A May 21 opinion piece calling for Puerto Rico to “embrace English” as a prerequisite for joining the Union overlooks decades of research showing that forced language assimilation undermines both educational outcomes and economic opportunities — the very goals it claims to support.

Growing up in Puerto Rico, I (Viviana) heard the same advice from my grandmother that echoes through countless families on the island: “Be bilingual and you’ll have the opportunities we didn’t have.” That wisdom reflects a complex reality facing Puerto Rico's 3.2 million residents — caught between preserving their Spanish-speaking identity and accessing English-language opportunities in a U.S. territory where language policy has ping-ponged between political priorities for more than a century.

Since Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States in 1898, the island has endured a series of failed attempts to transition students to English-only education (i.e., forced assimilation). These policies, driven more by political ideology than educational research, have repeatedly led to increased school dropout rates and student confusion.

The United States invoked "E Pluribus Unum" to justify promoting English as a symbol of unity. However, Puerto Ricans have held on to the Spanish language as a core part of their identity, and it remains so today. A true reading of "E Pluribus Unum" would mean strengthening Puerto Rican identity while also supporting national participation.

Recent studies by Milagros González-Rivera show that most Puerto Ricans view Spanish as central to their identity while rejecting the idea that bilingualism threatens their culture.

The findings are clear: Puerto Ricans want both languages, and not a forced choice between them.

At the University of Puerto Rico, scholars have examined the island’s language complexities, including Guzzardo-Tamargo’s 2024 study. Their findings should be incorporated into government planning, but they rarely are. Instead, repeated funding cuts to the university have created a crisis in both research and education, delaying progress.

U.S. research consistently shows the benefits of bilingual education for language and literacy development. As the mother of a young child in a U.S. bilingual public school (Wendy), I see daily the ease with which my son switches between English and Spanish. I don’t have to choose between my child’s future opportunities and preserving our language and culture.

Why is this language debate still an urgent one? The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation. Puerto Rican students faced severe setbacks in language and literacy development during school closures, according to the National Center for Disaster Preparedness.

Puerto Rico needs education policies and systematic changes that foster genuine opportunities without sacrificing the cultural foundation that defines the island. Yet, Puerto Rico’s government continues to implement plans without consulting local academic resources.

Collaboration is needed between institutions like the University of Puerto Rico and the government to gather data, plan, implement, and track bilingual education programs. The solution lies not in choosing one language over another, but in developing evidence-based bilingual programs that build on Puerto Ricans’ linguistic strengths.

We can expand opportunities without ignoring how language remains deeply tied to Puerto Rican identity. This cultural connection resonates across generations: from grandmothers’ advice to contemporary artists like Bad Bunny, who celebrates his language and cultural pride.

“Pero soy cultura De Borinquen, PR, Archipiélago Perfecto; En el mundo entero ya conocen mi dialecto, mi jerga.” 

Viviana M. Vélez Negrón was born and raised in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. She is a Ph.D. student in the combined program in education and psychology at the University of Michigan. 

Wendy de los Reyes is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at Claremont McKenna College. She studies the adjustment of Latino immigrant families in the U.S.

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