The Empty Gift: The Politics of Citizenship, American Imperialism, and State Development in Puerto Rico

Maye Henning, Johns Hopkins University

Using Puerto Rico as a case study, I argue that citizenship is a cornerstone of American colonial governance. The American state incorporated Puerto Ricans in 1917 with a collective grant of citizenship. Incorporation was a strategic response to bottom-up and top-down pressures on the American state that threatened its control over the colony. Lawmakers were concerned about growing labor strikes and support for Puerto Rican independence. Internationally, World War I exacerbated U.S. desire to control the Caribbean and gain access to economic markets in Latin America. U.S. political elites worried that being perceived as mistreating Puerto Rican subjects would undermine diplomatic goals. The combination of bottom-up and top-down pressure on the U.S. government prompted Congress to pass legislation granting citizenship to Puerto Ricans. However, the citizenship was intentionally hollowed out so as not to unsettle existing racial hierarchy. Many of the rights and protections enjoyed by American citizens in the contiguous U.S. were not included in American citizenship for Puerto Ricans—such as the right to vote in U.S. elections—and to this day remain unrealized. At first glance, granting citizenship may appear to be a progressive effort to affirm equality and rights. Upon further inspection, it becomes apparent that citizenship in this form enabled the American state to liberalize and strengthen its imperial project. These insights challenge conventional notions of citizenship and have implications for how we understand the mechanisms of American imperialism.

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 Presented in Session 87. Colonial imperialism, exploitation