“For an island long crippled by enormous debt and an essentially bankrupt financial system, Puerto Rico’s road to recovery has gone from long to seemingly endless.” -- NY Times, Sept. 22, 2017
My island of Puerto Rico was seemingly hit all at once by a triumvirate of casualties: Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the $73 billion Greek-like debt crisis following a decade-long recession that pushed the unemployment rate over 20%. But unlike Greece, thousands of residents, many of them young professionals, have fled to the mainland seeking career opportunities. Now there is a shortage of skilled laborers who are needed for reconstruction.
|A little history
Since the passing of the Jones Act in 1917, which gave all Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship, its people have served in every armed conflict since World War I. My father served in the Korean War.
Puerto Ricans love music and dance; you can hear salsa music blaring in grocery store parking lots. Its talented people have contributed to our culture. The Tony-award sensation Hamilton was written, directed and performed by a Puerto Rican. The most popular YouTube video ranked at number one is the song “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi.
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