“[T]he vast majority of Puerto Ricans do not want to separate themselves politically from the United States,” wrote Pantojas García, “but they consistently affirm their cultural identity as different from that of Americans.”
This is one of the concerns people express about statehood for Puerto Rico. Sure, the economic benefits are obvious and the question of justice and equal rights is compelling, but many Puerto Ricans on the Island and in the states worry about a loss of Puerto Rican identity.
We might compare the experience of Puerto Rico with that of Texas, a state which was once owned by Mexico, declared its independence and functioned as a nation for a while, and then became a state. Texans today are very proud of their identity as Texans. They warn, “Don’t mess with Texas.” Have they been able to keep their sense of nationhood along with their statehood?
Celebrating history
Texas remembers its Hispanic roots and honors its indigenous people, but Texans also remember the Alamo and schoolchildren sing “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” It’s hard to forget that you’re in Texas while you’re there. Cowboys, stockyards, astronauts, and football are Texan cultural icons. The state has its own special foods, music, dances, and slang.
Puerto Rico also celebrates its history and cultural heritage, glorying in its own music, dance, food, art, and — like the Tejanos of Texas — its own variety of Spanish as well as a recognizable local sound in English.
Some Puerto Ricans claim that Puerto Rico had acquired independence and full home rule under Spain just before the United States moved in. “[The Independence Party] romanticized the pre-1898 era of Spanish control, highlighting the autonomy agreement reached in 1897 and deemphasizing the undeniable brutality of the Spanish regime,” wrote Michael Staudenmaier in his paper, “Puerto Rican independence movement, 1898–present.”
“It promoted an idealized notion of Puerto Rican culture as Spanish-speaking, Roman Catholic, and, above all, European, while obscuring not only the indigenous influence on Puerto Rican music, Puerto Rican food, and language (among other cultural forms) but also the successive waves of immigration that brought French, Italian, Irish, and especially African influences into the equation,” wrote Staudenmaier.
Compare this with Texas. Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836, and Mexico did not accept that declaration. In fact, statehood for Texas was delayed in part by fears of war with Mexico. The U.S. recognized the Republic of Texas in 1837 and France and England did so by 1841. Texas had a constitution, a president and both judicial and legislative bodies. Puerto Rico did not get its government set up before Spain ceded the territory to the U.S. and was never an independent nation, while the Republic of Texas existed for nine years.
Nationalism
The Puerto Rican sense of nationalism often does not translate into being willing to give up U.S. citizenship. As a 2011 White House report observed, Puerto Ricans “value their US citizenship enormously” and a loss of U.S. citizenship would “be viewed with hostility by the vast majority of Puerto Ricans.” The question of citizenship for an independent nation of Puerto Rico continued to be a point of contention in discussions over the Puerto Rico Status Act when it was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022.
There are some people in Texas who feel nostalgia for their time as an independent nation. In fact, the widespread perception that Texas is facing a migrant crisis is helping fuel a rise in support for independence today according to a 2024 poll. Among 2020 Trump supporters, 36% preferred independence to statehood according to the poll, much higher than the 11% of Puerto Ricans supportive of independence in the 2024 plebiscite. Nonetheless, the majority of Texans chose statehood as their preferred status, just as Puerto Rico did in 2024.
The same poll showed a high degree of confidence on the part of Texans that their state would do well as an independent nation. The preference for statehood is not based on fear of failure under independence.
Texas, then, has a high degree of state pride and confidence even as Texans show a strong preference for statehood. Puerto Rico’s nationalism and love for the Island need not be connected with a desire for independence. The same harmony Texas shows between Texas pride and loyalty to the U.S. can work well for Puerto Rico.
