Should Puerto Rico Become a State?

1. Set Focus
Frame the inquiry with these essential questions: What does it mean to be a citizen of a country? What is a government’s responsibility to its citizens? 

2. Read and Discuss
Have students read the debate and then answer the following questions:

• What is the issue being debated? How does it relate to current events? (The issue is whether Puerto Rico should become a state. The issue is timely because a bill to grant Puerto Rico statehood is pending in Congress.)

• Evaluate why these two authors might be interested in and qualified to comment on this issue. (Alfonso Aguilar is president of the advocacy group Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles. Previously, he was the chief of the U.S. Office of Citizenship. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá was the governor of Puerto Rico from 2005 to 2009. And from 2001 to 2004 he served as Puerto Rico’s representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.)

• Analyze Aguilar’s view. (Aguilar argues in favor of granting statehood to Puerto Rico. He says that Congress should pay attention to the majority of Puerto Ricans who support statehood. He also says that it is undemocratic and un-American for Puerto Rico to be governed by the U.S. but for Puerto Ricans not to have representation in Congress.)

• Analyze Acevedo Vilá’s view. (Acevedo Vilá argues against Puerto Rico becoming a U.S. state. He says that Puerto Rico has its own “identity, history, culture, flag, and national anthem.” He says that statehood would destroy this national identity, and that official business would no longer be conducted in Spanish. He also says that Puerto Rico would lose its right to compete independently in the Olympics.)

4. Writing Prompt
In an essay, evaluate one of the debaters’ arguments. Assess whether the reasoning is valid and whether it’s supported with evidence. Point out biases or missing information.

5. Classroom Debate
Should Puerto Rico become a state? Have students use the authors’ ideas, as well as their own, in a debate.

6. Vote
Go online to vote in Upfront’s poll—and see how students across the country voted.