There are 50 states in the United States of America. Neither Puerto Rico or Guam are one of them. Both these islands are “non-incorporated” territories of the United States.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where I grew up without many of the rights that citizens have in the continental U.S.
Our culture, language, traditions and lifestyles are under an alarming socioeconomic attack. Some of us think of our present situation as being a result of our designation as a historical target of political warfare. We see it as an empire’s systematic destruction of a nation in order to install a political structure in the Caribbean under a colonial regime that was destined to exploit the resources of its citizens and to use its territories for military and other experimental purposes.
The actual situation has become critical. And it threatens our survival. We need an organized editorial effort to get a fair description of our complex situation out to the world, and help guide our people to a collective clarity. We need a process of change that honors the truth of our right to govern ourselves.
I truly want to be able to create a newspaper to do this. And I want to learn how to help my community in Puerto Rico and those living in the greater diaspora, through organizing a group to represent truth, morality and justice.
