Second class citizenship

Think of your home state. Ponder all of the rights and privileges you have as a citizen of that state, and how those rights translate on a federal level. Now imagine that tomorrow the U.S. Government invalidated and annulled those rights by revoking birth certificates from your particular state. You would no longer be able to work, drive or receive federal funding without overcoming major bureaucratic hurdles. My guess is that most people would be quite perturbed by the move. In our scenario, however, there is a caveat: you can apply for a new birth certificate that the Government will consider valid. This, though, will not necessarily remedy the negative public perception such a move towards second class citizenship would create.


While shocking in its implications, such a situation is taking place as we speak. As of 1 July, all Puerto Ricans born outside the contiguous United States will have their birth certificates annulled and be required to apply for new ones. This is in response to what the Government claims is ‘certificate trafficking’ and falsification of documents by members of the Puerto Rican community. Essentially, certificates are being falsified in order to provide citizenship for many coming over from the Caribbean. To quell this rising trend, the Government will no longer accept the old records.

Understanding the psychological impact of this is critical. Puerto Ricans are already treated as second class citizens due to the colonial nature of the territory. This power struggle, which goes on despite calls for its end by the United Nations and prevailing international standards, is only being exacerbated. Some states, like New Hampshire, are already requiring separate application procedures in institutions like the Department of Motor Vehicles. Expect these practices to increase over time.

It is vital that the United States figure out exactly where Puerto Rico stands. There is no place for second class citizenship in a modern society, especially when that society claims to be the bastion of democracy.