Why isn't puerto rico a state in the U.S.?

Question

i mean you dont need a passport its literly consider part of the U.S but it's not a state why i wanna now !!! can anyone help!!!

Answer 1

1. PR is divided on the issue with 45% wanting statehood, 45% wanting to continue as is, 5% wanting independence and 5% without opinion shifting from one side to the other.  since statehood had not yet come with a mayority status quo continues.

2. Would the Congress really support the statehood for PR if that option manages to win a vote?  Will the Congress grant us the 2 senators and probably the 7 to 11 representatives at the House we would get due to our population level?

Answer 2

it is apart of the US its a  territory

Answer 3

its simple. after living in many year in puerto rico its been the same **** for ever.there are 3 electoral parties.1- Partido Nuevo Progresista(PNP){New Progressive Party} which is for being a state. 2-Partido Popular Democrático(PPD){Popular Democratic Party} which is for being a commonwealth. 3 - Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP){Puerto Rican Independence Party} which is for being independent. depends who ppl vote for

Answer 4

Puerto Rico isn't a state because they don't have to pay certain high taxes.  If they ecame a state then Puerto Ricans would.  Additionally, Puerto Rico is a Latin American country where Spanish (along with English to a lower extent) is the official language.  

Right now, I believe, Puerto Rico has the best of both worlds: the people are US citizens and can travel/work on the continental US freely.  Lastly, I don't want to have PR become a state for two main reasons:  the Spanish language would diminsh and many Puerto Ricans would be in even greater poverty.  Don't foget the "No Child Left Behind" c**p.  

Let Puerto Rico be the beautiful place that it is: an exotic, beautiful country...but still a part of the U.S.A.

Answer 5

I am puertoriqueño and the United States of America want we were an state but we don't cus we can be littel but we can be just like you guys peraphs we are only Humans

Answer 6

why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?

they dont want to be, but they want our money.

Answer 7

They just don't want to be. They are happy the way they are, so why change it?

Answer 8

They don't even want to part of the US. They want to be independent. How come the Virgin Islands isn't a state, It's not even a common wealth. It's an unincorporated territory. But Puerto Rico ain't fighting for it so they're happy just the way they are.

Answer 9

If I say I want independence for Puerto Rico I am not wrong. Every country has its right to become Independent, look at kosovo man, and the thing about not being a state here in Puerto Rico its uninformed people by greedy Politicians who never tell the truth about Independence nor Statehood. Puerto Rico can become a Independent country because most of the Caribbean island are, and they are not dying or anything on the contrary they have a lot of progress (like Aruba, the Bahamas, St. Lucia). In conclusion its a matter of identity, but its more a matter of information, people that are informed by the politicians (wrongly of course) will have a mindset of no progress no independence nor statehood, in other words a Politic slave mindset, but people that are really informed and know that with statehood will have at least 9 congress men instead of 78 people doing nothing in the Capitol house here, and with independence will have the right every nation has to make our own decisions deal with whom we want and have representation at the UN (ONU), Informed Puertorricans thats who you need to listen. Its a whole new generation thats been rising up and this status thing WILL BE SOLVED in less than 10 years.

Answer 10

Puerto Rican and Puerto Rico GAVE ALOT, Did we not have a military base there. VIEQUES!!!!

After pressure from the people of Vieques, the U.S. Navy left the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico on May, 2003, after more than 60 years of use as a testing ground. The U.S. Navy came to Vieques in 1941, taking jurisdiction of about 70% (27,000 of the island's 33,000 acres) of Vieques, which it was used as a training area (target practice with live ammunition and war games). As a result, Vieques has inherited a legacy of toxic pollution. In May of 1999, the U.S. Navy admitted that it had tested radioactive depleted uranium shells in the island. Many in the island blame the high cancer rate (26 percent over Puerto Rico's average) on the Navy's pollution.

Tell me what the appropriate payment is for this type of treatment?

These people are not bottom feeders they are humans and not leeches so show some respect. I find alot of people dont know what  the h**l they are talking about.

