The Value of Puerto Rico

Reader Rafael Flores wrote, “The question is not how to request statehood for Puerto Rico given recent plebiscite results. The question is what will we, as a state, bring forth to the table of the 50. What can we contribute to the union that will be attractive to the other 50 states? It cannot be an opportunity to spend more federal funds than what the Fed government currently spends with the colony. It cannot be the contribution of the poorest jurisdiction in the US. And it will not be the strategic location in the Caribbean since any buttons can be pressed from virtually anywhere in the US. So, what is it? How will PR make this attractive to the other 50??”

Statehood is the first choice of the majority of Puerto Rico voters. So, as Flores points out, the question is not whether people want statehood.  We know that statehood would be best for Puerto Rico and that Puerto Ricans want it.

Do Americans want Puerto Rico statehood?

We also know that Americans by and large favor statehood for Puerto Rico, and have for decades. The people of America Arte generally ready to welcome the people of Puerto Rico as the 51st state.

Who must we be attractive to?

When Flores asks, “What can we contribute to the union that will be attractive to the other 50 states?” he’s not talking about being attractive to the people living in the other 50 states. Even though Joe Manchin suggested that the people of the states should vote on Puerto Rico’s admission, that’s not how states are admitted. There is no ratification by other states. It is Congress that has the power to admit new states. The congressional representatives of the 50 states are the ones who have to agree that Puerto Rico is attractive.

What makes Puerto Rico attractive?

Certainly, as Flores says, the fact that Puerto Rico will benefit from statehood is not a reason for all the legislators to admit Puerto Rico. Some do — Jamie Raskin, Ritchie Torres, Darren Soto, Steny Hoyer, and the many who have co-sponsored statehood bills in the past — we can make long lists of people who favor statehood for Puerto Rico on the grounds of equality, justice, and the end of the embarrassment of the nation that prides itself on democratic values holding an unwilling colony.

But how can Puerto Rico be sufficiently attractive as a state that Congress will be willing to make the effort to do the work involved to admit the Island? What does Puerto Rico have to offer the United States?

• National security. Flores doesn’t consider this a strong point, but with China blatantly targeting Latin America, the United States does not need to lose a Caribbean stronghold. Nor does the U.S. need to have another struggling in dependent nation to support.
• Economics. The United States will benefit more from a prosperous state than from an impoverished territory. Hawaii and Alaska were both poor territories and both are rich states. This was true of most of the territories which have already been admitted as states. While Puerto Rico as a state would initially receive more from the federal government than it does now as a territory, the rise in prosperity would mean that the state of Puerto Rico would provide more for the nation than the territory can. A prosperous state of Puerto Rico would also contribute more to the economy as a trading partner.
• Productivity. Currently, Puerto Rico has a low workforce participation rate and limited exports. However, the strength of the pharmaceutical industry over time demonstrates that Puerto Rico has the skills and talents needed for manufacturing. Right now, when companies in the biomedical space and other consumer goods are focusing on shortening and securing their supply chains, Puerto Rico has potential to solve problems for many U.S. brands and industries.
• Beauty and culture. Sometimes we treat the natural beauty and rich history and culture of Puerto Rico as though they are just a given. Sure, sure, it’s a tropical paradise, but can they pay their taxes? That’s the wrong attitude. Puerto Rico is home to an amazing level of biodiversity, numerous unique natural features, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a very popular tourist destination. Kansas cannot compare. As a territory of the United States, Puerto Rico already brings all these wonderful things to the table, but as a state, Puerto Rico will have the stability and capacity to keep and develop these strengths.
• Prestige. For some in Congress now as in the past, enlarging the United States and increasing the number of states is a desirable outcome. Puerto Rico is certainly the easiest state to add — the people already want to be a state, and the territory is so closely linked to the continental United States that the transition will be easy.

Must states deserve admission?

States have generally been admitted because they fitted into the dream of Manifest Destiny, or for political reasons such as needing more votes for an upcoming presidential election, or because of wealth in natural resources such as gold or silver mines. They have not been admitted because they deserved it or because it was the correct moral decision.

But Puerto Rico will enrich the United States. Members of the House and Senate need to learn this in some cases. Just as Congress hesitated to add western states because they thought of them as desolate, barren places, the current Congress will need to overcome their inaccurate mental images of Puerto Rico. Help your representatives do that. Join our Letters for Statehood initiative!