Professor Ediberto Román, along with co-author Ernesto Sagás, pushes back against the persistent belittling of Puerto Rico. In their recent op-ed, Puerto Rico Is Not a Joke, Román and Sagás respond to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s derogatory comment calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage” during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden. While the campaign quickly distanced itself from Hinchcliffe’s words, Román argues that this dismissal only scratches the surface of a much deeper issue.
Román highlights how this incident is part of a long-standing pattern of disregard for Puerto Rico and its people. Through detailed examples, he underscores the ongoing challenges Puerto Ricans face in achieving equal treatment and respect.