Goodson 1 Emma Goodson Lori Bedell ENG 138T March 22, 2013 51 States: The More the Merrier!

On August 21, 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower admitted Hawaii as the fiftieth state of the union. Before statehood, Hawaii was a territory of the United States just like Puerto Rico remains today since 1898. In order for Hawaii to become a state, under Article 73 of the United Nations charter, citizens of the territory had to vote in a plebiscite, a special referendum. The three options available to choose from were to become a state, to remain a territory, or to become an independent nation (Martin). Hawaiians were not given the option of independence and so statehood won by a seventeen to one ratio (Best). Shortly after the plebiscite, Hawaii became the fiftieth state. In the November 6, 2012 plebiscite held in Puerto Rico, 54% of you said that you do not like the current commonwealth status of the island (Alexandrino). The next question offered you three solutions following those of the United Nations guidelines. Of the three options, statehood received the highest vote reigning in 61% of the votes. However, over 480,000 people did not answer the second question (Alexandrino). Due to this gap in voters, the United States government has not seen an urgency to admit Puerto Rico to the union. President Obamas administration has made it clear that he and Congress will support any fair, transparent, and swift effort that is consistent with and reflects the will of the people of Puerto Rico, and have agreed if the process produces a clear result, Congress should act on it quickly with the President's support (Fabian). Since the mid

Goodson 2 twentieth century, the status of Puerto Rico has been in discussion both in Congress and on the island itself. Referendums have been held throughout the 1980s to the present but none have achieved their job of changing Puerto Ricos status. Of the three options proposed by the plebiscite, I believe that statehood is the best choice. With statehood, you will remain citizens of the United States, you will receive all the benefits of a U.S. citizenship including political power and social programs, your native culture will be strengthened, and the economic power of Puerto Rico will rise. The time is now for you, the citizens of Puerto Rico, to make your decision and choose statehood as your future because of the economic, social, cultural, and political benefits it will provide. Puerto Rico has undergone a recent economic downturn. The most recent unemployment rate, from December 2012, was 14.4%, which is down from 16% in 2011 but is still a high number. According to studies by the New Progressive Party the island should attain a (economic) growth rate of 2.2 to 3.5% faster through statehood (Regis). Economic growth will affect you directly because your standard of living will rise due to an average increase of income. It will also provide you and your family with a greater number of job opportunities. Even though you would be subject to income taxes, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi assures that increased property values and economic growth will offset any kind of impact that federal income taxes could have, (Puerto Rico Could Change Congress If Made A State). Income taxes will have a minimal affect on Puerto Ricans because of the Earned Income Tax Credit. This rewards eligible low-income families with cash refunds and approximately two thirds of the population is already eligible (Issue Briefing: Puerto Rico). Furthermore, the addition of income taxes will give the Puerto Rican government more power to build up the states

Goodson 3 infrastructure because the taxes will increase federal income (Puerto Rican Statehood). The economy of Puerto Rico is already greatly influenced by the United States. American firms control the islands industry, finance, and trade (Childree). Puerto Rico has high potential to trade from its abundance of ports and with statehood it will be able to control trade with other nations eliminating the firms as the middleman. Statehood is the push that the Puerto Rican economy needs to reach its highest potential. Take a look at Alaska. After statehood, natives became stockholders in corporations that became the basis of their economy (Haycox). Because the state could now levy taxes, there was tax set on oil that gave the state 85% of its revenue that was used for infrastructure advancement (Haycox). Statehood will bring many indispensable economic benefits to Puerto Rico as well as social benefits. As the fifty-first state of the union, Puerto Rico will receive social benefits by way of increased availability of federal programs. Currently, you are paying federal payroll taxes towards Social Security and Medicare (Puerto Rico Could Change Congress If Made A State.), yet there is a cap on how much money you are receiving from those programs as well as Medicaid and food stamps (Issue Briefing: Puerto Rico). The poverty rate on the island is 45 percent, according to the 2010 Census, over twice as high as the current poorest state of Mississippi (Fabian). As a state, Puerto Rico and its citizens like you will receive welfare programs to the full extent that all other states of the union receive them. The General Accounting Office of the United States government predicts that as a state you will be granted, an additional three to four billion dollars a year in benefits from the federal government (Issue Briefing: Puerto Rico). The

