Poverty Insights

Gathering information from international sources has been a challenge for me.  I have reached out to several associates from several countries without success.  I did, however, manage to connect with a professional from Puerto Rico.  Unfortunately, I have yet to receive a response regarding my inquiries about poverty in her region.  I still hope to hear from her and will be sure to post her insights, suggestions, and struggles when I do.

In lieu of an actual conversation with a  citizen of Puerto Rico, I have chosen to follow the lead of some of my other colleagues and perform some independent research on the challenges faced by residents of the island.  The relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico has made this even more interesting in that we share a responsibility through Congress to ensure their well-being, yet they operate as an independent nation. 

Puerto Rico, in 2009, reported that a staggering 41.4% percent of people lived below the poverty line.  What makes this statistic even more remarkable is that, as they do not recognize the Federal Poverty Line established by the United States they use their own figure, which is significantly lower (by almost half) than what is used across the nation.  This disparity is reflected in data presented by CNN in 2012.  They stated that 56% of Puerto Rican children live below the poverty line, compared to 22% in the U.S.  They also reported that over 80% of children overall live in high-poverty areas, compared to 11% in the U.S.  What was left unmentioned in the report was which poverty line they were using to conduct the study, so these figures may be skewed.  Regardless of the standard used, the figures are quite disappointing.

Several factors also add to troubling living conditions for the commonwealth, including high pollution, high unemployment,  and low wages for the adults that manage to work.  Due to sub-par living conditions, most families have taken it upon themselves to try and make repairs to homes, streets, and sewer systems without the help of the government just to be able to live.  This takes valuable time away from wage earning for adults and schooling for children, especially the older boys.  Generally speaking, women are left to tend to the younger children and provide food, much of which is provide by the Food Stamp program of the U.S.

While the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, is not easily defined, it is certainly one that needs tended to.  The small island nation provides great value in agriculture and tourism, yet living conditions for residents are deplorable.  Perhaps by targeting some of our resources and building strong partnerships among government officials, we can help them feel as though they are a valued part of our economy with the ability to positively contribute to the global community.  This would allow us to lend a helping hand and for them to become more self-sufficient and a critical player in the world.

What we see

What they live

    

References

Alexandrino, D. (2012, August 1).  Study: Puerto Rico’s children mired in poverty that dwarfs rest of U.S.  CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/01/us/puerto-rico-child-poverty/

Welcome to Puerto Rico (n.d.) Economy. Retrieved from http://www.topuertorico.org/economy.shtml