Puerto Rico Report brought you 152 new, original articles in 2023. Which ones were the most popular?
#10 “Can a Puerto Rican Become President of The United States?”
The answer to this question may seem obvious, but a legal scholar examined hypothetical cases to reveal the nuances of the issue. It’s a question that brings up the difference between the statutory citizenship Puerto Ricans have and the constitutional citizenship enjoyed by people born in the states.
#9 “How Did Puerto Rico Become a U.S. Territory?”
Puerto Rico is a territory belonging to the United States. So how did that come about? This article is a simple explanation of that event in Puerto Rico and U.S. history, which is often overlooked in history classes on the mainland.
#8 “Legalized Prostitution and Marijuana in Puerto Rico?”
This article harks back to a time when Puerto Rico’s territorial government was brainstorming ways to improve the economy. They asked the people of Puerto Rico to make suggestions. Some of the options were more practical than others. We examined a couple of the most extreme proposals.
#7 “Puerto Rico: A U.S. Territory”
We know that many of our readers are themselves experts on Puerto Rico status. But many others are confused about Puerto Rico’s political status and need the basic facts. This article provides the background needed to understand the controversy over the Island’s political status, now and in the future.
#6 “Top 10 Reasons to Support Statehood for Puerto Rico”
Puerto Rico can either become a state or an independent nation, according to the U.S. constitution, but statehood is a much more popular choice for residents of the Island. This article lists the main reasons statehood appeals to Puerto Rico.
#5 “How Safe is Drinking Water in Puerto Rico?”
Official sources say that water in Puerto Rico is just as safe to drink as water in the states, but this is based on the legal requirements rather than the reality. We looked at the data more closely and found that this is another area of inequality affecting Puerto Rico. As a territory, Puerto Rico does not have equality with the states, and the quality of the water is another indication of the need for action to achieve justice.
#4 “Puerto Rican Population in the States”
Roughly two thirds of Puerto Ricans now live in the states. This article explains which states have the largest Puerto Rican populations. This article dives into the history of Puerto Ricans on the mainland.
#3 “The ‘Perfect Human’ Is a Puerto Rican Woman”
This is a more light-hearted article, but still thought-provoking. We reported on a blog post on computational biology which took social media and mainstream news sources by storm…even though most reports didn’t seem to have read the original blog post at all. The point we were making is that you can’t just read the headlines and think you know what’s going on.
#2 “What Does It Mean to Be a Territory of the United States?”
Surveys have shown that most Americans are not clear on what a territory is, let alone the fact that Puerto Rico is a territory. Yet Puerto Rio’s territory status is the source of all the most troubling problems the Island faces. This article makes the current political status of Puerto Rico clear.
#1 “A Map of Puerto Rico”
The most popular story this year was a basic overview of the geography of Puerto Rico. We added this when we realized that some of our readers weren’t completely clear on this basic information. Basic background knowledge helps us understand more complex ideas about Puerto Rico’s status.
