Amerika's empty promise for Puerto Ricans

Puerto Ricans: born in the U.S.A.
by Clara Rodriguez
Boston: Unwyn Hyman, 1989
218 pp., pb.

reviewed by an Illinois prisoner, February 2000

Clara Rodriguez, Professor of Sociology at Fordham University, 
points out many academic views towards the immigration and 
migration of Puerto Ricans to New York City and other parts of the 
united $nakes. Her views are not specifically directed at the 
political history of Puerto Rico, but she does indirectly point 
out many of the bourgeoisie's intentions and tools of imperialism 
to maintain control over (Borinquen) the island of Puerto Rico and 
the (Borinquenos) Puerto Ricans as a whole. One such imperialistic 
tool of control is the forced economic dependency set upon the 
Latinos by the bourgeois industrialists and the continued use of 
Puerto Rico as an industrial park.

Rodriguez's research shows the exploitative empty promises of 
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the Puerto Ricans, 
which this government continues to use as modern-day slaves, while 
the plutocrats maintain their focus on usurpment and economic 
despotism. Since 1898 when Spain ceded it to the united $nakes, 
Amerika has had a military, political an economic domination over 
Puerto Rico. In addition to the economic chains of slavery kept on 
Puerto Rico, there is also a mental slavery. This mental slavery 
survives through the dictation of conscription, imposition of the 
vote and citizenship, not to mention other means of oppression.

MIM argues that Amerika maintains a "carrot and stick" approach to 
relations with Puerto Rico. There is the carrot of welfare for 
example -- although they are members of a neo-colony, Puerto 
Ricans do get some benefit of u.$. imperialism in other countries. 
But there is also the stick of conscription, and of military 
occupation as on Vieques. These are material forms of neo-
colonialism, in addition to the mental bonds.

The Latino male here in the states and on the mainland does not 
enjoy the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, 
due to conscription. The mandatory law requires all Latino males 
to register for the military forces of the United $nakes, and even 
be drafted should the u.$. go to war. Through the conscription 
law, Puerto Ricans must fight in the u.$. military to represent 
the very imperialist country that colonizes Puerto Rico. For years 
we have paid with our sweat, blood, tears and more for the freedom 
to make our own decisions. We have been left with unfulfilled 
empty u.$. promises.