Students Follow Puerto Rico Vote

The sounds of Spanish could be heard last night as approximately 20 of Harvard's Puerto Rican students assembled in a Lowell House room to watch and debate returns from the plebiscite on the future status of their homeland.

In Puerto Rico's first chance since 1967 to determine its political future, residents voted to maintain commonwealth status by a plurality of 48.4 percent, with statehood following closely with 46.2 percent.

But many of the Puerto Rican students present said they sided with the 4.4 percent who voted for independence from the United States.

They said independence would allow Puerto Rico to determine its economic future and choose its own trading partners. They also gave culturalreasons for their bent towards Puerto Ricanindependence.

"I have my own country, my own culture, my ownlanguage," said Carmen M. Segarra '94. "I am notan American, so I don't want to be one."

Roberto S. Buso '94 said that the issue ofPuerto Rico's future ties is national allegiances."The question is, do we want to be Puerto Ricansor Puerto Rican-Americans?" he said.

Though students who supported maintaining thestatus quo said they were pleased by the outcomeof the vote, they also said they were notoverjoyed.

"The most important thing to remember is thatour vote doesn't mean anything," said Carlos R.Mendez-Buso '95, who is pro-commonwealth. "It alldepends on what the U.S. government wants to do."

For that reason, a vote for state-hood wouldhave been more effective than a vote forcommonwealth status, said second-year law studentAndres W. Lopez '92, who supports independence.

"If statehood had won, then [Congress] wouldhave been forced to take a long, hard look at theissue," Lopez said. "Until you face Congress toshow what they're willing to grant, [voting] is anexercise in futility."

Graduate student Jorge R. Marquina, whosupports Puerto Rican statehood, said he wasdisappointed by the outcome of the vote. "Roughlyhalf [of Puerto Rico] is afraid to change, so theycling to the present, this commonwealth, [whichis] a colony of another name," he said.

To secede completely or to join completelyshould be Puerto Rico's only choices, "none ofthis halfway stuff," said Marquina. "I feel likeI'm being given second class status."

Though Marquina said independence is not aneconomically viable option because "no industrycan support an independent Puerto Rico," he saidthe island's people must make one decision oranother to change the island's current status.

"We've been kept at arms-length colonialstatus," Marquina said. "Why haven't weconsummated the relationship, to put it in easierterms? We've been going out for the past 95years."

Wendell C. Ocasio '90 said he supports thestatus quo, but is tired of the debate over PuertoRico's future. "[The current debate] distractsPuerto Rico from using the resources of itscurrent status to solve its problems," he said

"I have my own country, my own culture, my ownlanguage," said Carmen M. Segarra '94. "I am notan American, so I don't want to be one."

Roberto S. Buso '94 said that the issue ofPuerto Rico's future ties is national allegiances."The question is, do we want to be Puerto Ricansor Puerto Rican-Americans?" he said.

Though students who supported maintaining thestatus quo said they were pleased by the outcomeof the vote, they also said they were notoverjoyed.

"The most important thing to remember is thatour vote doesn't mean anything," said Carlos R.Mendez-Buso '95, who is pro-commonwealth. "It alldepends on what the U.S. government wants to do."

For that reason, a vote for state-hood wouldhave been more effective than a vote forcommonwealth status, said second-year law studentAndres W. Lopez '92, who supports independence.

"If statehood had won, then [Congress] wouldhave been forced to take a long, hard look at theissue," Lopez said. "Until you face Congress toshow what they're willing to grant, [voting] is anexercise in futility."

Graduate student Jorge R. Marquina, whosupports Puerto Rican statehood, said he wasdisappointed by the outcome of the vote. "Roughlyhalf [of Puerto Rico] is afraid to change, so theycling to the present, this commonwealth, [whichis] a colony of another name," he said.

To secede completely or to join completelyshould be Puerto Rico's only choices, "none ofthis halfway stuff," said Marquina. "I feel likeI'm being given second class status."

Though Marquina said independence is not aneconomically viable option because "no industrycan support an independent Puerto Rico," he saidthe island's people must make one decision oranother to change the island's current status.

"We've been kept at arms-length colonialstatus," Marquina said. "Why haven't weconsummated the relationship, to put it in easierterms? We've been going out for the past 95years."

Wendell C. Ocasio '90 said he supports thestatus quo, but is tired of the debate over PuertoRico's future. "[The current debate] distractsPuerto Rico from using the resources of itscurrent status to solve its problems," he said