Puerto Rico, an island off the east coast of the United States, is a commonwealth of the United States. The people of Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens, but they cannot vote in elections unless they are living in one of the 50 United States. If another country attacks Puerto Rico, the United States will defend the tiny island. But, Puerto Rico is not a state.

For a long time, Puerto Rico was ruled by Spain. Then, in 1898, it finally won its independence, which meant it had freedom to be it's own country. That only lasted one week, because the U.S. military took over the country.

Garlic juice! Spanish and salsa are ricocheting off the walls. … Beans are burning on the grill ….

The Spanish-American War was starting, and the United States decided to buy Puerto Rico. You can see, if you look at a map, that Puerto Rico is not too far from Cuba. The United States thought that if it bought Puerto Rico and stationed soldiers there, it could protect Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland from invasions by armies and navies from other countries.

After the U.S. bought Puerto Rico, it built highways and schools on the tiny island. The U.S. government passed a law saying only English could be taught in school. This was upsetting for many Puerto Ricans, because they spoke only Spanish. Some Puerto Ricans were afraid that soon they would not be allowed to have their own culture, and that they would become just like the United States. They liked many things about the U.S., but they also realized that they were different, and they like that, too!

In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson passed the Jones Act, which made all Puerto Ricans citizens of the United States. That meant that Puerto Ricans had to serve in the military. In 1952, the island became a commonwealth. Today, many Puerto Ricans want Puerto Rico to become the 51st state of the United States. Many others want Puerto Rico to remain a commonwealth.

Spanish Harlem, in New York, is where some people from Puerto Rico have come to live. Everyone I talked to there said Puerto Rico should stay a commonwealth, not become a state. Some Puerto Ricans are rather poor, as are some in Spanish Harlem.

One artist named James De La Vega paints murals of revolutionary heroes who helped Puerto Rico gain its independence.

"I also write lots of thoughts on the ground with chalk to get people to think about things," he says. "I want them to understand that they can be what they want to be regardless of how bad their situation is."

Stephen and I left Spanish Harlem feeling the same way.

Stephanie

Please email me at: stephanie@ustrek.org