Puerto Rican Statehood In The United States

Puerto Rican Statehood

In recent years, the United States of America has considered the idea of Puerto Rico becoming a state. Currently Puerto Rican inhabitants are U.S. citizens. However, they do not pay federal income tax or have the right to vote. With the growing debate regarding statehood, many benefits for Puerto Rico and for the United States of America are evident.

It all began in 1898 with the end of the Spanish-American War. “Between October, 1898, when the American flag was raised at La Fortaleza and November, 1948, when the Puerto Ricans chose their first elective governor, a full half century was to elapse” (Morales Carrion, 1983). A lot of change took place during this time as the United States partially took control of Puerto

As a territory, Puerto Ricans do not receive all of the benefits; but if they were to become a state, then they would receive all the trade benefits, thus increasing their revenue. Puerto Rico’s island is very prosperous and has many different fruits and vegetables for trade or purchase. If Puerto Rico were to enter into the trade alliances with the United States, this would help them so much. Granting statehood to this poverty-stricken country would offer so many opportunities to Puerto Rican

social status as well. The relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States is not what the U.S. represents. The country was founded on the principle embedded in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The situation with Puerto Rico has been a disgrace to the United States social platform because for Puerto Rico to meet its economic and social challenges and to achieve its full potential, this debate over statehood must be settled. The current relationship undermines the United States’ moral standing in the world (114th Congress, 2015). Whether Puerto Rico becomes an independent nation or acquires statehood, the United States must make amends with Puerto Rico. The United States of America would greatly benefit economically and socially through the statehood