We’re getting ready for the first 2020 presidential debate — and it’s only 2019. We believe that Puerto Rico statehood will be a hot topic in political conversations for the rest of this year and beyond. We believe that statehood is just around the corner, and we know that statehood supporters will be on the right side of history.
For our English speaking readers, this means you should learn a new Spanish word: “Estadista.”
We can translate this word as “statesman” or “stateswoman.” But it also means “statehood supporter.”
Why support statehood?
Before Hurricane Maria in 2017, more than half of the Americans living in the states did not even know that Puerto Rico belonged to the United States and that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
U.S. citizens infographic
By now, almost everyone knows that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory with nearly three and one half million U.S. citizens living there.
But Puerto Rico is not a state. It is a territory, a possession of the United States. People living in Puerto Rico do not have senators or congressmen or -women representing them in Congress. They don’t have equal benefits when compared with people living in states. And they can’t vote for their president.
As a state, Puerto Rico would have the same rights and responsibilities as all the 50 states.
If you believe in equal rights for all American citizens, you must support statehood.
Are you an estadista?
You’ll have to make a lot of decisions in the next political season. This should be an easy one. Puerto Rico has voted for statehood twice: in 2012 and 2017. In 2018, the government of Puerto Rico formally requested statehood.
You can proudly call yourself “Estadista.” Make sure your legislator knows how you feel about this issue. Contact your legislators and make sure they know about this issue. They can be estadistas, too!
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