Yo Tengo Un Sueño

1)     The Puerto Rican diaspora have led to our people having a fractured population with little representation in Government.

2)     The Governor of Puerto Rico has said recently there are 5.5 million Puerto Ricans dispersed in Florida and New York. This spread of our people has left us with no voice in congress where we can make an impact for our people who continue to suffer under the conditions of its commonwealth.  To combat this the Governor is pleading for an end to the diaspora by calling on us to start a grassroot movement to mobilize the Boriqua vote. I am 90% certain this is a problem that exists.

  

3)     The prototypical "customer" would be: The population of Purto Ricans with residency in the states. And the registered voters who would be willing to join a political movement to represent underrepresented populations

First Interview: My Uncle in Jersey

·        What do you believe is the biggest factor holding back Puerto Ricans today?

o   We don't get out the vote. That's the best way to make an impact in this country and other minority groups get that. Groups with smaller populations than us have more control in Government why can't we?

·        Is there any opportunity you see for us to have a bigger voice in politics?

o   As large of a catastrophe this hurricane has been it has brought attention to a larger issue. That issue being that the United States is treating Puerto Rico as an afterthought. We must mobilize now before something worse happens and we aren’t ready.

My uncle is a very smart man. He’s lived in the North East for a long time now since he moved when he was young. He’s survived living in Manhattan and if you can make it there you can make it anywhere. He always gives advice on what to do to make the most of opportunities. I believe he sees the need for a grassroots movement to mobilize the vote to get more representation to get this situation sorted out.

Second Interview: President of UEPA

·        How do you suggest we start a grassroot Movement to end the Diaspora and get our voices heard?

o   We have to start at the Universities and centers with strong Puerto Rican presence. We’ve been getting in contact with Puerto Rican Student Associations in FSU, USF, UM, and most importantly UCF. Orlando is the best place to start as that is where a large population of our people have settled since the Hurricane.

·        How would you say this problem has impacted us?

o   The diaspora of Puerto Rican peoples has made it so there are many of us, but we are not united. And therefore, have less impact on government than we should.

Angel is very passionate about Puerto Rico. He came to UF from Puerto Rico directly, so our homeland is very close to his heart. He works very hard to grow UEPA and make it such a great group of people who do great things. I admire him for that.

Third Interview: Student studying Political Science

·        Does this hypothetical movement seem feasible in the near future?

o   I believe it’s already starting, the amount of publicity and attention that crisis brought to Puerto Rico has lit a fire that isn’t going to go away anytime soon. People are motivated and see the need for change.

·        Where do you think we will see this happen first New York or Florida?

o   I think the large influx of new residents to Florida will accelerate the movement in Florida faster. We won’t see it immediately in the polls as all those people get registered however in the coming elections we could see more Puerto Rican issues, if not candidates take the campaign floor.

My friend really loves to talk politics and what possibilities are in the horizon. It gets me excited to hear about what could potentially lie ahead in the midterm and perhaps next presidential race as more and more Puerto Ricans register to vote and make their voices heard.

Talking about the possibilities of a movement like this is exciting. While it might not be a grocery delivery app or a fried chicken franchise. This entrepreneurial idea has potential to make change in politics and government.