Puerto Rico Essay

637 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on puerto rico statehood

With the building pressure of Puerto Ricans vote for statehood last year resulted in majority voting to become a state (Alessandra Potenza, P21) , brings up the question should Puerto Rico become an US state? Puerto Rico's lack of jobs, citizens, government , and conflicts with United states of America are reasons to why becoming a state would only harm the US.
The territory's economy is getting worse and more of a mess. Peurto Rico's unemployment has been steadily decreasing during the year of 2013, but started to increase a bit during June through October. Then it started to drastically decreased. In November and December 2013, the unemployment rate increased by five percent. (Robert Slavin, Unemployment Jump) In the past ten years the unemployment rate has overall increaed from 11. 9 to 15. 5 percent. Every non-farming employment in Puerto Rico has decreased in the past ten years. (Bureau of Labor Statics) Among all the problems in Puerto Rico is has the third most debt of any American territory, only behind the states, California and New York. Even though it is no where close to the same size of either state. Puerto Rico is owing between 52 million and 70 million. (Puerto Rico's debt, The Economist)
Puerto Ricans have many freedoms as an American Citizen is. They are easily compared to an American Citizen. The only thing they are missing out on being in Puerto Rico compared to United States of America is the right to vote for the president and the need to pay any federal taxes. They have their own government with a governor in charge. They share the same president as the United States of America citizens. In 2003, the census reported that an estimate of 48. 9 percent of all Puerto Ricans are living in United States of Amer...

... middle of paper ...

...that giving Puerto Rico 2 billions dollars will stabilize their economy, though there are no results of the publication. (Puerto Rico Bailout, Reuters) Even if someone had an idea to bailout or save Puerto Rico, in 2013 the US Congress has an all time low agreement rating of 14 percent. With the declining approval from the American congress, even if the bill that will get Puerto Rico getting state hood, gets to the congress, there is a small chance of being passed with the low 14 percent. (Edwards-Levy, Poll:Congress)
With the all the flaws of Puerto Rico's citzens, government, and economy, the territory has no chance becoming a state. With a huge debt as Puerto Rico, it will cause a trouble trying to bail them out. It is much better allowing the local government to try to fix. United States of America will only be harmed by the territory worse than it currently is.

Show More
Related

  • Should Puerto Rico Become America´s 51st State?

    2522 Words  | 6 Pages

    Either way, it would benefit Puerto Rico. Should Puerto Rico become a state? Puerto Rico becoming a state could benefit Puerto Rico & the U.S. Puerto Ricans cannot vote for the presidency, have no representatives, and don’t get fair funding. If Puerto Rico became a state, they would have everything we do. Right now Puerto Ricans only get half the Medicare that the states get.

    Read More

  • Spanish Colonialism and Puerto Rican Identity

    1667 Words  | 4 Pages

    In order to understand the current situation of Puerto Ricans one must look at their history and retrace the sequence of events that led to the current formation of the Puerto Rican people. An important component of this history is the time Puerto Rico spent under Spanish rule. Studying this portion of Puerto Rican history forces us to acknowledge the contribution the Spaniards, European immigrants, and African slaves had on Puerto Rican identity as we consider it today. This also addresses contemporary debates on Puerto Rican identity. An example of this is evident in an essay written by Jose Luis Gonzales entitled "Puerto Rico : Th Four Storied Country". In the article Gonzales points out what he feels is a disregard toward the African contribution to the Puerto Rican identity. He argues that the first Puerto Ricans were black , based on his interpretation that Africans were the first group to come to Puerto Rico and reproduce who did not have ties to a "motherland" because they were slaves. This is unlike the Spaniard elites and Criolles that demonstrated their commitment and loyalty to Spain. Since they had no other place to go, Puerto Rico was their motherland. Gonzalez also points out that the culture of a region is always the culture of the elite, not the popular culture.

    Read More

  • Puerto Rican Identity and Spanish Colonial Rule

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    The features of the formation of the Puerto Rican people under Spanish rule are therefore critical in addressing questions on Puerto Rican identity. The migration of thousands of Spaniards both from the mainland and its islands to Puerto Rico, the development of subsequent Creole populations, the formation of the agricultural sectors and their labor needs are some of the contributing features that will hopefully lead toward a better understanding of the complexities that surround the concept of Puertoricaness.

    Read More

  • Superstitions And Etiquette In Puerto Rico

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    Puerto Rico is the neighbor to the south of Florida. There is a growing population of Puerto Ricans in the United States. There is also a large United States interest in Puerto Rico. It is important to understand the culture of our neighbor should the United States wish to continue a positive relationship as well as globalization. Understanding the superstitions and the proper business etiquette in Puerto Rico can serve as a glimpse into the culture of the island.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of the Statehood for Puerto Rico

    1814 Words  | 4 Pages

    In order to complicate the things, like not-incorporated territory, Puerto Rico never it was put in automatic route towards a possible statehood since it they have been all the other incorporated territories, as it they have not either been the other not-incorporated territories of Guam, the Virgin Islands and the Marianas Islands of the North. Confused contradictory and, the situation have been evolving gradually to one of gradual integration of Puerto Rico with the U.S.A. The legal and constitutional evolution of the law and precedents that has been accumulated through the years from the promulgation of the Insulars Decisions have tended to treat to Puerto Rico more and more like a state federated in very many areas of their political and economic subjects, except in the most important subject of their last sovereignty.

