Puerto Rico Statehood and General Discussion

[harvesterofsorrows]

Originally Posted by LucasS6

I always get amused when people talk about the US "imperialistically wrenching" Cali and such away from Mexico. How long did Mexico have it after wrenching it away from the Indians anyway?

Mexicans are "indians"... :\

[Chicagoflo]

Isn't it lol?
Put it this way there are about the same number of Puerto Ricans in U.S than in Puerto Rico it's self lol....

[kevinkagy]

I say, go for it, might as well become a state.

[Bori427]

Biggest problem are the WASPs

[irving1903]

lol

we talked about that today in U.S history

lol

[LucasS6]

Originally Posted by harvesterofsorrows

Mexicans are "indians"... :\

Eh...sorta. They're half and half, more or less. But the thing is they lay a claim to California and Texas and such by virtue of the nation of Mexico- not because they're Aztecs (who were further south) or Navajo (maybe they are, they should pursue THAT angle then). Mexico owned the land for less time than the US has so far, so it just seems amazingly silly to me.

[snookums]

Bori427 Biggest problem are the WASPs

irving1903 lol

we talked about that today in U.S history

lol

I see it is perfectly OK to bash and be racist against WASPs (white Anglo-Saxon Protestants) yet be P.C. on everything else.

Typical SSC.....just typical

[harvesterofsorrows]

Originally Posted by LucasS6

Eh...sorta. They're half and half, more or less. But the thing is they lay a claim to California and Texas and such by virtue of the nation of Mexico- not because they're Aztecs (who were further south) or Navajo (maybe they are, they should pursue THAT angle then). Mexico owned the land for less time than the US has so far, so it just seems amazingly silly to me.

I'm saying Mexicans are Partially Native American, or Mestizo. I said nothing of the southwest claimage. People seem to forget that and think our history started with crossing borders.

[LucasS6]

And if you go back and reread my first post in this thread, I was talking about southwest claimage.

[redspork02]

THe Southwest was Mexican Territory for 35 years, only. and it was all called Alta CAli.

[harvesterofsorrows]

What does that have to do with the conversation at hand?

You trying to start something?

[redspork02]

Originally Posted by harvesterofsorrows

What does that have to do with the conversation at hand?

You trying to start something?

No, .....nevermind....

[Bori427]

*Bump*

[mgk920]

Interesting (and apologies for no offhand link to an article or the bill), but it appears that Congress is about to extend the State Quarter program an additional year (2009) to cover DC and five territories - Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Now, what will PR put on its coin?



Mike

[irving1903]

el coqui

lol :]

[Msradell]

Originally Posted by Chalaco

It would be nice to have Puerto Rico as a state. We could be bilingual like Canada.

The United States should not become bilingual under any circumstance. We are and always have been a country based on a single language. That is one of the greatest things that has strengthened the United States. Everyone has come to America has become an American, not a Frenchman, German, Irishman etc. who happens to be living here. Many maintained speaking their native language for several generations but they all learned English. We've never needed a formal law making English (American) an official language but maybe now we do to insure that all future immigrants truly become Americans by learning our language and traditions!

Canada is having many problems with the bilingual atmosphere. Quebec has tried several times to succeed from the country and has lost a lot of tourism because of its language attitude. In Canada's case being bilingual has become a factor splitting the country not unifying it and being bilingual would do the same for the United States!

[Bori427]

Puerto Rico again eyes statehood

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The governor is under criminal investigation, crime and unemployment are soaring, and the economy is faltering as foreign firms are shutting down factories.



But to hear the politicians on this gem of a Caribbean island tell it, the only real issue on the public agenda is whether Puerto Rico should become the 51st state, ending its decades-old status as a U.S. commonwealth.



A bill calling for a referendum on the issue recently won approval in a U.S. House committee, triggering a new round of intense debate on the island, despite the fact that final congressional approval and an actual vote are still iffy propositions at best.



After decades of rowdy argument, though, some Puerto Ricans appear to be tiring of the seemingly eternal debate over what is known here as the "status" issue.



"The reigning ideology on Puerto Rico is the dollar, not status," said Augusto Font, 68, a businessman who sells his wife's interior furnishings out of a small shop called DMR Designs in the Old San Juan historic district. "The politicians coalesce around status, but I think most people are more worried about their economic standards."



But with an election year looming, it seems a given that the statehood issue will once again dominate.



Puerto Ricans have long been ambivalent about their relationship with the United States, which claimed the island after winning the Spanish-American War in 1898. After a 1951 referendum, islanders drafted their own constitution, becoming a self-governing "free associated state," one of two U.S. commonwealths. (The other is the Northern Marianas islands in the Pacific Ocean.)



Commonwealth status brought with it a wealth of benefits and just as many contradictions. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens but cannot vote in mainland elections. They have an elected representative, called a "resident commissioner," in Congress, but he has no vote.

Puerto Ricans receive about $10 billion a year in U.S. support, but pay no federal income tax. They serve in the U.S. military — in extremely high numbers in proportion to their population — but have their own national flag and Olympic team.



But for all the local fury on the issue, a final decision on Puerto Rico's status can only be decided by Congress, which must approve a binding referendum for the island. Despite decades of debate, Congress has been unwilling to schedule such a vote.



That hasn't stopped local leaders from pressing for islandwide elections on the issue.



Puerto Rico's 4 million residents have voted twice on statehood in recent years, but if anything, those elections only further muddied the waters. In 1993 and 1998, voters were almost equally split between the statehood and commonwealth options, with each receiving about 45 percent support and the island's small but vocal group calling for independence garnering the balance.




http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/...TION/491425651

[Chalaco]

Originally Posted by Msradell

The United States should not become bilingual under any circumstance. We are and always have been a country based on a single language. That is one of the greatest things that has strengthened the United States. Everyone has come to America has become an American, not a Frenchman, German, Irishman etc. who happens to be living here. Many maintained speaking their native language for several generations but they all learned English. We've never needed a formal law making English (American) an official language but maybe now we do to insure that all future immigrants truly become Americans by learning our language and traditions!

Canada is having many problems with the bilingual atmosphere. Quebec has tried several times to succeed from the country and has lost a lot of tourism because of its language attitude. In Canada's case being bilingual has become a factor splitting the country not unifying it and being bilingual would do the same for the United States!

The whole point in being an American is that we're all unique. We're a big collage made from different people. It would be so nice to have people in New Orleans speak French. It's not like it would slowly be the end of English in N.O., it would just give it more flavor.

Quebec's unique French heritage that makes it even more attractive to tourist. French is the language used by the majority of Québecers, although English is spoken or understood almost everywhere in the province, particularly in the large urban centres. -www.bonjourquebec.com

Another example could be Spain, which, has Castillian (known by a majority as Spanish) but not just that it also has Catalan, Galician, and Basque. They all get along just fine..everyone knows Castillian but they also know their language in the certain area. I don't know what the big deal in the United States would be.

[TU 'cane]

might as well.

[Msradell]

Originally Posted by Chalaco

Quebec's unique French heritage that makes it even more attractive to tourist. French is the language used by the majority of Québecers, although English is spoken or understood almost everywhere in the province, particularly in the large urban centres. -www.bonjourquebec.com

I don't know if you've ever been to Quebec or not but they will only speak English if forced to and many will not speak it at all. From my experience Parisians try to help people with language issues more than residents of Quebec.

Many articles state that Quebec's use of the French language drives tourists away not encouraging them. Yes the heritage is attractive by the communication issues drive many away. If Quebec was English speaking they wouldn't have room for all the tourists!