Puerto Ricans should demand a binding referendum on independence or continued limbo. Personally, I think independence is the ONLY solution to the problems you mention. Independence doesn’t have to mean immediately cutting all ties and benefits. A generous divorce package could be worked out (possibly generous annual payments to Puerto Rico for the first ten years of independence). As far as citizenship goes, all Puerto Ricans alive today would always have dual citizenship with all the accompanying benefits, and only Puerto Ricans born in Puerto Rico in the future would have sole Puerto Rican citizenship.

But you’re right. Americans view Puerto Ricans like they view Italians or Greeks. A foreign people.The same holds true for Puerto Ricans. Most Puerto Ricans don’t see Americans as their “people.”