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Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the culture and contributions of the 62.1 million Hispanic Americans that live in the United States.
In Florida alone, nearly 5.7 million people are Hispanic and 1.15 million are Puerto Rican, making our state home to the third-largest Hispanic population in the country. With numbers like these, it is no surprise that Hispanic Americans make up one of the most influential voting blocs in the country.
The U.S. would not be the same without the hard work and sacrifice of our community. This Nov. 5, Puerto Ricans will have a non-binding vote on statehood – all Hispanic Americans should enthusiastically support the island’s fight for equality.
The impact of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. cannot be understated. Before territorial status, Puerto Ricans allied with American colonists in the Revolutionary War and contributed significantly to the capture of cities such as Baton Rouge, St. Louis and Pensacola.
As a territory, Puerto Ricans have maintained their dedication to our country. They have fought as U.S. citizens in every war since World War I. More than 1,200 U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico have died in combat while serving in our military, fighting to protect the rights of all Americans.
Beyond sacrificing for our freedoms, Puerto Ricans have made major cultural contributions. The territory has produced a Supreme Court Justice, congressional members, astronauts, musicians, authors, athletes and much more. Puerto Ricans are just as embedded in and vital to American culture as any other U.S. citizens.
Yet, keeping Puerto Rico as a U.S. territory shows how little the contributions of the 3.2 million American citizens on the island are appreciated. Puerto Ricans have been subjected to a legacy of racism and colonialism that has prevented them from receiving the rights they deserve—federal voting, Medicare, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits, to name a few.
Puerto Ricans have been denied equality under the law including full representation in the U.S.government for over 125 years, despite having a greater population than 19 states. They are unable to advocate for their community through an appeal to federal representatives or senators because territory status does not allow them to elect either.
When Puerto Ricans have expressed their opinion on the status question through non-binding plebiscites over the last decade, they have consistently shown their support for statehood. Despite significant progress in Congress on proposed legislation for a binding vote on the issue, it has yet to become law. This needs to change.
That is why this upcoming election is so important. This November, the Puerto Rican government will hold a local, non-binding plebiscite, the first mirroring the Puerto Rico Status Act (H.R.2757/S.3231) which means the territorial status will not be an option on the ballot. Voters will choose between statehood, independence, or independence with free association.
With the overwhelming bipartisan support for the act and a plebiscite that aligns itself with groundbreaking legislation, Puerto Rico’s territory question is on its way to being resolved, so long as Congress maintains this momentum when it receives the voters’ results.
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s imperative that we, as a Hispanic community, recognize our collective power has produced victory after victory. We need to continue demonstrating the will of the Hispanic people and take a stand against all forms of racism and remnants of colonialism against our community.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, I implore you to call your relatives and friends in Puerto Rico and encourage them to vote in the upcoming plebiscite. Impress on them that their decision will put us one step closer to returning long overdue rights to the millions of U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico.
Let us use this month to remember that even though we have accomplished much, we still have much further to go.
Lydia Medrano is a sociologist and civil rights advocate. She is the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Tampa Bay district director and Immediate national vice president for the Southeast region.
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