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March 1, 2011 12:10 P.M.
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What Do You Mean ‘We’?
ByMark Krikorian
I’m at a hearing of the immigration subcommittee, and the pseudo-congressman from Puerto Ricois going on about how “we” are a nation of immigrants. “We”? Puerto Rico is a foreign country thatbecame a colony of the United States in 1898, no different from the French colony of Togo or theBritish colony of Uganda (or the U.S. colony of the Philippines). Congress granted residents of theisland U.S. citizenship during World War I, but Puerto Ricans remain a distinct people, a distinctnation, with their own (foreign) language, their own history, their own culture. Like other remnantsof late-colonialism (like Belize, Djibouti, Comoros, etc.), most Puerto Ricans don’t wantindependence at this point, because it would end the gravy train. But that’s not our problem weneed to end this unnatural situation and give the nation of Puerto Rico an independent state as soonas practicable.
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Julio FigueroaNunez
03/04/11 16:59LinkReport Abuse
Mark Krikorian,I truly wonder what is really going on in your mind when you make statements likethese about Puerto Rico. I'm truly suspicious. I'm Puerto RIcan (which in itself implies that I am an American, a citizen by birth). We are distinct, unique you mightsay - but that does not mean we are incompatible with the rest of the country unlessyou think OUR country is a homogenous one. If you do, I'd like to know your reasonsfor believing the United States of America is a homogenous nation. Your attitudetowards Puerto Rico offends me, though it your right to have an opinion and that initself is fine. But do not for a second think that Puerto Ricans ought to bediscriminated against and denied equal rights because we are distinct from themainstream. Scratch the surface and you'll find we're really not that much different.Though I know you won't bother to take the time.And please people, think before you write. The Philippines story is really differentthan ours. They OPTED for independence while we remained a territory, eventually achieving the status of Commonwealth - but with that whole process, and after morethan 100 years under the US flag and 94 years as natural born Americans - we havebeen transformed. Cultures ARE NOT STATIC. They are dynamic and are constantly evolving. We are proud to be what we are, and a big part of that is our"Americanhood."Writing and talking without truly understanding doesn't really do you any favors,
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What Do You Mean ‘We’? - By Mark Krikorian - The Corner - ... http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261003/what-do-you-me...1 of 8 3/5/11 9:38 AM
especially when you seem to lack a deep understanding on your own country - of which Puerto Rico is a part of. This doesn't matter - many territories met similarresistance too and had enemies with similar opinions. Soon, when we achieve thenecessary votes to knock on Congress' doors demanding full equality - well, then I'msure you'll head will explode. Me? I'll be there waving my new 51 star American flag.E Pluribus Unum. God bless my country and all its people, no matter how differentthey are racially or culturally - and God bless even you Mr. Krikorian.Julio Figueroa NunezUSAF VeteranCayey, Puerto Rico
Rossa
03/04/11 16:12LinkReport Abuse
Mark is totally correct. Puerto Rico is a nation that is occupied by the US since 1898,first as a colonial regime and since 1952 under a neo colonial status called FreeAssociated State (a self governing unincorporated 'territory' that is not sovereign).Puerto Ricans have over 500 years of history and have been victims of colonialism(just like Ireland and India)because the US decided that the island was going to be amilitary outpost, the US gave Cuba allowed Cuba and Cubans to be free but deniedthis to Cuba's sister island: Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans. If you read Puerto Rico'shistory (which is ignored by the majority of Americans) from 1898 until the 1950's isa history of resistance, of cultural and political resistance against colonialdomination, this resistance lead to the nationalist revolution in the 1930's and1940's: Puerto Ricans refused to learn english, refused to have their culture andidentity destroyed and challenged american domination of their homeland. The USgave up, the annexation plan was a failure and Puerto Rico was not going to becomeHawaii part 2. So what happened? The US needed a military outpost and was notgoing to let Puerto Rico go: they invented the Free Associated State, self governingwith it's own constitution (ratified by the people of Puerto Rico in 1952), Puerto Ricowas taken out of the Non-self governing nations at the United Nations (1953). PuertoRico has it's own national flag (same as the Cuban flag but inverted colors, showsthat both islands are sister islands), a national anthem called 'La Borinquena' andhave their own national olympic team and international representation as a nation(Puerto Rico defeated the US basketball dream team during 2004 Olympics inAthens).The US gov. also recognizes that Puerto Ricans are a different nationality that have astatutory US citizenship.So yes, Mark is correct and knows very well what he is talking about, the Puerto Ricoambassador in the US congress (Resident Commisioner)belongs to the pro USstatehood party which is trying to sell the statehood option to the Republican andDemocrat party by cheaply denying Puerto Rico's national identity and history (which is the biggest roadblock for the US statehood movement in Congress, thefunny thing is that this same ambassador when talks to puerto ricans in Puerto Ricotalks about the island as the 'patria' which means fatherland in spanish. It is all toofunny and sad at the same time.
