Way back on Thursday, December 15 of 2022, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) started an online spat when she spoke Spanish on the floor of the United States House of Representatives to make a point. Her Spanish-spoken line came during a debate about the Puerto Rico Status Act, which would have potentially changed the legal status of the territory.
As background, Puerto Rico Status Act has since mostly faded from public concern, but at the time was a contentious topic given that it could have led to Puerto Rican statehood, something that would essentially mean two more Democratic senators and multiple more Democrat House seats, given the political leanings of the island territory. Under the provisions of the Act, Puerto Ricans could themselves vote on if they would become a state. The Act cleared the House in a 233-191 vote in which 16 Republicans voted alongside Democrats to pass it.
AOC, in any case, spoke on the floor of the House in favor of the bill. Beginning her remarks, she said, “Before I begin today, I would like to express and begin my remarks by expressing solidarity with other US, colonies, colonized people, indigenous communities and descendants of the enslaved today represents a historic moment. While Puerto Rico is not the United States’s only colony, it is the it is its oldest.”
She continued, “Today, for the first time in our nation’s history, the United States will acknowledge its role as a colonizing force and Puerto Rico status as an extended colony. The Puerto Rico status act begins a process for Boricuas to decide their own future. And in this bill, we have made historic and unprecedented gains. Never before have terms for independence and free association been so clearly defined, including ramifications for citizenship.”
A bit later on, the woke representative rambled about decolonization, saying, “I also want to note that decolonization is more than a vote. It doesn’t happen just with a vote. It is a social, political, cultural, economic and psychological process that extends far beyond the floor of this house, that being said, the gains that are made here are a watershed moment.”
Continuing, she said, “These gains are incredibly important, and they are a waypoint and a stepping stone for the future of our island. And you know, I think it sends a very strong message to all, and for there to be any vote, we hope, prior to any vote, we hope that the energy of people, both in the in the diaspora and on the island, are here.”
It was then that she got to the line in Spanish about the island. She said, “And lastly, but certainly not least, as we ring out in in the refrain that is said among people across the world and Puerto Ricans across the world. ‘Yo soy Boricua, pa’que tu lo sepas,’ and I yield my time back to the chair.” That line translates to “I am Puerto Rican, so that you know.” It was popularized in 1995 by Puerto Rican rapper Taíno, and has since become a rallying cry.
"*" indicates required fields
AOC was then asked by the House to “provide a translation” of “Yo soy Boricua, pa’que tu lo sepas!” Annoyed about the translation request, one commenter on X (then Twitter), said, “Not that this wasn’t already easy to translate, but does the congressional records keepers not have a bilingual employee? Why do they need you to be their translator?”
Others chimed in and slammed both AOC’s pointless use of Spanish and the criticism from the left over her being asked for a translation. One commenter, for example, wrote, “The virtue signaling is strong in this one.” Another said, “Hopefully this isn’t a controvery on the Left. Everything said on the floor of the House is recorded by stenographers. These professionals keep the most reliable record of what is said and by whom, but they are trained only in English. A translation is a must for history.”
Watch the incident here: