PRESS RELEASE

Top 10 Facts about Puerto Rico and Its U.S. Citizens

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- On the eve of the Republican primary in Puerto Rico, the Hispanic Leadership Network released its "Top 10 Facts about Puerto Rico and its U.S. Citizens."  Below are some interesting facts about La Isla del Encanto and its American electorate.

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory with Commonwealth status whose residents are U.S. citizens by birth since 1917 (CIA World Factbook, 2012).
While its residents are U.S. citizens, Puerto Ricans cannot vote in the U.S. general presidential elections because Puerto Rico is not a state (U.S. Constitution).
Currently, more than 10,000 active duty military personnel from Puerto Rico serve across the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces (Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration). 
Since 1917, more than 200,000 American citizens from Puerto Rico have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, serving in every conflict since World War I (Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration). 
Puerto Rico hosts primaries for both the Democratic and Republican parties; there are 23 delegates available in this year's GOP primary (CNN Election Center, 2012).
Puerto Rico's total population is 3,998,905 (CIA World Factbook, 2012).
The unemployment rate in Puerto Rico is 15.1% (U.S. Department of Labor, 2012).
More than half - 51.6% - of Puerto Ricans have private insurance coverage (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010).
More than 20% of Puerto Ricans have a bachelor's degree, whereas only 16% of Puerto Ricans residing in the mainland have a bachelor's degree (Pew Hispanic Center, 2010).
Florida is gaining a net 7,300 Puerto Ricans a year, far more than any other U.S. state (U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 2011).
To book an interview with HLN Executive Director Jennifer S. Korn, please contact Lisette Garcia at (202) 370- 3454 or via e-mail at lgarcia@americanactionnetwork.org. 

ABOUT JENNIFER S. KORN
Jennifer S. Korn is Executive Director of the Hispanic Leadership Network. Ms. Korn has eighteen years of experience as a conservative strategist. Previously, Ms. Korn served in the George W. Bush Administration as Director of Hispanic and Women's Affairs in the White House, as well as Senior Advisor to the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. Prior to her public service, Ms. Korn was National Hispanic Director and Southwest Coalitions Director on President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign. As such, she developed and supervised the implementation of the strategy that resulted in President Bush receiving 44% of the Hispanic vote. Ms. Korn was born in East Los Angeles and is the first in her family to attend college. She is a military spouse.

ABOUT HLN
The Hispanic Leadership Network is an advocacy action group focused on engaging the Hispanic community on center-right policies based on the principles of freedom, limited government and individual empowerment. HLN serves as a home for center-right Hispanic advocates across the country whose goal is to restore opportunity and prosperity in America.

For more information about HLN, visit our website at http://hispanicleadershipnetwork.org/, visit our page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HispanicLeadershipNetwork or follow us on Twitter @HispanicLN.