Shock, confusion after birth certificates voided

[Kadie]

Shock, confusion after birth certificates voided
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer

Saturday, February 27, 2010


(02-27) 04:42 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --

Native Puerto Ricans living outside the island territory are reacting with surprise and confusion after learning their birth certificates will become no good this summer.

A law enacted by Puerto Rico in December mainly to combat identity theft invalidates as of July 1 all previously issued Puerto Rican birth certificates. That means more than a third of the 4.1 million people of Puerto Rican descent living in the 50 states must arrange to get new certificates.

snip...
People born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, are U.S. citizens at birth. Anyone using a stolen Puerto Rico birth certificate could enter and move about the U.S. more easily, which could also pose security problems.

snip...
"It's a problem that's been growing and as the need in the black market for birth certificates with Hispanic-sounding names grew, the black market value of Puerto Rican birth certificates has gone into the $5,000 to $10,000 range," McClintock said.

Thus far, there seems to be little effort by the U.S. or Puerto Rican governments to educate the 1.5 million people born in Puerto Rico and living on the mainland about the new law.

Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., has been getting a steady stream of calls about the law at his district office. Serrano — who must replace his birth certificate, too — said he is trying to provide answers without triggering a panic.

"No one has thought about what effect this could have, if any, on those of us born in Puerto Rico who now reside in the 50 states," Serrano said.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/27/national/w004120S43.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0gkdHHV6y

[old mark]

1. Through history, the Puerto Rican people have been repeatedly screwed by the US

without a second thought. Very sad to see it happing again. I wonder what would happen if they nullified every birth certificate in, say, Arizona or Idaho.



mark