On April 30th, the Young Latino Network was invited to join Power4PuertoRico during Boricua Advocacy Days in Washington D.C. They brought together a Puerto Rican Diaspora of constituents, organizations, and allies from 15 states and Puerto Rico for their “Reclaiming Our Land” visit.
Michell Hernández Bello, YLN’s Operations Coordinator, and board member, José Colón, led a passionate team of Boricuas advocating for island issues. Thanks to our Growth Scholarship Fund, Rosa M. Cruz, Ronaldo Rodriguez Jr., and Kelvin Matos were able to join the team. Together they advocated for action on unjust policies that harm both the Island and the Diaspora.
For Rosa, it was an experience she “will never forget or take for granted.” As a Puerto Rican who was born on the island and moved to the U.S at an early age, she found it was her duty to do “whatever it takes” to make her people proud and heard.
During the trip, a lot of issues were discussed. For Ronaldo, it was an opportunity to reset, restore, and reconnect to his “why”. The synergy he felt at the convening refilled his spirit with pride and encouragement and reminded him that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going!”
Echoing Ronaldo’s sentiments, Kelvin mentioned how the “collective energy and commitment to advocating for the island’s well-being is a powerful force, and it’s wonderful that all of us are part of this movement. By working together and speaking up for a better future, we’re helping to drive progress and hope for a brighter tomorrow.”
The Issues Discussed
1) Food Sovereignty: a system of mechanisms and policies focused on healthy, sustainable, culturally appropriate, and people-powered methods of food production and distribution. Food sovereignty allows people to shift from dependence on food from overseas corporations to local production and distribution.
The solution we proposed is the 2024 FARM BILL. Puerto Rican advocates, groups, and elected representatives are calling on Congress to repurpose USDA agricultural funding to incentivize local production on the Island through a culturally responsive and language-appropriate food sovereignty program. This would bring aid directly to farmers, community land trusts, the University of Puerto Rico–a land grant institution– and municipalities.
2) Close Act 22 Loophole: Puerto Ricans are losing their homes and communities because mega-rich outsiders receiving massive tax breaks are pricing out and displacing struggling families. Meanwhile, the federal and state governments are losing income from tax revenue, which reduces funding for emergency services, schools, roads, and hospitals in stateside communities.
We advocated for Congress to legislate a requirement that the wealthy individuals benefiting from the Individual Investors Act of Puerto Rico (Act 22/Act 60), any successor legislation, or any other Puerto Rico tax abatement program be subject to federal taxation.
3) End La Junta: In 2016, Congress created a law known as PROMESA (“promise”) that imposed a fiscal control board on Puerto Rico. This board, referred to as “La Junta,” has alarmingly focused on privatizing and dismantling public institutions and services, which has caused living expenses and utility costs to soar in Puerto Rico. Essential services like electricity, water, health care, and education have become increasingly unreliable or inaccessible. This is the reason why we advocate for the termination of La Junta.
4) Puerto Rico Status Act: Puerto Rico has been a U.S. colony since it invaded the Island in 1898. After imposing an external board to “manage” Puerto Rico, Congress removed the minimal autonomy the country had on its government.
Through our collective voice and advocacy, we met with Members of Congress and voiced that they should not support legislation or any status process that fails to be upfront with the Puerto Rican people on critical issues like language, taxes, and the strangling maritime restrictions of the Jones Act.
¡Colectivo Boricua!
The Young Latino Network is establishing a Puerto Rican Collective to create a secure environment for Boricuas residing in Ohio to advocate for their pertinent concerns. Currently, our primary focus lies on Food Insecurity; however, as our initiative expands, we aspire to address a broader spectrum of issues.
We are a community where Boricuas can come together to learn, celebrate, and support each other. While we are still in the process of building and organizing, we are excited about the upcoming events, professional development opportunities, and training sessions we will offer. If you are a Puerto Rican residing in Ohio, we extend a sincere invitation for you to join us in this endeavor.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Michell Hernández Bello at michell@ylncle.org or Stephanie Ginese at stephanie@ylncle.org for more information.
