How The Puerto Rican Diaspora Can Save The Island
Puerto Ricans are the second most numerous Latino Population in the US at 5.4 Million. So why are we not more of a force in helping the island?
The island was a key “win” in the late 1800s, as its location was of strategic importance to the military and economic interests of the then emerging super power. The people on the island have a unique level of citizenship that one could only describe as schizophrenic — they cannot vote for president, yet they can be drafted into service; they pay no federal taxes yet they pay into federal entitlements, like medicare and social security, even though the payout is less on the island than on the mainland. The island has been suffering from crippling debt and infrastructure problems, even before the devastating hurricanes in September, which continues to threaten the health, education and well-being of island residents and has forced many to move in waves to the “upper 48.”
One would think that with all these issues affecting American citizens, that we’d have a focused US policy, or at least a continued public discussion about Puerto Rico on a national level. Yet, despite being the 2nd Largest Latino community in this country (with or without counting island residents), the discourse on US Policy and Puerto Rico has largely been overshadowed by immigration, of interest to the US’s largest group of Latinos, Mexican Americans, and US/Cuba policy, of interest to our 3rd largest group, Cuban Americans.
One cannot blame the lack of attention to external factors alone. Part of the reason is also because for the most part, Puerto Ricans off the island, AKA the diaspora, have had a sort of a existential “distance” to the island, especially as the community is now 2, 3, even 4 generations removed from their place of origin.
As consequence, many important policies, like the Jones act, the crippling debt, and climate change preparation has been left for the islanders themselves to handle, with little interest on the mainland save a few ardent and noble activists. While many (including myself), have a sense of belonging to Puerto Rico and see it as an ancestral home, a majority (including myself) have been reticent to take up politics on its behalf.
This may be because politics on the island is often framed within the “status” debate — statehood vs. status quo vs. independence — a discussion many of the diaspora are wary of joining. Another may be that the economic status of many Puerto Ricans on the mainland are still precarious. While prominent Puerto Ricans dominate lists of accomplished US Latinos , the community still lags behind their Latin American peers economically. Economic power equals political power, and this lack of political power means politicians can ignore the island’s needs without consequence at the voting booth.
The recent hurricane, however, and the complete mishandling of the US Government response, has changed the current discourse, and awoken a sleeping giant. To many of Puerto Rican lineage, this was a call to arms to reconnect and help the community we’ve may have previously ignored. We saw massive responses from Puerto Rican enclaves all across the country, and continue to see the calls for relief strengthen as more find ways to get involved.
The power of the diaspora is real. One example is the recent “Somos Live” concert & telethon organized on behalf of Puerto Rico, which raised over $35MM. Over 18 US and international networks simulcast the sold-out concert from 8–10PM, and the viewership at the 10PM hour for one network, NBC, got it to the 2nd top spot in US TV ratings. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new charity single “Almost Like Praying,” debuted at №1 on the Digital Song Sales chart dated Oct. 28, with 111,000 downloads sold in the tracking week ending Oct. 13, according to Nielsen Music.
Social media also reflected this awakening. On Facebook, the group “Puerto Rico Maria Updates.” has over 250 thousand members. The hashtag #puertoricoselevanta is a top trending hashtag on twitter as people turn to it to share information and find ways to help.
But this activity cannot stop with downloads & donations — for the island to survive, it needs the diaspora to take up its causes, similar to how Mexican-Americans rally around immigration and Cuban-Americans rally around US/Cuba policy. It must be an issue that will sway votes for or against candidates, that can bring in or dry up money for campaigns. One does not need to be pro statehood or pro independence, but we should all be able to unite around the call to repeal the Jones act so that the island can export and create revenue. We must demand a resolution of the debt crisis so the island can bring back needed services and invest in infrastructure. We must unite around the topic of climate change, which will continue to have devastating effects on the island. The voting citizens on this continent must force politicians to take notice, and make them aware that we notice their silence or complicity. Every politician in the US, whether Democrat, Independent or Republican, must know that they will not get the Puerto Rican diaspora’s vote without an answer to the question of what they are doing to help Puerto Rico. PACs can and should be created to support those candidates who are helping, and money should be put to challenge those who are not — even if those candidates are also Latino. A Spanish surname can no longer be enough to garner support from us. They must prove worthy of our allegiance.
We must also look to ways to support the island economically. Tourism is always a good start, but look towards ways to use local businesses and buy locally produced goods. Get involved via donations or volunteering with charities helping on the ground, and for those of us who can, make investments that are socially responsible. Help the island defend itself from “disaster capitalism” and individuals and corporations seeking to take advantage of the needy to buy property cheaply and further displace residents. This part may be the most important, and longest part of the island’s recovery, and will need our commitment to see it through the long term.
The diaspora must be confident that we have the power to get the US to help Puerto Rico. It is up to us. And the time is now. As people shouted from the walkways of the Miami stadium during the “Somos Live” concert — “Yo Soy Boricua! Pa’ que tu lo sepa!”
