Puerto Rico officially became a territory of the United States in 1917, when all citizens of Puerto Rico also became US citizens. In the 2020 election, Puerto Ricans narrowly voted in favor of statehood in a non-binding referendum.

Puerto Rico is considered a Commonwealth of the US, but many citizens of Puerto Rico have called it a colony because it is constantly treated as such. Puerto Ricans do not get to vote for President or be represented in Congress. They do have a “resident commissioner” as their only representative in Congress, who does not receive a vote.

In 2012 and 2017, Puerto Ricans also voted for statehood, yet the results were questioned regarding their legitimacy.

Some say that Congress will choose not to act on the referendum, while others have decided to push the issue, including the resident commissioner Jenniffer González.

Another issue with pushing for statehood is the lack of voter turnout. Ultimately, just over half of all eligible voters even responded to the question of statehood. Without many people responding, it could prove difficult to argue in favor of statehood in Congress.

“I think that Puerto Rico should be able to become a state if they vote for that and most citizens want to. I also think that Puerto Rico should have voting representatives in Congress,” Says Junior Annie Bartos