American Citizenship Day – March 2, 2025

History of American Citizenship Day

Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean region located 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida. In the late 15th century, Christopher Columbus first arrived on the island. Soon after, in the 16th century, the Spanish rapidly colonized it. Puerto Ricans remained under Spanish rule until the Spanish-American War in 1898. Until then, all residents of Puerto Rico were Spanish nationals. 

During the Spanish-American War, the U.S. invaded Puerto Rico, and Spain eventually ceded the island to America under the Treaty of Paris. After the war, the U.S. acquired Puerto Rico and three other territories. In the early years, Puerto Rico was ruled by the U.S. military along with officials appointed by the president of the U.S. The judicial system was reformed to align with that of the United States.

Citizenship remained a unique matter. Initially, Spanish nationals born in Spain could choose to remain Spanish by making a formal declaration. Foreigners remained foreign nationals. People born in Puerto Rico were U.S. nationals, but as per scholar John L. A. de Passalacqua, they had no “citizenship whatsoever recognized under international law or even United States municipal law.”  Following this, new Codes and Acts kept coming into effect with minor changes. In 1917, the U.S. Congress passed the Jones–Shafroth Act granting Puerto Ricans born on or after 25 April 1898 U.S. citizenship. The act established statutory U.S. citizenship upon U.S. nationals of Puerto Rico and those who might have been absent from the territory at the time of U.S. acquisition, but who had now returned. The act was faced with criticism and doubt but remains in effect to this day. On March 2, the date of the signing, American Citizenship Day is observed in Puerto Rico every year. Offices are closed and the holiday is publicly observed.