During a Trump rally Sunday at Madison Square in New York, a comedian called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”. Since then, many Puerto Ricans in Michigan have reacted to the joke, calling it xenophobic and hateful.
East Lansing resident Francisco Velazquez says he wasn’t surprised at the comment ... he says it reflects how many people seem to feel about Puerto Rico and its people.
“They talk about this country being garbage, but the US has been in control of Puerto Rico since 1898. So over 100 years of colonialism.”
Even though Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and subject to federal laws, they not only lack full congressional representation they are also not able to vote in the U.S. presidential elections if they reside on the island.
