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This is an oversimplification from someone who has only heard it from his Puerto Rican wife.
She said that there’s a large population of Puerto Ricans that distrust both the US government itself and PR’s. Some of that stems from deep seated anger and pain from the tourism industry, foreign investors buying properties, and a lack of support and representation from the US itself. The corruption within PR’s own government and how they’ll do anything they can for ‘support’ from the US, at the expense of their own identity and culture, while further burying themselves in debt to the US, led to the protest abstain vote movement among a significant portion of what would have been ‘no’ voters.
There’s probably someone out there who’s written a research paper/news article or two about it, but the biggest take away is that the majority of Puerto Ricans are not in support of Statehood. There’re large populations seeking independence, the status quo staying the same, and Statehood, all separately without a clear majority in any direction.
All those reasons sound entirely plausible, but perhaps statehood is one path toward fixing them. Clearly statehood would result in better representation. I don’t see how you get that any other way.
- If PR were a state, would the FEMA response to that hurricane a few years back, be so bad?
- Would they get more infrastructure spending to keep rebuilding their electrical grid: heck turn the island into 100% renewables, with mini-grids for resilience?
- Would there be more trade, tourism, commercial development, leading to more well paying jobs?
- would their local government get more oversight, higher standards (I’m assuming but maybe not)
What’s the objection to tourism? A bunch of people travelling there, spending tons of money, chances for Puerto Ricans to make much more money than they typically would …. How can I visit there and not be part of the problem?
Have you looked into how native Hawaiians feel about being a US state?
I don’t want to presume to tell a population with mixed feelings about the future of their island, culture, identity, and government what they should choose or how they should feel.
Also, I’d be careful to praise the tourism industry, without properly reviewing the impacts on the local community and culture (again, see Hawaii)
The fact of the matter is that an outsider’s opinion, especially a mainlander’s, doesn’t matter and doesn’t matter to them. The wording for the last referendum didn’t permit a more clear picture of the populations’ feelings, just a simple yes or no without reflecting other options and the nuances that go into every choice.
I might have agreed, and with similar arguments. But, then I married into the culture and also saw some articles or references to the native Hawaiians’ similar complaints.
For sure it’s not up to us whether they should pursue statehood, but understanding the objection to tourism is important to being a successful tourist
- as a tourist I expect to go somewhere and spend way too much money getting at least some exposure to a different culture or spectacle. I expect to be respectful and open minded. I hope to have an authentic experience rather than an Americanized or fast food experience. I expect some locals to earn quite a bit of money off my travels, even if I can’t afford it
- as someone living in a city that does attract a lot of tourists, I see that it makes a huge contribution our local economy. Some thing’s are tourist traps but local culture thrives and those of us living here are not unduly impacted
- cruise ships seem like a nightmare in many ways. In this context perhaps it’s a sudden overwhelming flood of tourists that has most impact, plus they wouldn’t be staying so the local benefit is minimized
- I’ve encountered the occasional rude or disrespectful tourist but not very often
Actually, no, understanding objections to statehood is also important. I mean it’s their choice but the highest form of patriotism is self-criticism, learning to be better. Regardless of their choice, I want to understand how we can make the US better
Have you looked into how native Hawaiians feel about being a US state?
I’m not sure that’s a good analogy. Given the history of Hawaii with corporate control, natives being pushed off their land and now a minority on their own islands, that more like asking the Sioux how it’s going. Clearly an era we did poorly.
I really enjoyed visiting there a few years ago and definitely want to go back! I've since paid more attention and at least from what I've seen, statehood seems like the best path forward. My wife and I also visited Iceland last year, but that island is in a completely different situation in multiple ways. Their geothermal power is awesome though. PR could certainly benefit from renewables but more local control and growth. You're asking some good questions though.
What are some of your best experiences in Iceland?
Both have been on my list for a while, but out of the blue, one of my kids asked about visiting Iceland. I have no idea where his interest is from, but I’m excited about the idea. Just need to get the kid a passport and wait for an opportune school break
Well the best 2 tours were the Golden Circle and the southern coast, where you visit a volcano, some geysers and waterfalls, and the black sands beach. Seeing the Northern Lights was amazing and the whale watching boat trip where we saw dolphins was another highlight. We've learned to schedule a guided food tour as our first excursion, as those guides are usually well-versed on the nuances of local spots/issues. We were blown away by how delicious all the food was there, except for the shark... it's worth it for the experience, but hard for me to recommend as the taste is so powerful. The museums were well worth visiting!
Sounds excellent, thanks!