Greetings from the future 51st state!
The 2010s is going to be a very turbulent decade for the United States of America, primarily with its borders. States like California, Montana, and Texas wish become independent nations; while independent nations such as Cuba and Haiti may become states. Territories like Puero Rico and Guam want statehood, while regions within current states want to secede to become their own. Well, its not like this hasn't happened before in history. Texas was once an independent nation before becoming a state. South Carolina and the southern states seceded from the US to be reunited as the Confederate States of America during the civil war. Even West Virginia (as you can tell by its name) was once part of Virginia, but seceded to become its own state.
Today, one region in particular is gaining more interest in becoming the 51st state of the Union, and it happens to be my home. I am talking about the "lost" State of Long Island, which is not going to be taking it anymore.
My state nationalism
Like most children growing up, I memorized my phone number and street address by heat. I knew that I lived in Holbrook, New York, but I knew very little as to where my place was in this world.
One of the most damning experiences of my live is my aunt and cousins moving away to the "far away land" of Pennsylvania. Now instead of a few minute drive to visit them, it took two hours (which was a lifetime for me), and had to travel threw New Jersey to get there. It would be several years later when my class was learning about the state of the United State. I learned where the State of New York was located. So one day, I asked my teacher where Pennsylvania was on the map, believing that it was around the location that California was. But to my horror and disbelief, it was right next door to. It was that day I learned how big this world truly was, and my place in it.
Sadly though, my aunt and cousins would move to the "Planet of Florida" (which it might as well been), with my Nana moving soon after to be with them. When my parents split up in 2001, me and my family moved to Florida. Though now we lived close to my cousins again (only a few blocks away), it still made me think about the north. In my social studies class, I did a report about Pennsylvania instead of New York. To many extents, I was more interested in my new life, but I did miss New York. I would later learn about my true place in New York. I grew up on Long Island. When I was much older to realize what my mom and dad were talking about, I found out that the two support statehood of Long Island in many ways. In fact, one of the reasons we had to leave was the property taxes of Long Island at the time, which would be primarily caused by the remainder of New York.
Since moving to Florida in 2001, I have revisited Long Island, once in 2003, and than in 2005. My dad now lives in Bethpage. He has to live with his parents in order to live there. Today, most Floridians are amazed when I tell them I am from New York, primarily because (as said by one person) I was very polite, and most New Yorkers are rude. Today I always say I am a Long Islander, and everybody knows what that means. Today, I am a strong supporter of Long Island statehood. When I can, I plan on moving back there, and raising my family there, as I was.
Background
The most noticeable reason for the Long Island Statehood movement is because of New York itself. Long Island pays the same taxes as the rest of New York, but gets little in return in comparison to the rest of the state. You can think of New York being a vampire sucking the life out of Long Island.
State of Long Island
An atlas of Long Island as a potential state.
When it comes to Long Island today as a potential state, it comes out more with debates rather than unity. Some want all of Long Island to become a state, while other want only the two eastern most counties to become the state. Even others propose having the four counties become independent form the United States. But which is right for the State of Long Island (SLI)?
The following sections show my personal opinions when it comes to the SLI.
Kings and Queens
The Long Island that we all love so much is actually divided into four counties of the State of New York. These counties include Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk. Today, Brooklyn and Queens are integrated into the Greater City of New York, while Nassau and Suffolk are primarily suburban.
When it comes to making the SLI today, there are two proposed borders. The one I find most likely is the secession of Nassau and Suffolk alone, while other go further and propose all four counties make up the SLI.
Personally, I think it is a much better idea to have only Nassau and Suffolk seceding to become the SLI. I believe this is the most practical proposal, and I believe this would be the most favored when it comes to New York State and NYC. But I am not at all saying that having Brooklyn and Queens is a bad idea, but I am looking more towards the likely solution, not the most hopeful solution. But it's also because I a have spent my life in both Nassau and Suffolk, and have never had any extensive time in either Brooklyn or Queens. But recently, I have been finding many SLI supporters actually live in Brooklyn and Queens. So it is kinda hard for me to choose which one is better. I don't want to see NYC collapse, but I don't want to be leaving the two in the dark. I guess you can say I am going to remain neutral or supportive of both.
