Reality on US-Ricans. I have found that in the education system, consistently, the less achieving academically of all groups in the US are the: Native Americans, they took their land away from them by force and were inflicted crimes of holocaust proportions African Americans, they were taken from their countries by force and considered property and not humans and Puerto Ricans, their land was taken by force and made to live in a dependent colonial status longer that anybody else on earth. These violent and negative undertakings left all these three groups without a sense of self, a lack of national unity, a lack of self-determination, devoid of aspirations and low self-esteem. This situation has weighed them down heavily and it has isolated them from achieving the so-called American Dream, by turning universal values like work and education into "white values" so that they could be rationalized and rejected as enemies of their culture. Yes, many people from these groups have been able to rise above their subservient condition and like others, have been able to achieve greatness and do great things for society, but the majority of these constituents lies dependent, frustrated and bitter and can't seem, to rise above their "en~angotamiento" condition. Poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, dysfunctional family life, crime victimization, poor health, poorly educated, isolated from mainstream America, corruption at all levels of society, and many other social ills decimates their ranks and destroys their self-worth. I had a small conversation the other day. This girl asked me if I was 'Spanish', since she overheard me speaking on the phone in Spanish with my mom. I told her I was not 'Spanish'. I was Puerto Rican/Dominican. She then said, "Oh, that is all the same thing. Everyone has to be so politically correct nowadays. We are all just plain Americans anyway." Riiight. This is the least obligated and most selfish country in the world, if we're all American, why aren't the big cats living in the big houses in the suburbs giving help and opportunity to the poor living in the ghettos? This is a melting pot, but the minorities are melting in it. Yes and there are many people who think if you are an independentista you should live only in Puerto Rico. My answer is an example. Many independentistas get sent to Connecticut, New Jersey, and etc. to stand trial for their 'pro-independence' activities in Puerto Rico. WHY? Because the USA federal government doesn't trust the jury in Puerto Rico to give the independentistas the 'justice' that they deserve. We are ingrates and troublemakers and Anti-Americans and so on and so .. all America brought unprecedented prosperity to Puerto Rico and granted us the greatness of second class statutory USA citizenship. So many forget Malcolm X's old answer to how he thought about the patronizing tones of many European background Americans---his answer for describing the African experience in the USA is very accurate for Puerto Ricans as well. After all, we are not Mexicans, or Canadians. "Plymouth Rock landed on us. We did not land on Plymouth Rock." The Mayflower and the Pilgrims and the Protestant Ethic and Capitalism and the wonders of the robber barons of industry are not about us. In looking at our perspective within the USA system one should see it with a bit more historical objectivity. The USA came looking for us---for many valid reasons at the time. They must be held accountable for the consequences of their decisions taken long ago. What many don't want to deal with is that the USA federal gov't has been very unfair and very hypocritical on many levels---and Puerto Rico is not the only case study. So, they try to say, "ingrates. If you cared about Puerto Rico why aren't you living there now?" and I could say, "Why are people from Texas living in California? Why are undocumented people running into places they have no business in? Why is the USA intervening in nations they have no business intervening in? Why can't the USA gov't and its sticky hands keep their noses out of other people's territories?" The short answer is that the nature of modern capitalism doesn't allow it. All of it has consequences. Diasporas are part of it. IF all was ideal in the world, people could stay in their home nations and live out their lives in peace and prosperity. But obviously that is not the case is it? Simplistic crap such as, "If you are Puerto Rican you should stay in Puerto Rico, doesn't wash anywhere." I could say, "If you are a big multinational Gringo based corporation you should stay out of weak infrastructure third world nations and not keep paying people peanut salaries and using the natural resources that don't belong to you for nefarious purposes." But people keep on in their historical comparisons without any validity anchored in logic and in reality. It is all about---"They should be proud and grateful to be part of this great nation that has given them so much. After all we are the GREATEST nation on Earth and are the most generous, the most x,y,z and all that jazz....it is really incredible there are people who really believe all that in this age and time. But there are millions who think like that. Siempre me sorprende. Short answer, "I will leave the greatest nation on Earth when the greatest nation on Earth decides it needs to leave Puerto Rico." But since the greatest nation on Earth doesn't want to leave us alone, then I have the right to be here and bug the hell out of those who keep wanting to sweep their misdeeds under the international rug. Lol. I read a historical document describing many supposed 'foreigners' who lived in Rome, when the Roman Empire was at its greatest historical and economic peak. The Roman Citizens said, "they come to Rome because Rome is the Greatest place on Earth to be." And if I am not mistaken some slave from Northern Africa said, "We come to Rome because Rome has not given us any other alternative. Our home cities are under Roman rule and if we disobey Roman rule we die or are tortured the Roman way. It is not a relationship free of intimidation, it is a relationship based on survival. We all want to survive, and if Rome has taken our wealth, then we shall follow the wealth even if it means leaving our only home. For above all, people must keep living." Such wisdom from the mouth of a slave at the time. It is strange that the same dull arguments are being spouted in supposedly a more advanced democratic republic. It is kind of discouraging. And it is very interesting that so many people don't realize it. What keeps recycling through history is very interesting...indeed. The reason why us ethnic Puerto Ricans from the US mainland consistently and constantly follow up on the Puerto Rico status quo is the fact that a huge bulk of us are paying tax dollars year in and out, via to the Puerto Ricans islanders. Nosotros como trabajadores, que de verdad pagamos impuestos atraves en los estados unidos, nos cuestan en nuestros bolcillos en manteniendo los Puertorros de la isla, asi para a clarar. El dinero no viene del amor al arte del govierno americano. Por eso es que la mentable nosotros (Puertorros de los EE.UU. siempre estamos en eso! No es para sonar como egoista o un malestar por dicho, pero eso es dinero que podemos y nesecitamos para la educacion, ayuda para ancianos y incapacitados, programas de despues de clases para alumnos, y hasta quisas para ver el fin de esta guerra inutil! Por eso es que nos metemos contansta mente en el status de la isla de Puerto Rico. Por eso es que Puerto Rico necesita la independencia...como el Kosovo. Muchas Gracias!!!!
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