    Read More

  • Puerto Rico Should Be The 51st State Essay

    1496 Words  | 3 Pages

    Puerto Rico has been a commonwealth of the United States for many years. Many Americans and Puerto Ricans think that Puerto Rico should not be the 51st state because it has its advantages and disadvantages. So, should Puerto Rico become the 51st state in the US or stay as it is, as a commonwealth? The Island's political status has been an issue for many years since the Spanish-American War. Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth “Free Associated State of P.R” of the US.

    Read More

  • The Different Experience of Puerto Ricans' Migration to the United States

    1840 Words  | 4 Pages

    They also experienced severe economic setbacks. Under the domination of the United States, Puerto Rico did not have control over their means of production. Instead, the United States possessed that power and transformed their island into a metropolitan economy. Workers were subjected to the changing demands of US capital expansion, and their migratory movements were shaped accordingly.

    Read More

  • Latino Community Of Chelsea

    1539 Words  | 4 Pages

    Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States which makes it easy for natives to travel back and forth. Puerto Ricans first began to arrive in the United States to fill the work void left but those who went on to fight in World War I. Operation Bootstrap was a series of projects that attempted to turn Puerto Rico; a known agricultural economy to one that would concentrate on industrialization and tourism. Puerto Rico enticed many U.S companies with tax exemptions and differential rental rates on industrialized properties and so the shift in the economy had commenced. The shift however did not help the high unemployment rate on the island. Rather than having to deal with the droves of people seeking work they noticed the active recruitment of Puerto Rican workers by U.S. employers. The government began to encourage the departure of Puerto Ricans to the U.S. by requesting the Federal Aviation Administration to lower the airfares between Puerto Rico and the United States. This was an attempt to ch...

    Read More

  • Puerto Rico Persuasive Speech

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thesis: I am here to day to convince the class, why Puerto Rico deserves to be a state, by explaining the faults in its health care, declining financial status, and their limited involvement in the government

    Read More

  • Puerto Rican Stereotypes

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    After the Spanish-American war, Spain granted the United States with full ownership of the island of Puerto Rico, which largely benefited the United States with profitable agricultural land, in the same way, Puerto Rican citizens were all benefited when they received U.S. citizenship, this granted them with greater opportunities that awaited them in the United States. However, despite their citizenship, Puerto Ricans are yet to have a vote in national U.S. elections. The ownership of the island has mostly benefited the United States as it is able to control the land, and impose tax and restrictions. Due to this, Puerto Rico transformed from a local economy, to one that is dominated by external U.S. companies. Because of many programs that have been implemented in order to stimulate economic development, the economy has progressed. However, one of the negative side effects left the population dealing with high income tax, as well as leading the economy further away from the local farmers and into the capitalist economy of the United States. It seems as if the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico benefit the capitalist country and its economy but fails to befit much of the islands population as they are later faced with high income tax and high unemployment rates. Because of the high unemployment, the Puerto

    Read More

  • Puerto Rican Experience in Hartford

    2473 Words  | 5 Pages

    Cruz, Jose. Identity and Power: Puerto Rican Politics and the Challenge of Ethnicity. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1998.

    Read More

  • The Power of Baseball and Role Models in Latin America

    1932 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Puerto Rico is a self-governing commonwealth of the United States and is not subject to the imposition of tax levies by the continental United States except for Social Security, workman’s compensation and several additional labor benefits” (Sennholz). So, the apparent question is, why is Puerto Rico such a poor country? To be perfectly honest, their lack of...

    Read More

  • Global Economy In Spain

    695 Words  | 2 Pages

    The current GDP estimated in 2012 is $1.434 trillion giving spain the 13th highest GDP in the world. However it was 1.4% less than last years GDP. This could be due to the fact that people have lost faith in their government and economy. This fear stops people from investing and puttin...

    Read More

  • Coca Cola and Coco Frio

    1717 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although it was never intended to be, the acquisition of Puerto Rico resulted in Puerto Rico becoming a colony of the United States, vis-a-vis the laws Congress passed and the nature in which the United States tried to "Americanize" the island. Puerto Rico was a colonial government in the hands of Spain, and although the Puerto Ricans hoped that with American invasion, more freedom would be granted. Unfortunately that did not change when the United States assumed control of the island. The social, economic, and political atmosphere greatly changed as well, and those changes were not necessarily for the better or better than what the Puerto Ricans had while under the control of Spain.

    Read More

  • Puerto Rico Reflection

    627 Words  | 2 Pages

    While reading the article I came across one piece of information that made me question the governments intentions with the island. Millions of people were without power and due to outstanding bills, the power companies are not repairing the power grid. I found this to be absurd because this island is in a state of crisis therefore I believed that any bills would be funded by the government until the island could repay it. In addition, Trump made the storm seem like a category one by comparing it to Hurricane Katrina and therefore made the decision that the government could not keep FEMA on the island. One important question asked by Milligan was why Puerto Rico is being treated differently than other locations in the U.S that received help from the government. One main factor was that due to the territory status with the U.S Puerto Ricans are not seen as Americans. According to a survey only of Americans surveyed knew that Puerto Ricans were U.S citizens from

    Read More

More about Puerto Rico Essay

Open Document