‘It’s Not Full Citizenship’: What It Means to Be Puerto Rican Post-María

The status question in the Island of Enchantment is complicated so I'm going to punt on that. And the timing of Morales' book is in some ways unfortunate as it stops before Rosselló's forced resignation. But if you've an interest in Puerto Rico's politics or history, this is a well written and very important book. Morales has a clear understanding of the situation which he explains wonderfully. I hope he can either update it in some form or other: another book, a revised edition, or even an online posting.

I visited Puerto Rico for the first time this last March. I have a cousin who moved there years ago and started a business. I loved it, but it was weird, when you think about it, to be surrounded by Americans who have no right to vote in national elections, who no Senator and only a non-voting representative to the US house. Even Washington DC gets three electoral votes. When my cousin moved there, she gave up here right to vote for president. Ironically, I am a US citizen living in New Zealand, and I can STILL vote with an absentee ballot. This holds true as well for Guam, the US Virgin Island, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas Islands. That's 3.7 million disenfranchised American Citizens. Combined, that is more people than the state of Connecticut, which is #29 in population size out of the 50.

I think the only two options for my beautiful caribbean Island are full sovereignty or a reunification with Spain that would allow us to have our autonomy back within the spanish state (like we did before the US invaded) and an european quality of life . The US-Puerto Rico relationship is a complete and total failure, it began with an unrequested invasion and it has not gotten any better after 121 years, enough is enough.