Record Number Of Puerto Ricans Fleeing To Florida
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Fleeing their homeland's economic crisis, a record number of Puerto Ricans are coming to Florida.
Their presence on the mainland is drawing newfound attention to the age-old question of whether Puerto Rico should become the 51st state.
A loose coalition of leaders is seeking to leverage Florida's growing Puerto Rican presence into something the rest of Americans can easily understand: a fight for equality and the right to vote. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens by birth, but because the island is only a territory, its residents can't vote for the U.S. president.
Equal rights advocates are counting on Florida's influence in presidential elections to amplify their message.
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