Puerto Rico has been part of the United States since 1898, during the Spanish-American War. When you think of Puerto Rico, the first thing that comes to mind is that it is an island, not a part of America. Puerto Rico has very strong Hispanic influences and culture, nothing like the country it is part of. The lifestyle is the exact opposite of America. Americans are stuck in this high-paced, stressful daily life. Puerto Rican life unfolds after a day with a very slow pace and a positive attitude. The US-owned territory was right in the crosshairs of Hurricane Maria in 2018. It was a devastating hurricane with more than 3,000 deaths and the island was left without electricity for months. The United States has done little or nothing to contribute to the disastrous cleanup of its territory. Puerto Rico, as an island and territory, has much to offer in terms of supplies, food, life and positive outlook. Often, the island is looked at and not even much thought is given to what Puerto Rico could actually become. The island has a beautiful ethnography that should be explored by every American. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Puerto Ricans have had a long and difficult journey to becoming part of America. Puerto Rico was ruled by Spain for centuries, until Puerto Rico became independent from them in 1898. The citizens of Puerto Rico had much to celebrate and be happy about, but the joy was coming to an end. The United States invaded Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War, not only because of the war, but because Puerto Rico showed interest in a potential sugar market there. “When the Americans arrived, General [Nelson] Miles famously issued a manifesto decree promising to protect the lives, liberty and happiness of Puerto Ricans and their property,” he says. “Many poor, working-class, peasant Puerto Ricans took it as an invitation to side with the Americans in what was still a war against Spain.” If I were Puerto Rican, this offer would seem great to me after being ruled and under the control of Spain for decades. Soon after the war ended, the Americans' empty promises to their newly colonized territory also ended. America and Puerto Rico never got off on the right foot and this affected the territory's status for American citizens. America was never fair to them from the beginning and they had to wait almost 20 years to be taken seriously and as if the island was actually part of America. The Caribbean island was struggling under America's new rule and power. When the Americans first arrived, they implemented an extreme sugar tax causing the Puerto Rican coffee industry to disappear. Puerto Ricans also did not immediately become citizens of the United States. In 1917 they finally received an American passport. Nearly twenty years after the United States took control of the island, they had no real legal standing. Even today, Puerto Ricans can't even vote in the United States! The legal and economic situation of the island worsened after the devastating Hurricane Maria in 2018. A few months after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans voted for a referendum for statehood, as many Puerto Ricans can vote in favor, but ultimately the decision it is up to Congress. Americans must move forward in their political opinions and views. With our current president, the theme doesn't seem to be about moving forward, but rather about falling back on how things once were and taking the country back. Justice Sonia Sotomayor's parents were born in Puerto Rico andtoday you sit on the Supreme Court and have spoken about the issue. “It is very unlikely that statehood will ever come to fruition, at least not in our lifetime, unless something in the political culture of the United States Congress changes dramatically to suddenly embrace Latinos, Latinos, and Puerto Ricans,” he says. “And I don't think we're going to do that. “Hurricane Maria was a devastating natural disaster that hit Puerto Rico in 2018. Being part of the United States, the country helps with the loss and devastation. The President comes and shows his support, but in this particular case he doesn't there was no help from the nation's ruler. President Donald Trump wanted to cut off hurricane relief funds, accusing Puerto Rico of using the money to pay off its debts. Trump saw it as a waste of money for an island that didn't matter to him or benefit him in any way. Many local citizens and even citizens from all over the country were trying to do everything they could to raise money for the island and even fly there to help out when I visited Puerto Rico, there were still parts of the island, houses, beaches that had not been recovered yet. It was very sad to see and, on top of that, our president was not there for them “Trump spread misinformation about the victims of the hurricane even in September, when he disputed the storm's official death toll, again without evidence. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló said there were at least 3,000 hurricane-related deaths in August, which the president mistakenly questioned in a pair of tweets: “The fact that the president and ruler of the nation did not care enough of the disaster made all of Puerto Rico suffer because of this. The National Relief Fund was then put on hold by President Donald Trump. Puerto Rico has not received the same level of concern as other states if this were to happen to them. Growing up in America, being an immigrant is a very difficult thing to do. There are challenges and adversities that are often overlooked by those who are not immigrants. Being “part” of America should give you a better life and advantages, but for many this is not the case. The article I read was about Puerto Ricans in New York. Puerto Ricans are never acknowledged when the newspapers talk about the poor communities of the South Bronx and how that affects the Puerto Rican community the most. New York has the largest number of Puerto Ricans living in its state, then any other state. This is why the book and the author focus on New York because there is more space to collect data and observations. The Puerto Rican community is stuck in limbo, like many other immigrants, between the hard-working poor class, getting a big break and climbing the social ladder. It's hard to be a hard worker and not receive the credit you should receive just because of your background or your appearance. Puerto Ricans have to earn their privilege compared to many Americans who get that unearned privilege simply because we look a certain way. Puerto Ricans are overlooked when speaking about economic issues and concerns and are not mentioned in newspapers because they are the poorest group in the South Bronx. Puerto Rico is America's only trade line in the Caribbean and the first line of defense in Latin America. The island should be treated better, given its value, but it fails to be adequately recognized. Many Puerto Ricans are not recognized for the work they do and when they move to the United States. They don't get the same job or anywhere near the same job they once had, rather they get the job that no American finds desirable. Puerto Ricans don't.