But if Brooklyn and Queens were to become part of the SLI, I support the idea that (at least for Queens) that the former townships that made up the counties be reformed. So towns like Jamaica, Flushing, and even Long Island City would come back to life.
But either way you slice it, the SLI would be pretty big and populated.
| Location | Population | Area (sq. mi.) | Comment |
| Nassau County | 1,334,544 | 453 | 2000 US census |
| Suffolk County | 1,419,369 | 2,373 | 2000 US census |
| Subtotal | 2,753,913 | 2,826 | SLI with only Nassau and Suffolk counties |
| Kings County (Brooklyn) | 2,567,098 | 96.9 | |
| Queens County (Queens) | 2,306,712 | 178.28 | |
| Total | 7,627,723 | 3,101.18 | SLI with all four counties |
If granted statehood today, Long Island would be the third smallest state in area (with Delaware having an area of 2,489.27 square miles).
As for population, it depends on your definition for the SLI for comparison. If all four counties, Long Island would be the 13th most populated state, outranking Washington (6,664,195). If only Nassau-Suffolk, that the SLI would be the 35th most populated state, outranking Nevada (2,643,085).
Peconic
Did you know that there is a hidden county within Long Island? It is called Peconic County, and was proposed to be a new county of New York and including the five easternmost towns of Suffolk County. It was proposed because the former center of Suffolk County (Riverhead) was moved to western Suffolk, where the county was more populated. This left those in the eastern portion of the county feeling left in the dark, and wanting to makeup there own county. The county never came to be, but support for it continues to some extent.
I personally see no trouble with having a new county in Long Island, no trouble at all. The more the merrier. But is it even possible? Well, just look at history. When the Province of New York was formed, only three counties made up Long Island (Kings, Queens, and Suffolk). When it was proposed that Kings and Queens be united with New York, Bronx, and Richmond to form the Greater City of New York, the eastern portion of Queens did not want any part in it. Only the western portion of Queens became the Borough of Queens, while the eastern portion remained part of Queens County until they seceded to form Nassau County.
So for you of Peconic County, you have support here.
Capital
What is the capital of Long Island? There is none. Not including the Brooklyn and Queens, the county seat of Nassau is Mineola, while Suffolk is seated in Riverhead (with many offices in Hauppauge).
But since there isn't a capital, I'm going to have some fun with this. First off, I believe that (in either definition) the capital of the SLI should be located in either Nassau or Suffolk. So when it comes to that, I pick Holbrook to be the capital. Two reasons why. The most notable reason is because it is my hometown. If the first president of West Germany can choose his hometown of Bonn to be the capital, I don't see why I can't have fun and choose Holbrook. But I also choose Holbrook because it is located within the center of Long Island and is an exit of the Long Island Expressway.
Flag
The most accepted flag for Long Island.
Throughout its history, Long Island has never had a defining flag. But since 2006, a flag has been proposed for Long Island. However, the flag is for the Independent Long Island micronation and movement. I do not support or endorse any part of Long Island seceding from the United State, I am pro-Statehood only.
However, Cesidio Tallini's design for a flag of Long Island has begun to grow in popularity as a flag for Long Island statehood. And to be fair, I love the design that Tallini came up with. It is very original and describes Long Island in a nutshell. A blue flag with an orange rectangle (a Spanish fess) The rectangle is forked towards the fly of the flag, representing the fork of Long Island by Peconic Bay. On the top row are two stars, while another two stats are on the bottom. The stars represent the four counties that [currently] make up Long Island. The flag is light blue, while the stars and fork are orange, showing Long Island's Dutch heritage.
Though I can't say for sure if this is correct, but I believe Tallini's design was inspired by the proposed flag of Peconic County. Both have the same "fork" design.