Puerto Rico Persuasive Essay

The status of Puerto Rico in accordance with the United States has been controversial at best throughout the years. In a 1998 referendum, the majority of Puerto Rico was not in support of statehood. However a 2012 referendum resulted in the opposite with 61% of Puerto Ricans voting for statehood (Castillo para. 2). Although this referendum was non-binding, meaning it did not develop Puerto Rico as a state, it shows the island’s support for full integration and forces Washington to address this issue in the near future. Still, despite a large percentage voting for statehood, many people are hesitant to believe that Puerto Rico should be fully incorporated into the US.
Puerto Rico is currently known as a Commonwealth and subject to the Territory …show more content…
That the U.S. is giving a large amount in federal funding and welfare while the citizens of Puerto Rico are not obligated to paying federal income tax is hard to stomach for some. However, as of 2013, over 45% of Puerto Rico’s citizens live below the poverty line (Bishaw 3). This number is only growing and it is hard to see how much of a positive effect for the amount of federal income tax gathered would be if Puerto Rico were to become a state. However, I agree with the position that Puerto Rico should be able to achieve statehood for slightly different reasons. Even if the amount of federal income tax gathered ends up being dismal, the ability to gain a permanent place beside the United States and receive the full rights granted to its citizens could mean great things for the people of Puerto Rico. Additionally, with the same right to federal support and tax relief programs, Puerto Rico could easily see an economic gain to their economy by joining the United States. While many might claim that statehood would mean the diminishment of local culture and identity, many states of the union have strong cultural identity such as Louisiana and Hawaii. What is more, statehood is a political change and not always a cultural