House approves bill to let Puerto Ricans vote to become 51st state
 

...but still no statehood (or referendum) for DC.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...pid=sec-nation


By Jim Abrams
Friday, April 30, 2010

The House on Thursday approved legislation that could set in motion changes in Puerto Rico's 112-year relationship with the United States, including a transition to statehood or independence.
The House bill would give the 4 million residents of the island commonwealth a two-step path to expressing how they envision their political future. It passed 223 to 169 and now must be considered by the Senate.
Initially, eligible voters, including those born in Puerto Rico but residing in the United States, would vote on whether they wish to keep their current political status or opt for a different direction.


They've tried a couple of times before (at least in 1993 and 1998), and each time it has been turned down. I wonder how it will fare this time.

Wow I need to start paying attention to the news.

I wonder if my parents are eligible to vote since they own a house there lol

This

"Porto Rico ain't no 'merica!" I still remember hearing this the same day I got back from my first trip to Puerto Rico. We went to Target in Shreveport, LA, to buy some exercise equipment. Back in the bowels of the Target, we overheard a father and son talking about Puerto Rico...

Son: "Puerto Ricans are Americans."
Father: "I've been to Porto Rico. Porto Rico ain't no 'merica!"

We giggled to ourselves and wondered if he'd actually ever been to "Porto Rico." It's amazing that people don't know that Puerto Rico is part of the United States. (Of course, I've heard stories of physicians from New Mexico being asked for their visa status when applying for fellowship programs!) I'm not sure if they'll want to become a state, though.

I always wonder what they're gonna do about the flag.... Squeeze another star in somewhere?

Last time, they had a school kid design the flag. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=106228362

I had no idea how close past votes were (shame on me for not looking into it). According to that article, 50% said "none of the above" while 46.5% wanted statehood and only 2.5% wanted independence. I didn't think there were that few people that wanted independence. I guess my perception of that was skewed by a few of dad's uncles who are very much in favor of independence, ha

Anywho, I think having more options is going to change some outcomes...should be interesting to see!

I'm hearing West Side Story:

Immigrant goes to America,
Many hellos in America.
Nobody knows in America
Puerto Rico's in America

Most likely version:

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/u/us-51st.gif

A version used by the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico:

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/u/us-51sta.gif

Yeah, I'm close friends with a fellow physician from Puerto Rico. I've visited his family twice on the island. They don't think that it would ever pass, and as my friend would say, "That's stupid!" Then again, my perception also may be skewed by them. That being said, there are lots of cars with Puerto Rican flag stickers on the back which is supposedly the symbol of non-statehood.

BTW, if you've noticed the little family stickers on the backs of cars with stick figures representing each member of the family including the dog? Those started in Puerto Rico at least 8 years ago.

/continuing hijack

OMG YES!!! My family and I go almost annually (although my parents go a lot more often) and I remember one trip when we started noticing them everywhere...and I mean EVERYWHERE. We were kinda confused about them first, and were curious as to why it was such a big trend. It's funny to see them here now...

PMing you...

I know! When I first saw, them, I SMH and laughed! Copying the Puerto Ricans! BTW, didn't know you were Puerto Rican! I love me some tostones (fresh homemade ones, not the nasty ones you get in a restaurant!) and this beef steak and onion recipe my friend's mom made for us with beans and rice. It's a Puerto Rican specialty so I know you will know what I'm talking about :)

My bet is that it will be voted down again because the Puerto Ricans are smart enough to know that they don't want to start paying income taxes to the Federal Govt. This comes up every 8-10 years and it is always the same with 52-53% voting against statehood. What would we bring to the table for the people of PR that would be value added?

Yep, I'm half (from my dad's side).

Tostones are among my favorites of Puerto Rican food. I also love arroz con habichuelas or arroz con gandules, and pasteles. (Basically two different types of rice and beans, and then something that I would describe as a Puerto Rican version of a tamale.)

I was so excited when BF came to PR with us, I really wanted him to try the food. He thought it was bland. :mad: I think he was expecting it to be really spicy or something??

ETA: Sorry for the continuing hijack!!

Residents of PR already pay federal taxes (FICA, but not federal income taxes). They ARE considered US citizens, and natural born citizens CAN be president (provided they meet all other criteria). I don't believe that PR has Congressional representation on the federal level, but can serve in appointed roles in the federal government. If they allowed the Commonwealth to become a state, the rights (to vote, etc.) would become inherent.

Something I wonder, though, is whether "Puerto Rican" considered an ethnicity or a nationality? There is an indigenous Native American tribe who also populated other islands (DR, Cuba, Haiti). Spaniards came in the 1700s and married into the tribes, then later brought slaves from Africa. Immigrants from China, Italy, France, Germany and Lebonon arrived as well. Americans also came over in numbers around the turn of the 20th century. Though Spain lost control of the area, Spaniards continued to move there. In the 1960s, an influx of Cuban refugees arrived, and more recently, people from the DR.

Spanish is the most commonly spoken language in PR. Despite the number of different ancestral roots of its residents - European, African, Asian, Native American, many people consider Puerto Rican people as "Hispanic". How accurate is that? Is it simply because of language? Spain - a European country - isn't "Latin American".

----

As for residents of DC, I have tried to understand the issues, but I can't quite grasp the constitutional barriers to statehood and/or residential representation and voting rights. The case of "taxation without representation" is valid here. If anyone can shed some light on that for me, it would be great. Of all the reading I have done, I just am not grasping the reasons against statehood or voting rights.

They have non-voting delegates, like DC.

Article I, section 8, of the Constitution authorizes Congress "To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States." So under the Constitution, DC isn't a state, and therefore it has none of the rights of a state. The Constitution only provides states and state's residents with the ability to elect members of Congress.

The 23rd Amendment allows residents of DC to vote for President and Vice-President, but they cannot elect more electors to the Electoral College than the least populated state, even if by population they could send more electors if DC was a state.