Puerto Rico Shadow Congressional Delegation Honors Fallen Servicemen and Women from Puerto Rico
Washington, DC – The Puerto Rico Shadow Congressional Delegation, known as the Statehood Commission, today honored the fallen servicemen and women from Puerto Rico at a commemoration ceremony and wreath laying at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.
Puerto Ricans have been United States citizens since 1917. Since then, over 200,000 Puerto Ricans have proudly served in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Nevertheless, since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and not a state, its residents cannot cast presidential ballots and do not have voting representation in Congress.
Shadow U.S. Representative Luis Fortuño: “Americans of Puerto Rican descent have defended our democratic values and our Nation during the last century with valor and courage. We honor them and demand that they, and the rest of our citizens residing in Puerto Rico, be treated equally as compared to our fellow citizens in the mainland- it’s about time!”
Shadow U.S. Senator Zoraida Fonalledas: “As one of the African-American Tuskegee Airmen said: “There is no patriotism greater than fighting for a nation that denies you the rights you defend.” Puerto Rican’s have been proud U.S. citizens since 1917 and still can’t vote for their Commander in Chief nor have equal rights.”
Shadow U.S. Representative Alfonso Aguilar: “Today we remember the US citizens of Puerto Rico who laid their lives upon the altar of freedom. If Puerto Ricans are American enough to put themselves in harm’s way to defend our great nation, they are certainly American enough to be afforded the full rights that our constitution guarantees every citizen. America should honor them by putting their beloved Island in the path to statehood."
Shadow U.S. Representative Charles Rodríguez: “If soldiers recruited from Puerto Rico can be equal in war with their fellow Americans from the 50 states even willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice at the battlefield, they should be equal in peacetime to exercise their political rights as any other American including the right to vote for their Commander-in-Chief and have equal representation in Congress by admitting Puerto Rico as the 51st State.”
