Puerto Rican Dream Team

August 15, 2004 6:13 PM

So the US basketball team got handed it's hide by the Puerto Ricans.

My question, and of course I understand many of the complex issues surrounding the soverignty of the territory, is...why are they allowed to have their own team? I mean, the guys on the PR team that just pummeled the dreamies are all US citizens, right?

What's the rule?
posted by milkman to sports, hobbies, & recreation (14 answers total)

Puerto Ricans are U.S. nationals, but not full citizens. They travel under U.S. passports but they cannot vote for federal offices and have no representation in Congress. The same goes for residents of Guam. Apparently this particular glitchy citizenship status qualifies both islands to be separate entities as far as the Olympics are concerned, and both are fielding their own teams.
posted by Dreama at 6:25 PM on August 15, 2004

Basically, you've got to have your own Olympic Committee, and it has to be recognized by the International Olympic Committee. I don't see any hard and fast rules on that process, but I'm sure it's extremely political. Palestine and Hong Kong are other not-quite-nations with their own Olympic teams. Taiwan (called "Chinese Taipei" in the Olympics) is another example.
posted by Zonker at 6:40 PM on August 15, 2004

okay.... so if Puerto Rico wins a gold.... what anthem do they play?
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 7:29 PM on August 15, 2004

La Borinqueña
posted by amberglow at 7:33 PM on August 15, 2004

Puerto Ricans are U.S. nationals, but not full citizens. They travel under U.S. passports but they cannot vote for federal offices and have no representation in Congress

That's not really true. AFAIK, Puerto Ricans are citizens or something functionally equivalent if differently-named.

Puerto Ricans can move freely to the US proper, and when they do they get the same voting rights as I have.

Likewise, if I move to Puerto Rico, I won't be able to vote for President or Congress, unless I maintain an at least nominal residency in the US proper.

This sort of thing happens all the time. It's the UK in the Olympics, but in World Cup England, Scotland, and Wales compete separately. US citizens have competed for Spain in swimming, and approximately 104% of the players in Olympic hockey are Canadian citizens.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 7:59 PM on August 15, 2004

104%? How is that possible?
posted by Apoch at 9:53 PM on August 15, 2004

It's a joke, son.
posted by coolgeek at 9:57 PM on August 15, 2004

It's the UK in the Olympics, but in World Cup England, Scotland, and Wales compete separately.

It's GB in the olympics, not the UK, but you're talking about different sports. There is no GB football team at the olympics, as football in the UK is divided into the four home nations and none will risk the use of a consolidated team being entered to avoid any potentail for FIFA to force them to do so in future.
posted by biffa at 3:15 AM on August 16, 2004

they get the same voting rights as I have.
Puerto Ricans
Iirc, they are represented in the Presidential Primaries.
posted by thomcatspike at 11:56 AM on August 16, 2004

US citizens have competed for Spain in swimming
??? Seen where a person knew they would not make a national team then added or changed citizenship prior to Olympic completion. It sounded like you meant a person whom is solely a US citizen could compete on another team too.
posted by thomcatspike at 12:01 PM on August 16, 2004

Olympic competition
posted by thomcatspike at 12:02 PM on August 16, 2004

Puerto Ricans can move freely to the US proper, and when they do
Cough!...[accepts the gold medal boob award]
posted by thomcatspike at 12:07 PM on August 16, 2004

I believe I spotted a US Virgin Islands delegation during the Parade of Nations, too.
posted by Songdog at 12:50 PM on August 16, 2004

Slate article on this very question
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 8:24 AM on August 17, 2004