A letter from the Chairman of the Puerto Rico Statehood Council, José Fuentes
May 2, 2022
Dear Reader,
Since 2012, the Puerto Rico Statehood Council (PRSC) has worked to educate federal policymakers and the American public regarding the need to end Puerto Rico’s current territory status which denies full rights, fruits and representation to the 3.2 million U.S. citizens living on the Island. The PRSC believes that the core American values of freedom, democracy, liberty, justice, and consent of the governed must apply equally to all U.S. citizens including those in Puerto Rico. That is why we are working to build a national movement in support of equal rights for the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico through statehood.
As a non-partisan organization our supporters cover the entire political spectrum, and we seek to create an open space where anyone who supports statehood for Puerto Rico can participate and join our efforts.
To help policymakers and the public understand this important issue, we produce original reporting, analysis and data, making it available free of cost. To this end, and from time to time, we commission surveys to measure how Mainland Puerto Rican registered voters are leaning on topics of general interest and statehood.
One such survey has just been completed. It provides critical insights into the policy and political perspectives of Puerto Rican voters in key states to help inform the national discussion on the urgent need to resolve Puerto Rico’s territory status. The data presented offers the opportunity to reevaluate “common knowledge” perspectives, misinformation, and assumptions on what Puerto Rican voters on the island will be like once the territory is admitted as a state. One thing is clear: neither national political party can take these voters for granted.
Finally, it is important to note that while the issues of statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico are frequently mentioned in tandem, lumping them together without due consideration ignores both the differing political and policy perspectives of stateside Puerto Ricans and D.C. residents, according to published data, as well as the historic, legal and constitutional dynamics unique to each one. (Puerto Rico’s route to statehood is based on clear constitutional precedent).
We hope that this research is useful to you and invite you to join the national movement to attain full equality and democracy for the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico through statehood. In doing so we will not only help our fellow citizens on the Island achieve the equality they deserve, but also strengthen America, uphold its founding values, and make it a more perfect Union.
Sincerely,
José Fuentes
Chairman
Puerto Rico Statehood Council – Introductory Survey Letter
Puerto Rico Statehood Council – Survey Report and Analysis
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