Reconsidering Statehood for Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico

A Question of Statehood

At various times since the middle of the twentieth century, politicians, organizations, and individuals have advocated for statehood for Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Outside of the District of Columbia, American territories have made a strong case for statehood. Similar to Hawaii and Alaska, formerly territories, the current territories are not connected to the American mainland. In fact, the current territories are smaller islands lumped together by language and culture. The islands in the Atlantic Ocean were acquired in the beginning of the twentieth century as a result of the Spanish-American War or purchase from Denmark. These territories are an outgrowth of the Monroe Doctrine philosophies of the 19th century. The islands in the Pacific Ocean are a result of America's efforts during World War II.

Calls for statehood are usually contested by movements for independence. However, it is clear that for economic and military reasons, the federal government is not willing to consider a separation from these territories. A sense of colonialism and a need for a global colonial network strengthens the case to retain these lands.

However, maybe it is time to reconsider the status of these territories. We should take account of the population and the contributions of these territories to the nation's income and security. The inhabitants of these territories are American citizens, but they don't have all of the rights of citizenship. For example, they pay taxes but they lack representation in Congress. They can vote in political primaries but they cannot vote for president. As America has retained these lands for at least 75 years, it is time to grant these multi-generational Americans full citizenship.

There is a specific reason to examine the conditions of two of America's lands that are not states. Puerto Rico is the largest of the island territories. It has had a vibrant economy supported by tourism and socio-economic connections to Florida, New Jersey and New York. Puerto Rico has a population of 3.194 million people (2019). San Juan is a densely populated capital of over 300,000 (2016) residents, that is comparable to many of the nation's largest cities. Another city, Ponce, has a population over 100,00.  San Juan has two major malls, the only malls in the Caribbean.  Puerto Rico has more residents than 21 of the 50 states (including Hawaii and Alaska).

In the last four years Puerto Rico has been harmed by bankruptcy, hurricanes and earthquakes. Federal response to these conditions has been limited due to its status as a territory. If Puerto Rico was a state, the federal government would not allow Puerto Ricans to languish after major disasters. However, as American citizens they should be treated with equality comparable to all other American citizens. The current plight of Puerto Ricans is still connected to previous disasters. To not address this is a national tragedy.

The District of Columbia was created as a neutral space for 13, not 50 states. It is surrounded by Maryland and Virginia, with the goal of simply being a governmental center. For nearly a century, living in Washington was not a major consideration. It was too hot and swampy. However, that initial concept of a site solely for the federal government has outlived its usefulness. Washington has become a home for federal offices as well as non-government companies. The city has a significant public school system, mass transit system, sizable police and fire protection and it supports two airports. The District is a center for higher education, museums and technology. The city is large enough to support baseball, basketball, soccer, and hockey franchises. Washington, D.C. is a major city. It has more people (702,455 in 2018) than three of the less populated states. Greater Metropolitan Washington supports a population of over 5 million people.

The residents of Washington can vote for president, but have no representation in Congress. Just like the people living in the other territories, they lack full citizenship and representation. The city should be independent of federal oversight. A solution would be to remove the White House from the city and grant it federal protection independent from the city.

As we move towards the next election and consider the consequences and outcomes from the death of George Floyd, we must accept the fact that we are in the midst of a revolution for full equality. To ignore statehood for all territories, but especially Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. demonstrates a lack of compassion and equally a denial of America's promise of liberty and justice for all.