LULAC: A Leading Voice in the Fight for Electoral Equality for Puerto Rico

By: Pedro R. Pierluisi, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico

For five years, I have had the honor of representing the 3.6 million American citizens of Puerto Rico in the U.S. Congress. In that time, I have come to admire LULAC for the leadership it has consistently demonstrated, not only on immigration reform, but also on Puerto Rico’s political status.

Every day, LULAC works to secure just and equal treatment for the 53 million Latinos in the United States, and that mission has multiple components. Just as LULAC understands how important it is for our nation to create a path to U.S. citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, the organization also recognizes how critical it is for our country to create a path to full and equal U.S. citizenship for the people of Puerto Rico. LULAC has taken on both subjects with courage and moral clarity. The organization understands that it has a responsibility to take principled stands on issues of importance to the Latino community, even when—indeed, especially when—those issues arouse great passions.

As a member of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, I strongly support comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship. I also support enhanced border security, but I oppose the cynical efforts being made by some politicians to require a level of border security that is unattainable in a free and open society before undocumented immigrants can take the first steps on the journey to citizenship.

America has always been—and remains today—a work in progress. And since the country’s founding, the hard work of perfecting our Union has often been carried out by intrepid individuals born outside of America, immigrants from other shores who chose to leave behind everything and everyone they knew, who came here in search of economic opportunity or to escape poverty or persecution, and whose character, passion and talent have enriched the life of this nation and replenished its spirit. These men and women are the engine of our economy. Without them, this country could not function. They get up early, and go to bed late. They toil day and night for low wages and little recognition, so their children have a brighter future. They may lack the proper documents, but they have tremendous dignity. They deserve a chance to become citizens of the nation that their labor has helped build and sustain. And so it is vital for political leaders to give them that chance by enacting sensible legislation.

As a Puerto Rican, I am a natural-born American citizen. Nevertheless, I can relate to the experience of the undocumented immigrant in this country. Those of us who are from Puerto Rico know how it feels to be excluded or treated differently because of our place of birth. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but our citizenship is—in a very real sense—second-class. Like our immigrant brothers and sisters, we, too, aspire to be treated equally by the country to which we have given so much. And, with the help of groups like LULAC, we are making our aspirations heard loud and clear.

Last November, Puerto Rico exercised its right to self- determination by holding a free and fair vote on the question of our political status. The results of that referendum demonstrate that a clear majority of my constituents do not wish to maintain the current status, which deprives us of the most fundamental political rights and civil rights. Accordingly, the current status has lost its democratic legitimacy. The results further demonstrate that there are now more people who want Puerto Rico to become a state than those who want the island to continue the status quo or to become a separate nation.

In light of this vote, it is essential for the federal government to respond by enacting legislation to enable Puerto Rico to have a status that is democratic and dignified. For that reason, I introduced H.R. 2000, the Puerto Rico Status Resolution Act, which would provide for a vote in Puerto Rico on the territory’s admission as a state, outlining the steps the federal government would take if a majority of voters favor admission. Those who support statehood and those who oppose statehood will have an equal opportunity to express their views, so nobody can claim they are being excluded.

LULAC has been a steadfast supporter of H.R. 2000, just as it was a stalwart champion of a status bill I introduced back in 2010. That previous legislation—H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act— was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in a strong bipartisan vote and its passage paved the way for the historic referendum that was held last year. Earlier this year, LULAC sent a letter endorsing H.R. 2000 to all members of Congress. The bill now has 125 cosponsors, including two-thirds of the Hispanic members in the House.

On November 19th, a rally was held outside the U.S. Capitol in support of statehood for Puerto Rico. Although it took place in a city divided by party politics, the rally was extraordinarily bipartisan, attended by government officials and advocates from all across the political spectrum; from liberal Democrats to Tea-Party Republicans, including LULAC’s Executive Director, Brent Wilkes, who delivered an eloquent speech at the rally. Just as I believe that the U.S. government will act to reform our unprincipled immigration laws, I have faith that it will fulfill its legal and moral obligation to facilitate Puerto Rico’s transition to a democratic and dignified status. Because of LULAC’s ironclad commitment to equality, I know that it will continue to remain at the forefront of both of these fights. For that reason, the organization has my gratitude and my respect.