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Tierrah Devine
Professor Dabian
English 101-18
5 October 2014
Colonialism in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico was discovered in 1493 during Columbus second voyage. For over 400 years
Spain has ruled Puerto Rico as a colony, defending it from repeated attacks from other countries.
The Spanish-American War of 1898 thrust Puerto Rico into the arms of the United States of
America. Puerto Rico had never fulfilled its destiny as country or as a people. The effects of
post-colonialism Puerto Rico has driven an economic and political crisis and decline of the
population.
Colonialism is the policy or practice of acquiring full or potential political control over
another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. Colonialism upon
Puerto Rico caused it to crash financially. Since the 1970s, they began to rely on debt to pay for
basic public services and to pay for previous debt. The public debt of Puerto Rico is 71 billion
dollars or 102 per cent of the islands GNP. Its the highest of any state in the United States. In
addition, the unemployment rate is 15.4 percent. The basic problem of Puerto Rico is the failure
of its economic system to provide the revenue to pay for services. Many people are not able to
get the special help that is needed due to its financial crisis. Aids is one of the biggest factor of
Puerto Rico, it is the second highest in the United States. Public hospitals are overcrowded and
understaffed.
The population of Puerto Rico declined from 3,721,208 to 3,615,086 in 2013 due to
colonialism. Puerto Rico is the only area under the U.S. jurisdiction that has declined so

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dramatically in population. The rate declined 1 percent each year while at the time the natural
growth of the population had declined 13 percent between 2012 and 2013. Puerto Rico
population was made of 1/3 of emigrants, most of the emigrants are less educated than the nonemigrant population. While there are a significant number of professionals among the emigrants,
only 15 percent uphold a bachelors degree and 5 percent uphold a graduate degree. Many of
these emigrants are competing with undocumented workers in certain job markets in the south.
The crisis of Puerto Rico politics has grown over the years since President Clinton signed
the bill in 1996 raising the minimum wage, he eliminated the decades-old. Section 936 of the
internal revenue service code which granted tax breaks too many American businesses operating
on the island. Also, congress notified Puerto Rico legislature that it would continue to make all
major decisions for Puerto Rico while still guaranteeing federal funding. Puerto Rico has never
been in control of its own destiny the U.S has always had control over it. If Puerto Rico was able
to make their own choices maybe they could grow together as a whole without relying on the
U.S.
If Puerto Rico became an independent nation, its problems and needs would be addressed
from a radically different economic and social perspective than if it became a state of the union.
Many of Puerto Rico debt would not be as high because they would not have to borrow from the
U.S it would be its own independent nation. Throughout the island there was huge discontent
with the American government