Goodson 4 increased availability of federal programs will benefit over half of the population who desperately need it. Even though statehood offers many economic and social benefits, many Puerto Ricans are concerned that statehood will weaken Puerto Rican culture. Puerto Rico has been a territory of the United States for over one hundred years and the native culture has not diminished. If the native culture does fade, the blame would rest on your decisions to change. The U.S. Council for Puerto Rican Statehood believes that these two western cultures are compatible and complement each other. They are not a threat to one another (U.S. Council for Puerto Rican Statehood). When Hawaii became a state, its culture was actually strengthened rather than weakened. In the 1970s there was a Hawaiian Renaissance as a byproduct of movements occurring on the mainland at the time including civil rights and ethnic studies (Best). The Hawaiian renaissance encompassed both cultural and political elements, with a resurgence of interest in both traditional and more recent Hawaiian culture and language (Best), and thus enhanced the value of the native culture. The same will be true of Puerto Rico, because, as the council believes, Puerto Rican identity is strong and continues to be so (U.S. Council for Puerto Rican Statehood). You know your strength and you will not let it falter. Statehood will not change that. National language under statehood is another concern of islanders. Puerto Rico already has two national languages: English and Spanish. It is true that most Puerto Ricans do not speak any English at all. However, governor Luis Fortuno has already began implementing bilingual curriculum in Puerto Rican public schools. Under this new program, starting in first grade all courses will be taught in both English and Spanish

Goodson 5 (Marquez). He plans to have the curriculum eventually spread to all primary schools in Puerto Rico in order to achieve his goal of a bilingual Puerto Rico by 2022 (Marquez). Teaching Puerto Rican children English as a second language will provide them with a better future in the work force without losing their family heritage. "It's wonderful to see how these children love their country and how they can switch from one language to another and they are still Puerto Ricans" said teacher Grisel Munoz (Marquez). In addition to bilingual curriculum in schools, all federal courts and agencies in Puerto Rico require the use of English (U.S. Council for Puerto Rican Statehood), thus learning English will benefit Puerto Ricans politically and economically. The English language has already been adopted on your island and becoming a state will have no effect on the established languages. To further ease your minds, there has never been a language requirement of territories entering the union in our history (U.S. Council for Puerto Rican Statehood). Statehood will not inhibit the culture of Puerto Rico. Instead it can strengthen it through a new sense of unity and certainty. There will no longer be a division amongst your people politically because the status of your island will be certain. With a united citizenry, the native culture of Puerto Rico will be strengthened and glorified. All of this will come from statehood. As a commonwealth, Puerto Rico currently operates in dual sovereignty with the United States. It is set up so that one sphere of power is reserved for the federal government as provided in the U.S. Constitution, and another sphere of power is reserved to the commonwealth as provided in its own constitution (Puerto Rico and the United States). Current law prohibits you from voting in the U.S. presidential election. You only have one representative in Congress in the non-voting role of resident commissioner

Goodson 6 in the House of Representatives (Puerto Rico and the United States). As a state, Puerto Rico would be given an equal share of representation in congress, meaning that you, as citizens, will have greater power in government. Puerto Rico will be given two senators, like all other states, and six House representatives (Regis). Eight electoral votes is a lot of political power for a new state especially since there are twenty-two states with fewer votes (Issue Briefing: Puerto Rico). Statehood will give you the full right to vote as a citizen of the United States. You will be able to elect your President, Senators, and House representatives. Statehood is necessary if you want to be given all the rights you are legally entitled to as citizens of the United States of America. When the people of Puerto Rico make a clear decision, my administration will stand by you, said President Barack Obama (Puerto Rico Could Change Congress If Made A State). The United States is waiting with open arms for you to decide the fate of your beloved nation. A poll in December 2012 showed an increase of 7% in mainland Americans support for statehood from a poll taken in January 2012 ("Mainland Americans Warming Up to Puerto Rican Statehood | Puerto Rico Report."). You have the power to decide; now you must use it. Puerto Rico has remained a commonwealth for one hundred and fifteen years. Do you not think it is time for a change? If a majority of you voted that you do not like the current status of Puerto Rico, then why not make it change? Only you can make Puerto Rico a state or an independent nation. It is your responsibility and it will not be done without you. The President and congress have made that clear. Puerto Rico is the poorest U.S. territory with a high unemployment rate and currently you are not receiving federal programs to their fullest extent. You have minimal political power and your economy is struggling due to Puerto Ricos commonwealth status. Many