Answer 11

In 1898 Puerto Rico was given to the U. S. by Spain in the Paris Treaty that ended the Hispano-American War. There was a military goverment until 1900,  when a civilian goverment was instaled. The governors was apointed by the president of the U.S., and the members of the cabinet were also the members of the senate, so the people had very little participation in the goverment. In 1948 Jesus Toribio Pineiro was the first puertorican apointed governor. In 1950 the "Organic Law 600" aproved by the congress allowed the island to make a constitution  that had to be aproved by the congress and the president. So in that moment it was established what is called the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, but in Spanish is "Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" that is not the same thing. If you compare our situation to the Brithis Commonwealth you will see many diferences. Estado Libre Asociado is literaly translated as Free asociated State. In 1952 we had our first votings for governor and senate, all puertoricans. I don't remember exactly the date, but by 1914 we were granted the U.S. citizenship. By 1900 there were some cases known as The Insular Cases, were the situation of Puerto Rico was defined like this: "they belong to the US, but they do not are part of the US". we are a not incorporated territory. So, during all these years the capitalist system has created a dependency feeling among the people, that has blocked their vision about the Island resources and capacities. all the economic efforts has been focused in the foreing capital, or the capital proceeding from the US, because we don't have the capacity to negotiate or make business directly with other nations, it has to be with US. Recently the White House assambled a Task Force to analyze the island situation, and determined that the island was like an object that can be sold to any other country, that the congress had the capacity to do with it what they wanted. But in the way to become a state there is a big problem and it is called the members of the congress. Right now Puerto Rico has more population than 24 or 25 states, so if we became a state, we will have 2 senators like everyone else, but we will have more representatives than 24 or 25 states, and been an island with the same spanish roots that the cubans, dominicans, mexicans, ecuatorians, etc, there will be a very big latino muscle in the congress, and i doubt many rednecks will like that.

The Puerto Rico history, political movement and development is very diferent from other Latin American countrys, for example, we are the only place in America that didn't have a revolutionary war. We had uprisings, like "El Grito de Lares", and independence movements, but not like other places.

People say that we live from the american welfare and we don't pay taxes, and want only the money, but lets check the other part. We had 6 or 7 military bases here on the island, were the military did what the want, didn't pay rent to the goverment, had their live round practices near population [check the Vieques and Culebra cases] and rented practice areas to some NATO countries, where their navy came and shoot from sea to land without worring for the people's sleep during months. From our paycheks are discounted medicare and social security. We have our National Guard that has been active in many conflicts including the gulf war, and irak [remember abuh graib prision? after the scandal the Puerto Rico National Guard was assigned the prision with outstanding recognition for their good work. Our men were drafted at age 18 to go to the forgotten war Korea, and VietNam. We had veterans from the First World War, and the Second World War, were the 65th Infantry Battalion were higly recognized and was composed mainly of puertoricans. We had been to Afganisthan, Irak, etc etc. And our soldiers have died. Actually the have died,proportionally, more puertorican soldiers than americans. Many companies came here and benefited from tax exempt placement, lower wages, etc and take the profits to their pockets outside of the island. The NASA comes to the island searching for enginers and that sort of people to make them offers. We have the RadioTelescope of Arecibo, the bigest of the World, controled by Cornell University. From NY, Texas, California, Chicago,  come here looking for bilingual teachers, nurses, policemen, judicial translators. So for the ones that say that we don't pay federal taxes, ok thats right, but we have paid the price with sweat and blood.

Answer 12

Puerto Rico does not pay federal taxes because of the Constitution.  Taxation without representation is illegal.  We are not stealing money from the US.  Ignorance!!!!!

Answer 13

SONEILL & ZURIEL & RXING- You guys are so right! I couldn't agree with you more! Finally some educated people answering this question! Thank you!

Yes Americans believe that PR just takes the US's money for free. Hello?? The US can let us go whenever they want if we were such a burden.  In reality they get ALOT from PR, they just don't want people to know. They treat us like 2nd class citizens. Does anyone know about Balzac vs Porto Rico??  Jesus Balzac was prosicuted with out a trial by jury & he claimed this went against his constitional rights. It went to the Supreme Court where they decided that although puertoricans are US citizens, we do Not deserve constitional rights. Some puerto ricans want statehood b/c they feel its more money, but you need to give in order to recieve, the money will come out of our pockets anyway, so whats the difference? Has anyone noticed that the US is not a great as they claim? They want us to believe we can't support ouselves so they scare people into wanting to stay a commonwealth. Even the United Nations wants to Puerto Rico freed. Don't let Senator Kenneth Mcclintok & all the other politicians fool you. They are only out for themselves. Viva Puerto Rico! Yo soy Boricua, Pa' que lo sepa!!

Answer 14

We don't want to be a state! 3 times already, most people said NO in becoming a state.

Puerto Rico is ELA:

Estado Libre Asociado.

That means Free Associated State.

We are simply associated with US, no more, not a state.

I think we're fine being a colony, no more

Answer 15

Puerto Rico is not a state because there was a referendum (voting), that asked PuertoRicans if they wanted to be a state, stay as a commonwealth or be independent. PuertoRicans are super afraid of independency and of dependency of the same time. We don't want to pay state taxes because they seem really high and we don't want independence because then we would be really poor and have no life at all. It would be h**l. SInse the United States controlls us, we are very happy, and to tell you the truth, no indenpendent governor has ever won a term, and 50-50 are for statehood and commonwealth.  SO, this referendum was many years ago, but we'll probably have one in about 7 years or less.

Remember, whenever someone says that Puerto Rico wants to be independent, they are wrong.

Answer 16

Maybe it suits USA that way.   I don't suppose it has any oil.