By Javier A. Hernandez* – Los Angeles Progressive
Adapting to live among Americans is one thing; wanting to erase and give up our Hispanic cultures, identities and values to become “them” is entirely different.
In recent years, many Americans, both liberals and conservatives, have increasingly expressed anti-Hispanic sentiment, as debates over immigration, language, and cultural rights have intensified. The contradiction becomes starkly evident when these same individuals, who often support “Build the Wall” initiatives and advocate for the deportation of Hispanic immigrants and refugees, turn their hostility toward Puerto Rican advocates of independence.
This inconsistency in their attitudes raises an important question: Why do some Americans simultaneously oppose Hispanic immigrants for desiring to come to the United States to work and succeed, while also condemning Puerto Ricans who wish to leave U.S. colonial control to form their own independent nation?
At the heart of this contradiction is a fundamental issue with how certain Americans view Hispanics, especially Puerto Ricans. On one hand, they advocate for restricting Hispanic immigration, calling for deportation, assimilation, and the containment of Spanish language and culture.
These individuals see Hispanic immigrants and the Spanish language as a threat to American identity, an identity they perceive as predominantly white and English-speaking. Immigrants who resist full assimilation, who wish to retain their cultural heritage, or who seek legal refuge are viewed as unwanted and burdensome. In their eyes, the proper course for Hispanic immigrants is to either embrace “American” culture fully or face removal from the country.
Yet, when confronted with Puerto Rican independence advocates—Puerto Ricans who seek to free and disentangle their nation from U.S. colonial rule—these same Americans shift their rhetoric from one of rejection to one of forced retention. Suddenly, the idea of Puerto Ricans choosing to separate from the United States becomes offensive and unacceptable.
The desire for self-determination, sovereignty, and independence is met with scorn, anger, and, in many cases, calls for economic punishment through sanctions or withdrawal of federal aid. Many have told me, “How dare you not want to be part of the United States”? This visceral reaction is baffling, considering the previous rhetoric that Hispanics should either leave or assimilate.
The root of this paradox lies in the way Puerto Ricans—and by extension, other Hispanic populations—are perceived by some Americans. To them, Puerto Ricans are acceptable only when they adhere to the expectations of Americanization.
They are tolerated when they attempt to assimilate, adopt English, and demonstrate loyalty to U.S. political and cultural values. The moment a Puerto Rican advocate seeks independence or challenges the notion that American rule is beneficial, these same individuals feel threatened. This implies that, for some Americans, Puerto Ricans are only valued when they remain subordinate, dependent, and silent about the injustices of U.S. colonialism.
Now, not all Americans express such beliefs. I have met many Americans who understand the Puerto Rico status dilemma and support Puerto Rico’s right to self-determination, freedom, and decolonization.
For many Republicans, Puerto Ricans are valued only as potential military recruits and cannon fodder (good enough to die for the US, but not good enough to respect), while for Democrats, they often serve as political props and pawns to highlight Republican shortcomings, especially after the failures in federal response and recovery efforts following the 2017 hurricanes.
For some delusional Democrats, Puerto Rico isn’t even a “nation” under U.S. colonial rule, but merely two potential blue Senate seats to secure congressional power for brown people – self-determination and decolonization be damned!
These sentiments expose deep-seated biases. For many anti-Hispanic activists, Puerto Rico is not viewed as a nation deserving of freedom and independence. Instead, Puerto Ricans are seen as an inferior people, merely immigrants with papers, who should be grateful and appreciative for their colonial association with the United States despite the humiliation and poverty.
This perspective is rooted in colonial attitudes—those who benefit from domination are often resistant to the idea of the colonized seeking self-governance and development on their own. The very notion of Puerto Ricans demanding national sovereignty threatens their worldview, one that assumes U.S. superiority and the idea that American culture is inherently more valuable and worthy of assimilation.
This dynamic highlights another troubling aspect of anti-Hispanic sentiment: the implicit belief that Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics must aspire to become “Americans” in order to have value. For some, the only acceptable Hispanic is one who rejects their own culture and identity in favor of Americanization.
This is evident in the disdain for the Spanish language, the opposition to Hispanic cultural celebrations, and the calls for deportation or assimilation. Any deviation from this expectation—whether it is Hispanic immigrants who wish to retain their language and customs or Puerto Ricans who demand independence—is met with hostility.
