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[abqtommy]

1. Let's just do it already! It's not complicated at all for us non-fascists.

[PoliticAverse]

2. "It would mean redefining what an American state IS" - not really as you point out the admission of

Last edited Wed Apr 21, 2021, 02:23 PM - Edit history (1)

Hawaii. The main complicating factors in Puerto Rico is there isn't an overwhelming desire for statehood among the residents there apparently, and there is a strong Republican presence there. The current representative to the US Congress from Puerto Rico Jenniffer González-Colón is a "lifelong Republican" and "González has served in leadership positions in the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (PNP) and in the Republican Party of the United States". There is no guarantee if Puerto Rico is admitted as a state that the 2 senators from there would end up being Democrats and this reduces the desire among some Democrats to push for Puerto Rico's statehood.

See:
https://gonzalez-colon.house.gov/about/biography-0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenniffer_Gonz%C3%A1lez

[Demsrule86]

13. They voted for statehood...so not true

[48656c6c6f20]

4. I spent a great deal of time in PR

During the 80,90's. I don't know if the attitude has changed but becoming a state want very popular. Personally if I had to join the USA I'm not sure I would want to.

[GregariousGroundhog]

6. Puerto Rico isn't as poor as you think it is

Puerto Rico's GDP per capita was $32,800 in 2019. That's not far behind Mississippi's of $35,000.

[tritsofme]

7. I think there should be a strong consensus on the island for statehood before any action.

Our Union is a perpetual one, statehood would forever remove the option of self determination, not to mention the existence of a significant minority of the population opposed to statehood. It just doesn’t seem like something that should be settled by a simple majority vote.

[DFW]

8. They were a colony of Spain for centuries. Then we took PR from Spain.

They have been a U.S "territory" for over 100 years now. I don't care what language they speak, how poor they are or aren't, or how brown their average pigmentation is. If they have been under our thumb for THAT long and are still citizens, it should be their choice as to what status they want for themselves. Como querais, señoras y señores.

[moose65]

9. Something about your post bugs me

Why would "new settlers" have needed to "take over" Puerto Rico? You mean new, European settlers? Since when has statehood depended on that? What's wrong with Latin American culture? About a third of the United States was Spanish before it was "American." Texas was part of Mexico for much longer than it has been part of the United States.

There are families in Colorado and New Mexico who can trace their ancestry back to many, many year before the English ever came to America. Some families in Texas became "American" because of where they happened to be standing at the time. Your post seems quite xenophobic to me.

You mentioned Hawaii, the one state in this country that has NEVER had a white or European majority, and I think Hawaii is doing just fine. New Mexico and Texas have more Latinos than they do any other ethnic group.

And as for being poor, have you heard of Mississippi, eastern Kentucky, and most of West Virginia??

[Hekate]

14. I'm sorry to have to say this, but the scenario is so racist it boggles the mind. Additionally...

California was settled by Spain, as was Florida — and Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada.

The Spanish Empire extended into the Caribbean and the Pacific, as well, not just Mexico, Central America, and South America. Thus the Spanish language, you see? Brazil only speaks Portuguese because the Pope at the time was asked to intervene between between Spain and Portugal and divvied up South America.

The United States purchased some territory, took some territory as spoils of war, and seized some. Some have been states so long that white Americans appear to be completely clueless... But our country, our government, we have a responsibility for the territories we hold, and if the people are poor and ill-educated that’s on us. If the people are brown, take it up with God Almighty and don’t set about planning for cultural extinction. We have enough of that in our history.

[bahboo]

11. if the populace wants it...they should have it....

whether Democratic, republican or whatever.

[Hekate]

12. Wow. I lived in Hawai'i for about 20 years -- I was in grade school when we got Statehood...

One of the arguments in the US Senate against statehood was exactly the racist one you articulate: it was full of brown people, Asians and Polynesians and an lot of white folks who had zero problem with interracial marriage.

Hawai’i was and is geographically isolated, and you know, to this day there are people on the Mainland who think it is some kind of foreign country.

Now to Puerto Rico. The Spanish language is not a surprise to millions upon millions of Americans who either speak it themselves or have neighbors who do. How is this a problem? Puerto Ricans are — as Hawai’ians were before them — United States citizens. Treat them as such.

You note Puerto Rico is (all caps) poor. Pardon me, but that is on us and our federal government.

[Kid Berwyn]

15. "Most PRs are not what many Americans see as 'white.'"

Is that the point of this post?

Asking for my fellow citizens in “PR.”