Puerto Rico

Well, for Guam they'd probably have to alter some of the requirements, but they do have the option to become a state. Or to join with Hawaii as part of that state. I'd... be conflicted about that option if I was from Guam.

As for more states; there's room for the possible break up/forming of new states from old ones (such as the proposed state of Jefferson out of the far north of California and part of Washington) a few other populated territories, the remotely possible annexation of Mexico, the remotely possible combining with Canada, and several other possibilities that I've looked up. *shrug* People like to speculate, what can I tell you?

The Phillipines were once a US territory and gained their independence after WWII. (They were supposed to get it sooner, I think, but obviously it got interrupted by little things like Japan invading.) Cuba actually got to the point where Statehood reached the Senate, but did not pass. And then it got taken over by the Mob and Castro got all revolutionary on them.

edited 26th Dec '11 8:33:59 PM by AceofSpades

I believe Texas retains the option of dividing up into 4 states.

Also, we have like 8 overseas territories.

I think all those overseas territories should file to become a single state. Puerto Rico could be a state of its own though.

They're all really separated. I guess you could have some of the current states absorb some of the island ones.

The US Virgin Islanders would probably object to being the same state s Guam, what with being several thousand miles apart and in an entirely different ocean.

Also, Texas can divide up into five states, without consent of Congress, at any time. I'm not sure why that was an important power to have, but it's in the deal. Not likely to happen, though. We'd lose a good deal of power if we did that.

Unless I'm getting my history mixed up, wasn't that a pre-Civil War thing to do with preventing the number of states from getting too much in the North's favour?

That's entirely possible. Given that the Civil War was like a decade later, though, it very quickly became irrelevant.

Possibly. I don't recall if it was specifically for that, but I wouldn't doubt it. As I was taught, it was merely given to them to stroke their "we were an independent country, respect us!" boner.

Anyhow, I don't know what else to say about Puerto Rico. Their fate is entirely up to them...

Hey, we were an independent country once too you know.

VIVA CALIFORNIA !!!!

So were the original thirteen colonies, theoretically, and look how many fucks I give about that, too.

@USAF Nah, they're not important. Only give more fucks about California. We're cooler.

Your statehood lasted a bare month. Texas statehood nearly a decade. And Vermont's.... fourteen years, I think. But I think they keep that as an in joke amongst themselves.

Vermont seems to be cool.

Anyway, from what I understand, Puerto Rico doesn't send representatives to DC, but also has to pay no federal income tax (I think it was that), and they like that compromise very much. So a majority or at least plurality actually want the current status quo to continue, without becoming either a state or independent.

Sounds like Puerto Rico is a good place to live. >.>

We're bigger and therefore better.

edited 26th Dec '11 11:26:48 PM by TheWesterner

They have one guy in the House of Reps, but they don't vote on anything. I think they act mostly as an observer? But I think being a state would give them some more control over themselves? Or at least what goes on in the rest of America in relation to themselves. Though I have to say I'm not opposed to the Commonwealth idea, which is also something they're considering, but apparently our government doesn't recognize it as a legitimate form of government or something. *shrug*

"the remotely possible annexation of Mexico, the remotely possible combining with Canada,"

I really hope you're not planning on this.

The delegates from Puerto Rico and other insular areas can participate in the activities of the committees, but can't vote when the whole House actually votes on the floor. So while they do not have a vote in the final process, they do have a role.

If Puerto Rico becomes a state, the representative(s) from it become equal standing, and the island gets senators too, plus electoral votes and role in amendments. Also, as a state, there's full constitutional autonomy.

So I don't see why not.

Wouldn't they have to learn English? I'm sure a lot of them speak it already, but isn't the island still Spanish-speaking?

I think States can set official languages, so they might go with a dual language system of printing everything in English and Spanish.

Then again, at this point, about half the US should be doing that.

edited 27th Dec '11 2:02:07 PM by Flyboy

Or we could actually welcome and assimilate immigrants, rather than fostering a permanent lower class of people that doesn't even speak the same language as their leaders and bosses. That's off-topic, though.

Well, there's not a whole lot we can do in that regard. The schools already teach English (and Spanish, usually). What else can we do?

Isn't Puerto Rico generally to the left of US center...?

Welcoming and assimilating immigrants has nothing to do with what our official language is. For one, if you move to a country you should damn well be willing to learn the local language. For two, about half the country if not more already does print stuff in English and Spanish. For three, Puerto Rican citizens don't even count as immigrants because they have US citizenship as a result of being born in a US territory.

And I don't know if we could call them left of center; all I know about their politics is that they have three parties based on how they want to be associated with the US, and one environmentalist party.

I wasn't saying Puerto Ricans counted as immigrants. I said the reason we need to print things in Spanish as well English in the US is because we've done a terrible job integrating immigrants. Which is something I'm unhappy about, because it's going to be terrible in the long run. However, it's something which is off-topic, as I said last time. Different issue from the hypothetical of integrating Puerto Rico.

Anyway, I didn't know states could set languages. Cool, I guess. There's nothing wrong with having them be bilingual for a while.

Well, don't quote me on that, I don't know for sure if they can...

They can. New Mexico's official languages are Spanish and English.

Edit: Nevermind. That was only until 1953. But it is a nealry bilingual state.

Hawaii is the only true bilingual state.

edited 27th Dec '11 4:42:39 PM by TheWesterner