What to know about Puerto Rico's divide over its territorial status

Puerto Rico's future has been a question in the U.S. territory for many years. Here's what to know.

Puerto Rico’s territorial status has been a topic of conversation among residents on the island for decades. “It's a place that's been a colony for 500 years,” said Ed Morales, a professor at the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race in Columbia University and author of the book "Fantasy Island: Colonialism, Exploitation and the Betrayal of Puerto Rico." But conversations about equal rights for the residents of Puerto Rico -- a U.S. territory whose people are American citizens -- gained renewed momentum after Hurricane Maria slammed the island in 2017, leaving nearly 3,000 people dead and causing more than $90 billion in damage. There are currently two bills before Congress that seek to address the nation's status and the Biden administration has said that the island should be able to choose its destiny.