Puerto Rico Persuasive Essay

For most of its history, Puerto Rico has been controlled by an outside power, and its people oppressed. While Puerto Rico is currently a U.S. territory, Spanish colonialism has had a significant impact on the island’s development and identity. The history of the island itself is proof of this fact, demonstrating each step Puerto Rico took to reach its current state. By examining the stages of Spanish control that Puerto Rico experienced, we can determine how each stage affected the structure and identity of Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico should become the 51st state because it would benefit both countries economically. Statehood supporters say Puerto Rico would benefit economically from increased tourism and investment.”If only Puerto Rico were a state, this line of thinking goes, it wouldn’t be in a financial mess. That’s probably true—but not for the reasons most people think.” The United states and Puerto Rico have financial debt but if Puerto Rico joins the United States then we can get out of debt. This can only happen with the tourism that both countries can get combined, because Puerto Rico and the United States have some very big tourist spots.

The commonwealth status of Puerto Rico between the 1950-1952 was with limited autonomy since the Island was still under the Sovereignty of the United States (Francesco, C. & Eugene, 1999). The United States annexed Puerto Rico following the end of the Spanish-American War. For almost a century Puerto Rico has been under the influence of the United States. The constitutional convention of 1952 gave Puerto Rico the right to form a republican government.

Puerto Rico would get 2 senate seats, 5 in house reps & Puerto Ricans would be able to vote for the president. Puerto Rico would have lots of economic growth. Puerto Ricans businesses don’t pay corporate taxes. So the U.S would benefit & P.R. Puerto Rico has a debt of over 70 billion dollars. That’s a lot of money for a little island. So if Puerto Rico became a state It would slowly go away because it would be getting a extra 20 billion dollars. Puerto Rico’s economy isn’t growing because businesses don’t want to open up on the island. The reason is Puerto Rico doesn’t know if it will stay a commonwealth, become a state, or become independent. So if Puerto Rico became a state, the economic growth would be huge. Right now Puerto Rico’s average salary is around 20,00 dollars a year. If Puerto Rico became a state that average might double. Even though Puerto Ricans would now have to pay full taxes, their salary would go up , that goes to the U.S. but eventually the money goes back to Puerto Rico. That whole system in the end benefits Puerto Rico. It benefits the U.S. also because the U.S. gets a extra 2 billion. That money would eventually pull the U.S out of their debt to (Should Puerto Rico become America’s 51st state?).

The amount of money that the United States government owes as of October 17, 2004 at 03:48:52 pm GMT was $7,435,016,998.21. The debt has increased by an average of $1.7 billion per day since September 30, 2003! From a more individual perspective, currently the United States population is roughly around

The "discovery" or infiltration of the island of Borinquen (or Puerto Rico as it was later renamed) in 1493 by Spain resulted in the decimation of the native Taino population. With the loss of an immediate source of cheap labor to work the fields for their sugar cane industry, they introduced African culture into the region by importing slaves to replace the Taino field workers. In addition to the introduction of African culture into Puerto Rico voluntary immigration brought

It is instead the leader's fault. Different from the United States Puerto Rico does not have state powers, simply because it is not a state. These powers include lack of voting representation in either House of Congress, the only delegate to the congress is the Resident Commissioner who is elected to represent the people, but does not have a vote for the final passage of congressional legislation.

In 2009 the debt was amounted to about $12 trillion , or 83.4 percent of the country’s GDP (“Budget of the United States Government: Historical Tables Fiscal Year 2011” table 7.1). Since 2003, the debt has been increasing by more than $500 billion annually. The increase in 2009 was $1.9 trillion. According to the Congressional Budgeting Office, this debt will keep increasing at least for the next decade (“The Budget and Economic Outlook : Fiscal Years 2010 to 2020” 21).

The commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico), known to most Americans as simply Puerto Rico, exists as one of two territories owned by the United States1. Being a territory of the United States, Puerto Ricans possess common citizenship, currency, and defense. However, even though Puerto Ricans are United States citizens they do not pay any kind of federal income taxes. Therefore, they cannot vote in presidential elections. Puerto Rico is under the jurisdiction of the United States customs, and are allowed free movement of people and merchandise with the United States. They have established their own constitution, and have a greater amount of independence than possessions. Although

There are several economic reasons that can be argued against Puerto Rico becoming a state. First, the current unemployment rate is 11.7%, which would rank the highest in the nation. Puerto Rico has the lowest per capita income at around $7000, half of the poorest U.S. state (Mississippi). Thus it would cost the U.S. Government approximately 3-4 billion a year for 10 years to get Puerto Rico up to par with the other states. The 936 tax code, which grants U.S. companies federal tax exemptions for their operations in Puerto Rico,

Since Puerto Rico was first discovered by Christopher Columbus on November 19, 1493, and Spanish colonization ensued in 1508, Puerto Rico has experienced all of these pressures of identity and culture.

When the United States invaded the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico (Guanica and Ponce), a majority of Puerto Ricans welcomed the Americans and enabled their invasion. They cooperated and aided the American expulsion of Spaniards. However, it is obvious by the consequences that the end result of U.S. invasion and rule was not what Puerto Ricans had welcomed in July of 1898. Puerto Ricans wished an end to autocratic rule and concentration of wealth, things they did not know would continue under American rule. The Americans were regarded as change and chance for progress, even though they retained the fear of not knowing U.S. intentions.

One of the most interesting and exciting places I have had the pleasure of visiting was the Island of Puerto Rico. Getting on the plane and arriving on the island was the easy part, but learning to navigate the island and getting reliable transportation was a whole other ball game.

The Spanish now were the main people of the island, but there was only one problem now. There was no more gold to be found (which was the original reason most of the Spaniards came), and Puerto Rico had to be productive to Spain in some fashion.

The politics of Puerto Rico takes place in the framework of a republican democratic form of government that is under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States as an organized unincorporated territory.