Why the United States Should Admit More States Into the Union

By Andrew Rodriguez

Currently, the United States of America comprises a perfect, even number of 50 states. Everyone who lives in these states gets representation in the Senate and the House of Representatives. These people can also vote in elections for President, Senators, and House representatives. 

However, five U.S. territories (and one federal district) lack basic representation in the United States government due to their territorial status. These include: Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Washington, D.C. 

Though Washington is located in the federal district known as District of Columbia, it houses a population of 670,050 people. All citizens living in territories are required to pay federal taxes, however, none of them are represented in the United States Congress. These territories are allowed one delegate to supervise motions and bills in the House, in which the delegate can propose bills but can’t vote on them.

Racism also plays another factor in future statehood. All of these territories hold a majority people of color population, meaning none of these territories have a majority white population. Conservatives in the House and Senate see this a threat to the Republican party, due to these territories leaning on the Liberal spectrum. 

Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands have a majority black population, while Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have a majority Filipino population. Puerto Rico is highly populated by the Latino community. All of these territories are the only places in the U.S. (besides California and Hawaii) who don’t have a majority white population. Every other state has an overwhelmingly white population.

Most Republicans see this as a threat to the Republican party because if we were to add five new states to the U.S., assuming Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands united into one state, this would automatically create ten new senator positions that would most likely favor the Democrats. Assuming the Senate stays evenly divided, 50/50, this would then add ten Democratic senators to the Senate, giving a solid majority to the Democrats, 

“They want to defund the police and take away your Second Amendment rights. They want free healthcare for illegal immigrants, yet they offer no protection at all for unborn Americans. They want to pack the Supreme Court with liberals intent on eroding our constitutional rights. And they want to codify all this by making the swamp itself, Washington, D.C., America’s 51st state. With two more liberal senators, we cannot undo the damage they’ve done.” said Mitch McConnell in the New York Times.

Though U.S. territories could see a lot of good from becoming states, they could also face a lot of backlash. Not everyone agrees with admitting states and for this reason, this could become a segregated topic. Racism in the United States would only worsen due to these territories having a majority POC population. Currently, the United States is already divided due to politics and adding new states would not help the political situation one bit.

However, all territories have asked to end their territorial status and become states. This would bring an end to “taxation without representation” since the territories would be dissolved. Every citizen in the United States will be given the right to have voices in Congress and a valuable vote for president.

Again, Republicans are scared of the idea of new states because of their POC, liberal leaning majority. This is why we haven’t had new states admitted into the Union since 1959.

Though it’s uncertain when all, if any, U.S. territories will become states, there is hope for every citizen, regardless of where they live, to be FULLY part of the United States of America.

Since When Was Imperialism a Good Thing?

By Ireri Mares

The United States grew with the dream of “manifest destiny” and conquering the oceans, but somewhere along the way we learned invading land that was not ours led to more harm than good, leaning away from those totalitarian tendencies.

Admitting new states has been difficult from the start of the nation.  

It’s a cynical arduous process. There’s a reason Puerto Rico and DC are not separate states, even though the task itself would have few difficulties. 

Article lV, section iii of the constitution has made it fairly easy to create new states with little restrictions.  The only real requirement being a majority vote through the house and congress.  So why is DC a federal district and Puerto Rico a Territory when they could gain more representation by becoming states? To put it in simple terms; Congress doesn’t want it to happen.

You may argue its laziness hanging on these congressmen.  I mean 50 is a good number, they fit perfectly on the flag.  What a hassle! Changing the flag, and the fact that by being 50 states you get 100 senators.  Those numbers sure are pretty huh? 

But it’s a lot deeper than that.  

Making Puerto Rico a state is forcing imperialism on a major- minority territory. Forcing them to join this extensively republican country which has a history of racism and hate towards people with hispanic backgrounds won’t make them feel more included or represented.  

Congress doesn’t want liberal democratic states, and if congressmen are representatives of “the people”, what makes you think we’ll accept them?

This country has a history of colonization and gentrification.

We kicked out native Americans from their homes. The last state that  joined our nation, Hawaii, was invaded and overthrown. Look what we did to Hawaii. We destroyed it. Gentrified it to a vacation spot we trash then go on to forget about it until next year.  Hawaii has lost its beauty because we can’t respect the island and we have no respect for the culture. We all remember the videos of hawaiians begging tourists not to visit the island. 

Most hawaiians can’t speak their native language because we banned their language from schools and forced them to forget their culture. Many hawaiians have been kicked out of their homes because of the increasing  population; their homes going up in prices without being able to afford the mortgage while there’s higher end White families willing to pay a higher price for a new vacation home.