Goodson 7 Puerto Ricans have already migrated to the mainland. The Secretary of State for Puerto Rico, Kenneth McClintock, advocated, When you have a political status that scares away half of your population, it is time to reject that political status (Alexandrino). Without the United States, Puerto Rico will have to start from the bottom and you will lose the benefits you currently hold from a U.S. citizenship. The U.S. government controls most aspects of the Puerto Rican government so becoming a state is the best choice. Statehood will not inhibit you; it will empower you. Ex-Governor of Puerto Rico, Don Luis Ferre said it best, It is an honor to be a citizen of the greatest country in the history of the World.

Goodson 8 Works Cited

Alexandrino, Dania, and Catherine E. Shoichet. "White House weighs in on Puerto Rican statehood vote - CNN.com." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2013. <http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/05/politics/puerto-rico-statehood>. Best, Gary Dean. "Hawaii." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 105-108. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3401801860&v=2.1&u=psu cic&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>. Childree, David L. "Puerto Rico." Worldmark Encyclopedia of National Economies. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 2: Americas. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 315-321. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3410100102&v=2.1&u=psu cic&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>. Fabian, Jordan. "Will Puerto Rico Become The 51st State? Not So Fast - ABC News." ABCNews.com - Breaking News, Latest News & Top Video News - ABC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2013. <http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/puerto-rico-51st-statefast/story?id=17674879#.UUuk86U1ZSU>. Haycox, Stephen. "Alaska." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 107-112. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

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<http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3401800096&v=2.1&u=psu cic&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>. "Issue Briefing:Puerto Rico." US English Foundation, Inc.. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://usefoundation.org/view/14#Problems%20for%20the%20United%20State s>. "Mainland Americans Warming Up to Puerto Rican Statehood | Puerto Rico Report." Puerto Rico Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. <http://www.puertoricoreport.org/mainland-americans-warming-up-to-puertorican-statehood/>. Marquez, William. "BBC News - The fight for English in Puerto Rico." BBC Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-uscanada-18501193>. Martin, Alexandria. "Hawaii's Statehood." Content. Florida International University, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <www2.fiu.edu/~harveyb/hawaiianstatehood1.html>.

"Puerto Rico and the United States." Gale Encyclopedia of American Law. Ed. Donna Batten. 3rd ed. Vol. 8. Detroit: Gale, 2010. 198-201. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX1337703569&v=2.1&u=psu cic&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>. "Puerto Rico Could Change Congress If Made A State." All Things Considered 27 Nov. 2012. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/AudioDetailsPage/AudioDetailsWindow?failOv erType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mo

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de =view&displayGroupName=Audio&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlight ing=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=& amp;action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA310 888605&userGroupName=psucic&jsid=d046f9aac474f1381512780be14a8244>. "Puerto Rican Statehood." Essortment Articles: Free Online Articles on Health, Science, Education & More.... N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://www.essortment.com/puerto-rican-statehood-56408.html>. Regis, John A.. "PuertoRicoUSA.com - The New Progressive Party Point of View." PRUSA/Index. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://www.puertoricousa.com/english/pnp.htm>. "U.S. Council for Puerto Rico Statehood." U.S. Council for Puerto Rico Statehood. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://www.prstatehood.com/issues/index.asp>.