A strike
03/02/11 16:18LinkReport Abuse
And yes I understand what is meant by the term. I emphatically reject the objectiveof it's subtle implication, i.e. uncritical immigration policy.
A strike
03/02/11 07:54LinkReport Abuse
The United States is not now, nor has it ever been a nation of immigrants. Since thefounding, most of the people in this country have been native born.
Bart
03/01/11 23:50LinkReport Abuse
During the time that the Philippines was a territory of the U.S. it was not a foreignnation. Its governance - even to the extent it had "self-governance" - was solely aproduct of US law. We didn't make The Philippines a state not because it was a"nation" (we can readily admit a "nation" as a state - ask any Texan or Vermonter) -but because we didn't want to. (Plenty of reasons why we didn't want to but if we'dwanted to - and had been willing to put down a likely second insurrection - we couldhave.)Puerto Rico - like all other current and former US territories and the District of Columbia - is exactly the same. Congress could constitutionally enact a law
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What Do You Mean ‘We’? - By Mark Krikorian - The Corner - ... http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261003/what-do-you-me...2 of 8 3/5/11 9:38 AM
empowering the President to appoint a Governor, setting the speed limit at 45,dividing the island into 10 separate territories or abolishing the legislature andempowering the Presidentially-appointed Governor to enact whatever laws he deemsappropriate.
flenser
03/01/11 20:30LinkReport Abuse
"(Puerto Rico) is like the Philippines - but the Philippines was also a territory"And yet we never made the Philippines a state.One of the principle reasons we did not do so was that the Philippines was a foreignnation before, during, and after the time it was a US territory.>"Puerto Rico (regardless of what it is called) is a territory - a place that is not aforeign nation and that is not a part of a state or of the district constituting the seatof government."A "territory" is a just a legal fiction. If the US annexed Japan and called it a USterritory, then it is a "territory" for the purposes of communications between officialsof the US government. And it also remains a foreign nation de facto, even if not dejure.
flenser
03/01/11 20:04LinkReport Abuse
>"Irish Americans and Italian Americans are proud of both their native country aswell as their adopted one."That would be a good point .... IF we were discussing making Ireland and Italy the51st and 52nd states.
flenser
03/01/11 20:00LinkReport Abuse
>" .. unless we are anticipating a large migration of U.S. Puerto Ricans back toPuerto Rico and a corresponding change in the electorate, the voting patterns thatmatter are of those actually living and voting in the jurisdiction."We do not know what the voting patterns of Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico will be,because they do not currently vote for Senators or Congressmen in the US Congress.So we have to make some educated guesses.But based on the way Puerto Ricans currently in the US vote, and based on thedemographics of Puerto Rico, there is every reason to assume that they will bereliable Democrats.
Bart
03/01/11 19:52LinkReport Abuse
"Puerto Rico is a foreign country that became a colony of the United States in 1898,no different from the French colony of Togo or the British colony of Uganda (or theU.S. colony of the Philippines). Congress granted residents of the island U.S.citizenship during World War I, but Puerto Ricans remain a distinct people, adistinct nation, with their own (foreign) language, their own history, their ownculture."The U.S. Constitution recognizes only the following "places": states; the districtconstituting the seat of Government of the United States; territory or other property belonging to the United States; and foreign nations.There is no constitutional significance in calling a place a "colony" or a"commonwealth". Congress may call a place whatever it wants and a state may callitself whatever it wants (as in "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania").Constitutionally, there is no such thing as a "colony" (or a "commonwealth", for thatmatter). Congress can name a territory whatever it wants (just as a state may nameitself whatever it wants (as in the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania") - but those arethe categories.The legal distinctions among "organized", "unorganized", "incorporated" or"unincorporated" territories, as well as "indian reservations" and anything else youcan imagine are nothing more than past and current legal categories created by federal law and entirely subject to the change by Congress, for any or no reason,without the slightest constitutional impediment.Puerto Rico (regardless of what it is called) is a territory - a place that is not a foreignnation and that is not a part of a state or of the district constituting the seat of
What Do You Mean ‘We’? - By Mark Krikorian - The Corner - ... http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/261003/what-do-you-me...3 of 8 3/5/11 9:38 AM
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Puerto Rico:“What Do You Mean ‘We’? - By Mark Krikorian - The Corner - National Review Online”
I’m at a hearing of the immigration subcommittee, and the pseudo-congressman from Puerto Rico is going on about how “we” are a nation of immigrants. “We”? Puerto Rico is a foreign country that became a colony…
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