As a Puerto Rican living in Boston, I know how to make my opinion known. I have to. Let’s just say my fellow Puerto Ricans have gotten pretty good at it, too.

Which is what makes outlandishly offensive anti-Puerto Rican “jokes” at Donald Trump’s rally--equating our home to “an island of garbage”--nearly as stupid as it is unfunny. 

Underestimating Puerto Ricans is a mistake. We vote, we organize, and, most importantly, we remember.

We are one of the fastest-growing voting blocs in crucial swing states. In Florida alone, the Puerto Rican population has surged to over 1.2 million. In Pennsylvania, we number over 500,000. When Hurricane Maria devastated our island in 2017, thousands more relocated to states like Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. 

The suggestion that Puerto Rico is "garbage" ignores our immense contributions to American society and culture. We've served in every American conflict since World War I, with over 200,000 Puerto Ricans having worn the U.S. military uniform. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, traces her roots to the island. Roberto Clemente didn't just change baseball; he became a humanitarian icon. Rita Moreno earned her EGOT through groundbreaking performances that challenged Hispanic stereotypes. Lin-Manuel Miranda revolutionized Broadway while proudly highlighting his Puerto Rican heritage.

Our economic contributions are equally significant. Puerto Rican professionals are integral to America's healthcare system, with thousands serving as doctors, nurses, and medical researchers. Our entrepreneurs have founded successful businesses across the mainland, creating jobs and driving innovation. Major pharmaceutical companies rely on Puerto Rico's manufacturing facilities, which produce critical medications for the entire nation.

Those demeaning Puerto Rico might want to remember that failed business ventures on the island can haunt political aspirations. Trump International Golf Club in Puerto Rico went bankrupt, leaving local contractors unpaid and illustrating a pattern of unsuccessful engagement with our community. While former President Trump frequently boasts about the billions in aid sent to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans remember the paper towel throwing spectacle, the delayed response, and the undermining of local officials during the crisis. Now, his supporters mock our very existence. If this is meant to be a political strategy, it's as shortsighted as it is offensive.

But perhaps most crucially, attacks on Puerto Rico fundamentally misunderstand our unity. Whether we live in San Juan or Springfield, whether we support statehood or independence, whether we vote Democratic or Republican – we are Puerto Ricans first. An insult to our island is an insult to all of us. Our sense of cultural pride and solidarity transcends party lines.

The political math should be obvious. In states like Florida, where presidential elections have been decided by very slim margins, alienating Puerto Rican voters is politically suicidal. In 2020, Puerto Rican voters showed up in force across key battleground states. Given the ongoing migration from the island to the mainland, our electoral influence will only grow stronger.

To those considering a strategy of belittling Puerto Rico: we are not a punchline for political rallies. We are 3.2 million American citizens on the island and over 5.8 million on the mainland. We are doctors, teachers, soldiers, and judges. We are voters in your districts and states. We are a community that stands together.

The floating garbage patch in the Pacific is a real environmental crisis. It’s also where Tony Hinchcliffe’s “humor” belongs. Puerto Rico, on the other hand, is home to millions of proud American citizens who deserve respect. Anyone unable to distinguish between the two may soon learn a harsh lesson in political consequences. And Puerto Ricans – from San Juan to the South Bronx, from Orlando to Boston – will remember.