puerto rico: I was watching the miss america pageant and I always wonder, why is miss puerto rico in the miss america pageant when puerto rico isn't even apart of the united states. Anybody know why?|||Well PR IS a part of the US! Hello we are part of America just like the USVI, Guam and American Samoa. We are governed by US federal law, use the US postal service and the US dollar. Puerto Ricans are born US citizens and do not need a passport to travel to the US, how much more American could they be? Now I have always wondered if Miss PR competes in the Miss USA pageant then why does she also compete in the Miss Universe? To me that's the biggest question. Residents of PR DO NOT get to vote in the US elections, contrary to what the other answerer stated. Only a Puerto Rican who is a US resident can vote in the elections.|||Why is miss puerto rico in the miss america pageant? * Rules for that particular pageant did not have a limitation to participants from the 50 states, therefore the rules allowed USA territories like PR to participate. ---- For those that say that Puerto Rico is "part" of the USA, well, technically speaking, legally speaking, the answer is no. According to the US Supreme Court, unincorporated territories like PR are NOT "part" but only a "property" of the USA. Do not get angry with me, I'm just a messenger of the news. If not speaking in legal / technical terms then it may be ok to say that territories are part of PR. ---- For the answer why PR is at a particular competition (sports, beauty pageant, etc.) you need to review what the rules of that particular event says about participants.|||Puerto Rico has been part of the United States since 1898. Well I checked the Miss Universe website and I did not see Miss Puerto Rico as a contestant, are you sure she is not a guest? Usually Miss Puerto Rico runs on her own not as part of the US, which is better for Puerto Rico no offense. Well I did not see her as a candidate so I do not know. Besides America is a broad term because it includes Canada, Central and South America as well.|||You are right to say that Puerto Rico is not part of the United States and to wonder why then there is a Miss PR beauty queen in the Miss America pageant. The answer to your question is a bit complicated but I will do my best: The short answer is that, for purposes of the Miss America pageant, Puerto Rico >>> IS <<< part of the U.S. Now for the explanation... Whether of not PR is considered a part of the US depends on the "sense" under consideration at the moment. It works like this: "While in an international sense Puerto Rico is not a foreign country (since it is subject to the sovereignty of and is owned by the US), in a domestic sense it is foreign to the United States because Puerto Rico has not been incorporated into the United States, but is merely appurtenant thereto as a possession." (http://books.google.com/books?id=lgXaZnp鈥?/a> For purposes of the Miss America pageant, Puerto Rico is a not a foreign country, and is thus able to compete. (This follows from the "INTERNATIONAL sense" above since, TO OTHER COUNTRIES, Puerto Rico is a part of the US, and the contest has no INTERNATIONAL members.) Now for the beef: This state of affairs results from a 1901 US Supreme Court decision. That decision had nothing to do with beauty pageants but, like many other Supreme Court decisions, it set a precedent that still governs many aspects of PR-US relations today, and the Miss America pageant is one of them. The case is known as Downes v. Bidwell, 182 U.S. 244 (1901), and it is one of some 6 fateful decisions about Puerto Rico handed down by the US Supreme Court some 3 years following the adquisition of PR by the United States. Downes v. Bidwell, however, is considered the leading case because it was so far reaching. The case, for example, created the CONSTITUTIONALLY unprecendented category of "unincorporated territories" without the approval of Congress.(http://books.google.com/books?id=ayINMX_鈥?/a> BTW, using the same rationale as was done above for Miss America, Puerto Rico competes in the Miss Universe pageant. In this case, Puerto Rico is foreign to the US, and is thus able to compete. (This follows from the "DOMESTIC sense" above since, TO THE AMERICANS, Puerto Rico is not a part of the US, and the contest is not limited to ONE COUNTRY only.)|||OMFG, Now I know why people think americans are idiots. They don't know their own history. And to all those other ignorants that say PR is part of the USA. NO PR IS NOT PART OF THE USA. PR is a PROPERTY of the USA. It is a unincorporated territory not to be confused with incorporated territory in which case would be PART OF not PROPERTY OF. 隆DESPIERTA BORICUA! Mira la otra, si es que son brutos. Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky son Estados, NO SON COMMONWEALTH. En su nombre escriben Commonwealth, pero son Estados. Washiton DC, PR, Guam... son Commonwealth.|||Puerto Rico became a US Territory following the Spanish-American War in 1898 and its residents became US citizens in 1917. It has been a US Commonwealth since 1952.|||Puerto Rico is part of the US. It is not a state, but it is a territory, and Puerto Rican citizens are US citizens.|||maybe because puerto rico is part of the us now? edit: yes it is part of the united states.|||because Puerto Rico is practically a 51st state. was there also a Miss Washington, D.C.? i didn't watch the show yet.|||Puerto Rico is not a god damn state. Stupid Americans.|||Is part of US but they don't own it thou they still want to be independent.|||Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States just like Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky and three others I can't remember. That is also why you do not need a Pass Port to travel there. They also vote in our elections.|||It Is considered a U.S state.