The Curious Case of Puerto Rico: Neither a U.S. State nor an Independent Country

|马克Mikula |

As we pay tribute to the many Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation this Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s reflect on commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which has, throughout its history, held a unique position in its relationship to the United States.

波多黎各是由探险家克里斯托弗·哥伦布在1493年“发现”和他的探险之一期间宣称对西班牙。当时，它是由泰诺人，谁讲的阿拉瓦克语系，其中南美的土著人口中发展的一个变种居住。第一任总督，西班牙任命，任命为波多黎各岛，意为“丰富的端口。”对于超过400年，它仍然是西班牙的控制之下，直到它在1898年的美西战争结束割让给美国作为巴黎条约，从而结束冲突的条件。

两年后，美国国会通过了法案福勒克1900年，建立一个结构的文官政府，立法机构，司法机构和波多黎各，并把该岛美国的保护之下。其中一个福勒克法的长效规定是命名波多黎各“常驻专员”谁能够解决政治家和代表的美国国会众议院立法。波多黎各代表，但是，不具有投票权的众议院，除了在委员会。这个位置仍然存在为2018。

1917年，波多黎各人分别给予美国公民身份琼斯法案的后果（又称有机法）。其中一个法案通过背后的动机之一是提升谁可以参加第一次世界大战的美国和盟国的侧合格军人的数量。尽管波多黎各可能已被授予充分的独立性（如与菲律宾最终发生）或声明的状态（如夏威夷和阿拉斯加最终发生），国会当时决定，这将归类波多黎各的“未合并领土”美国，其只提供了有限的好处和保护波多黎各人。

在20世纪上半叶，波多黎各推动了更大的自主权。1947年，美国允许境内选出自己的总督，路易斯·穆尼奥斯·马林，谁领导的努力，从对农业的依赖转变波多黎各的经济了。1950年，美国给予波多黎各建立了宪法，在该领土被定义为在塑造其政府更大的控制英联邦的权利。

Still, however, Puerto Rico has held a unique position in which its international relations are not independent from U.S policy-making and in which the U.S. federal government holds ultimate power with regard to its currency, highways, postal system, social security benefits, and mineral rights.

U.S. courts, including the Supreme Court, have attempted to more clearly define Puerto Rican autonomy in the latter half of the twentieth century and the early part of the twenty-first century. (The Puerto Rican judiciary is connected to the First Circuit Court in the federal court system.) Most legal decisions regarding matters of Puerto Rican autonomy have resulted in rights and privileges typically granted to the states.

然而，谁住在波多黎各的波多黎各人可以不选美国总统，他们没有在国会中直接表示。这些权限将扩展为波多黎各成为一个状态。谁居住在五十个州的一个波多黎各人确实有联邦和各州选举中的投票权。

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria, classified as a category 4 hurricane at the time of landfall, struck Puerto Rico, devastating the landscape, destroying power lines, and compromising the island’s infrastructure. According to a study released by the Milken Institute of Public Health at George Washington University, 2,975 people died as a result of the storm. The death toll is a significant adjustment from the initial “official” report of 64 deaths and a revised count later issued by the Puerto Rican government of 1,400. Entertainers such as singer Jennifer Lopez and actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda have led fundraising efforts and have brought attention to the dire situation facing Puerto Rico in the wake of the storm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) faced challenges delivering supplies and restoring power to Puerto Rico.

Debates and initiatives regarding Puerto Rico’s status are ongoing. In referendums, residents have increasingly favored statehood for the island, but the U.S. Congress has been reluctant to carry that possibility forward, especially since Puerto Rico carries a massive amount of debt that would need to be managed appropriately if the island commonwealth were to be folded into the United States.

西班牙传统月is celebrated from September 15^th通过10月15日^th.

对于波多黎各的概述，请参阅“Puerto Rico”从Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the States在GVRL.

有关从它的第一位居民任命州长的角度展望波多黎各的演讲，请参阅“The Future of Puerto Rico”从金宝搏彩票多元文化的美国烈风百科全书在U.S. History In Context.

有关飓风玛丽亚在岛上的影响的信息，请参阅“飓风玛丽亚摧残波多黎各，二○一七年九月二十〇日”从美国历史事件188金宝搏北京赛车在U.S. History In Context.