Congress should approve an enabling act with terms for Puerto Rico’s future admission as the 51^st state of the Union.” 

In a couple of months Puerto Ricans on the island will have in their hands another opportunity to ratify, not only to the United States, but to the whole world, their strong will for change and decolonization towards their current relationship with the United States through a referendum where the voters will be able to choose between statehood and independence/free association.

Both on the island and the mainland, some people have already demonstrated their resistance before Congress regarding the admission of Puerto Rico as the next State of the Union. This resistance against an equality movement is not a new phenomenon – we witnessed it also before the slavery has been abolished in the United States, before the approval of the civil rights act in the 1960’s, before granting women with the right to vote, and more recently, with the Supreme Court decision giving equal rights to the LGBTQ community. At the end, all of those who were resisting found themselves on the wrong side of the history.

The Latino community all around the United States has to consider the Puerto Rico case more carefully. As a State, Puerto Rico will have 5 representatives and 2 Senators in the Congress, which in total represent 7 additional Latino voices to push and improve the issues that on a daily basis affect our community. 

With almost 60 million of Latinos in the United States, as a first Hispanic State, Puerto Rico has a chance to become a spokesman and a very powerful political force to represent interests of our community in Washington. Moreover, it can serve as a liaison between the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Resistance will take place inside and outside of Congress, which will try to divert attention from this important subject, or those who will raise the question of delaying the Puerto Rico status issue, which can be expected as a result of the establishment of the new Fiscal Oversight and Management Board on the island. Therefore, we need to remind them that the struggle for the equality and civil rights shouldn’t depend neither on the economy nor on anyone’s vote,but rather on a claim of dignity for 3.4 millions of American citizens on the island who deserve to be treated with equality.

Anthony Carrillo, Esq., is the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Young Democrats of America Hispanic Caucus and Co-Founder of Igualdad Futuro Seguro.

The views expressed by this author are their own and are not the views of The Hill.