The House of Representatives passed a bill last week known as the Puerto Rico Status Act, setting the stage to allow Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state or a host of other options.
The bill would give Puerto Ricans the chance to vote in a first-ever binding referendum, offering voters on the island three options: to join the U.S. as the 51st state, independence, or independence with U.S. affiliations.
Although six referendums on status have already been held previously, this would be the first binding one and the only one that brings the option of free affiliation to the discussion.
The island became a U.S. territory in 1898 following its colonization under Spain. Nineteen years later, Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship, but to this day lack voting representation in Congress and can’t vote in presidential elections.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, is in favor of the move toward self-determination.
“Connecticut is home to a vibrant Puerto Rican community,” Murphy said. “And over and over again, they’ve watched their friends and family on the island face devastating natural disasters and economic crises be met with inadequate support from the federal government. Puerto Ricans have been relegated to second-class citizenship for too long, and they deserve the right to self-determination.”
U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5th, whose district includes Meriden and Cheshire, was unavailable for comment.
Betty Lebron, who has roots in Puerto Rico and the Bronx, said she understands the struggles her parents faced as young adults migrating from the island to New York.
For her this is a “historic moment for Puerto Rico” and is the “next step” for the island, the former Meriden resident said.
“It kind of solidifies the idea that we now have a voice and that our influence is actually starting to become evident,” said Lebron.
Her concern now is if the bill will gain the support of 10 Republican senators needed to avoid a delay or block the bill from moving forward, also known as a filibuster, before the Republicans take control of the House in January.
Supervisor of Language and Community Partnerships at Meriden Public Schools, Evelyn Robles-Rivas, who moved to Connecticut from Puerto Rico over 30 years ago, said she hopes the people of Puerto Rico, who were granted American citizenship in 1917, take the vote seriously.
“We are American citizens,” Robles-Rivas said. “And I think we should be taking on the responsibilities as American citizens but also the rights that we have as American citizens and not being like, you get some benefits, but not all of them, you know. You get to represent your country but in reality you’re not… I think it’s about time for Puerto Rico to make a decision. Hopefully they’ll make the right one.”
Robles-Rivas explained that it’s important for people to know that Puerto Pico is not a burden to the country.
“I want the Congress and the U.S. representatives to understand that they are making decisions about my country and about my island,” she said.
David de Angel Sola, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, questioned if this was the best way for Congress to help the island “given the territory is actually their responsibility and how little time they dedicate to us.”
De Angel Sola, who in lives New Haven and Puerto Rico, earned his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine and also has a bachelor’s degree in languages with a minor in political sciences with a concentration in Latin American studies from Haverford College in Pennsylvania.
He feels that Puerto Rico has been abandoned by Congress since the island’s recession in 2006, which it has never fully recovered from.
“This feels like they might be able to bail on their responsibility,” de Angel Sola said. “And they just reset the relationship. And I don’t think that should be the case. A lot of our economic burdens right now are because of our relationship to the U.S. and the sovereignty of Puerto Rico actually lies within Congress. So my first thought was, are they trying to get away with this?”
The Yale pediatric pulmonologist said the bill came at a questionable time as the nation is in “terrible” economic conditions and shouldn’t be given the option to determine its future, at least not now. “We need to be more financially robust before committing one way or another,” he said.
Despite his beliefs, he is glad the status of the island is getting attention and that the terms of a free association with the U.S. are laid out in the bill.
“Most people on the island have no idea what that choice is,” de Angel Sola said. “So for me, it’s exciting that my preference has now been given a spotlight.”
Similarly, de Angel Sola’s wife Adry Sotolongo, who was also born and raised in Puerto Rico, is thrilled to see the topic of Puerto Rico becoming a state being brought up again.
“It’s just exciting to see another step forward in getting a final solution, especially this being the first time that a plebiscite has come through that seems to be a binding one from the federal government,” Sotolongo said.
De Angel Sola likes how the bill discusses educating Puerto Ricans on the island about options and voting.
“These discussions can get very heated,” de Angel Sola said. “Sometimes it’s hard to just take a step back as a Puerto Rican to be like, ‘Okay, this is a sound decision about my future.’ It can’t just be about my feelings. It has to be about what are the logical steps.”