These anti-Hispanic activists reveal their hypocrisy by shifting from “How dare you want to come into our country” to “How dare you want to leave American rule.” They oppose the presence of Hispanic people within U.S. borders, yet also viscerally resist the desire for Puerto Ricans to emancipate themselves from U.S. colonial governance. This inconsistency highlights a deeper issue: their stance is not about principle but about control, selectively opposing Hispanic autonomy whether it means entering or exiting American jurisdiction.
The anger directed at Puerto Rican independence advocates by some Americans further reveals an underlying fear: the rejection of Americanization and assimilation. When Puerto Ricans assert their right to self-determination, freedom, and national emancipation, they are also rejecting the premise that American culture is the pinnacle to which they must aspire.
This rejection is perceived as an affront to those who believe in the superiority of American identity. The idea that Puerto Ricans—whom they consider inferior—might see value in their own culture, history, and identity and might even deem it worthy of sovereignty is intolerable to those who cling to colonialist notions of racial and cultural hierarchy.
In essence, some Americans cannot envision Puerto Ricans as a people deserving of freedom and independence because they do not see them as equals. They view Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics through a lens of superiority, where the only acceptable role for Puerto Ricans is one of subordination and assimilation.
The thought of Puerto Ricans asserting themselves as a sovereign nation at the United Nations, free from U.S. colonial control, is inconceivable to them, because it challenges the notion that Puerto Rico is better off under U.S. colonial rule, despite the reality of poverty, dependency, stagnation, hopelessness, and economic exploitation that has long plagued the Puerto Rican nation under the U.S. flag.
Ultimately, the hypocrisy of these anti-Hispanic activists lies in their refusal to accept that Puerto Ricans, like all people, have the right to choose their own destiny. They reject the idea that Puerto Rico could thrive as an independent nation, not because of any economic or political reasoning, but because they cannot fathom a world where a Hispanic nation could stand on its own, free from American colonial dominance.
They are comfortable with Hispanics only when they are waiters or fruit-pickers who conform to their vision of being “American.” However, they cannot accept the idea of a proud, professional, bilingual Hispanic or a strong, independent, and economically thriving Puerto Rico that challenges that very notion.
On October 27, 2024, at a Trump rally in New York City, a comedian took the stage and said, “There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
The crowd erupted in laughter. In that moment, Republicans catering to their conservative, often anti-Hispanic base, revealed what they—and even some Democrats—truly think of Puerto Ricans and Puerto Rico, a nation that has been under U.S. colonial rule for 126 years. For many Americans, Puerto Rico is seen as an “island of garbage,” yet Puerto Ricans are expected to be content, even grateful, for a bipartisan-supported colonial system that has exploited and oppressed them for generations. This statement has gone viral across Puerto Rico, stirring deep anger at those who openly disrespect Puerto Rico while refusing to support its freedom.
In conclusion, the contradiction between opposing Hispanic immigrants and attacking Puerto Rican independence advocates stems from a deeper issue: a refusal to acknowledge the agency, dignity, and equality of Puerto Rican people. These Americans view Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics as acceptable only when they seek to assimilate into mainstream American culture but as a threat when they seek to assert their own identity, culture, and sovereignty.
As a Puerto Rican, I urge all Puerto Ricans and Hispanics to resist and reject American assimilation. Adapting to live among Americans through acculturation is one thing; wanting to erase and give up our Hispanic cultures, identities, and values through assimilation to become “them” is entirely different and must be avoided.
The fight for Puerto Rican national sovereignty challenges not only the colonial relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, but also the broader assumptions about the place of Hispanics in American society. As long as these biases persist, the struggle for Puerto Rican sovereignty will continue to face resistance from those who cannot imagine a world where Puerto Ricans govern themselves. Yet, we will persist, we will struggle, and we will be free.
*Javier A. Hernandez is a Puerto Rican entrepreneur, writer, author, advisor, and pro-sovereignty and decolonization advocate based in New Jersey and Puerto Rico. He is the author of PREXIT: Forging Puerto Rico’s Path to Sovereignty and Puerto Rico: The Economic Case for Sovereignty, among other books about Puerto Rico. @javierahernandez