Frank Riggs: “I support the right of Puerto Rico residents, American citizens, to have self-determination, to choose statehood over…”

“I support the right of Puerto Rico residents, American citizens, to have self-determination, to choose statehood over the current status as a Commonwealth. But I believe as a condition of statehood those voting in any kind of referendum or plebiscites should acknowledge and accept English as the official common and commercial language of our country. My concern is twofold: too often bilingual education fails our young people, and the alarming dropout rate of Hispanic students in America. Too many of our young people are not getting the education and the job training that they need to live successful and productive adult lives, to take advantage, if you will, of all these high-tech jobs that our economy continues to create every day. For them, the have-nots of tomorrow, it is a personal tragedy. For our country it is a very serious, it is a very real challenge, because we need a skilled work force to remain competitive. The statistics are appalling. One-third of all Hispanic students nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Education's own report, drop out, and that figure is closer to 50 percent in my home State of California.”