Final Reflection Blog Post: Puerto Rico Service Trip Winter 2019

It’s been a little over two weeks since we first arrived in Puerto Rico. Reflecting on my experiences, I’m extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to travel to and to serve in Puerto Rico. Many of us came with little to no expectations about the trip, and yet we left with so many special and favorable memories. As such, I am itching to go back and to make some more. 

Known as the island of enchantment, at least for myself, I can say honestly that I have been enchanted with Puerto Rico. Not only was I charmed with its beautiful islands and biodiversity, warm sun, bright colors, and delicious cuisine, but it’s people’s spirit of resilience and of hope. This is the kind of spirit seemingly most inconspicuous on the island (in the sense, that it is something you experience, not something preached), yet nevertheless powerful in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria, one that has persisted even before. 

The world is our living classroom, at least one of them. Traveling, like in the case, is one of the best ways to learn about and experience the world and its peoples outside of a textbook or the media and how we can break down those barriers of (often negative) pre-conceived notions we may have. I traveled to Puerto Rico with certain assumptions that were deconstructed as I began to live (even shortly) where I served. Interacting with locals, I heard their stories. Storytelling is a powerful and important tool. One of the important lessons I recognized was to be wary of storytelling due to its power in provoking emotion and even inciting change.  Although it can be used for justice and liberations of people, it can also be utilized for the contrary. Specifically, we should be cautious about who is telling a story, and whose story they are telling. Their own? Someone else’s? 

As I stated before, I am grateful and very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve in Puerto Rico. From our in-house reflections to our service on the ground, I learned a lot, and also recognize that there is still much to learn and to do, not only in Puerto Rico or Paterson (where I from), but in the world. That sounds like a daunting task, I mean, it is. But as a collective, we must recognize that these efforts are generational. As those before us have laid a groundwork that we have used and modified to fit our own society's needs, so too do we keep on this fight for justice, laying our own foundations for further generations to adopt and shape for the liberations of all people. Let’s go Puerto Rico! (get it) Let's go all.

Post Trip

Getting back into the swing of things was tough. Aside from the change of 80 degree weather to 30 degree weather, the change to going back to a regular more structured schedule was tough. I left like I was being complacent with the way society works and the system. And I had a great fear that I might cave into these old routines and behaviors and rewire my brain from thinking so intensely on what I could do for the people of Puerto Rico and the world to now when am I going to find the time to gas up my car. It took some intensive thinking to make me realize that when the semester starts again, I’ll be getting closer to my very goal of helping others including the people of Puerto Rico. This trip resonated with me for so many reasons. One of the biggest reasons was that I’m studying towards my degree in civil Engineering and have focused a lot on renewable energy resources. While I was at Iceland, an island that runs nearly 100% on renewable energy resources, I was amazed by the possibilities. While I was at Puerto Rico, an island that runs nearly 0% on renewable energy resources, I was amazed at the possibilities. This trip connected those 2 experiences and opened a new door of where my future can take me. 

Overall, this trip was exactly what I needed to kick off the final semester of my undergraduate career. I was challenged to intensely think about social, political and economic issues affecting the island as a whole. I was challenged to bond as much as I could with the senior class I wasn’t originally part of. I was also challenged to grow as this is the last trip I’lll have in which I’ll take in a group as an undergrad. And I met all those challenges with great success. I’m excited that later today I’ll be meeting with a lobbyist who works within the renewable energy field and I can’t wait to talk to him about my experiences. I can’t wait to be able to continue thinking critically and reflecting on the work as well as what I can do when I graduate and even now during present time. 

This was an amazing trip with amazing staff. The staff really made a difference in how the  trip ran. Sam made us reflect intensely as someone who not only knows Puerto Rico as home but knows Trenton as home. Teressa who encouraged us to keep going and tackle the service work even when it was tough and really did double as Mom from how much she cares. Raj who pushed to engage as much as he could with us in all activities along with reflecting. And of course Nani, who really challenged us to think, serve and love. Her energy, kindness and welcomeness cannot be matched. Overall all chaperones worked together to make sure we always had something engaging, thoughtful and exciting to do which I very much appreciate. The best feeling to end this trip is the fact I know this won’t be my last time going to Puerto Rico.

Post-Trip

My time back so far has been filled with engaging conversations about Puerto Rico. While I have not been successful with everyone in explaining what I learned in PR, I have been able to portray what a great trip this has been. I enjoyed staying local and getting the local experience. I loved the culture, service, and the people most of all. I think what struck me the most was how little I knew about what was going on in Puerto Rico. I really felt like I connected with everything we did and despite being tired, my mind was always hungry for more information.

It was also great to share this experience with my fellow Bonners. I think that as a senior, this trip was the best thing I could have asked for. I hope to continue to advocate for Puerto Rico and the experience I had here. I think I share the same sentiment as Dom, in that I feel the best thing I can do right now is talk about what I learned and witnessed. While the most intense conversation I have had turned out to be a failure, I think I drove home the points that Nani and Sam shared with us about policy, resilience, and community.

Take Me Back!

I still cannot believe that we have been back on the mainland for over a week. It feels like a wonderful dream that we were in Puerto Rico. I miss waking up everyday to the sounds of 13 other roommates, the smell of Puerto Rican coffee, the constant lullaby of the Coqui, the sweat and blood of hard labor, the sounds of the machetes, and the small little community that we were able to grow between Bonners, Staff, and Puerto Ricans. I learned so much about the mountains Puerto Rico still has to conquer but I learned even more about the mountains they have conquered and the skills they continue to use to get up every morning with a smile on their face ready to take on the day. Their strength and resilience is infectious and was one of my favorite parts of the whole journey.

While I am going to miss the island and the beautiful people we were able to meet, I am looking forward to channeling everything I have learned/taken from the trip into my last semester of school. Seeing the impact that a group of 14 people can have in such a short amount of time gives me hope for the changes that are to come to ASA and restores my energy for keeping up with the chaos that is the first grade classroom.

I cannot wait to see what the world has in store for everyone on this trip. I am looking forward to keeping in touch and hearing about the amazing things everyone will achieve. I hope this is not the last time Bonner comes in contact with Puerto Rico, and I am sure it will not be the last time I do.

- Sam

Puerto Rico 2019 Final Post

Its been a few days since we have returned from Puerto Rico, and I continue to think about everything that I learned on this trip and how enriching of an experience it was! I continue to think about the policies that we learned about that trap Puerto Rico from advancing themselves. I think about the lack of support that they have had since the hurricane, with the running water on the first day from the leaking pipes being an image that still sticks in my mind. I think about the lack of control that the Governor actually has over his own island, with an oversight board watching every dollar that is spent. These things continue to make me angry but they are so far out of my reach for making a change, that at some points it feels hopeless, however I need to continue to talking to people about what I have experienced for change to occur.

Since I have been back, my family and friends have been asking about how my trip has been, and while it's nice to tell them about the warm weather and the beaches, it's also important to tell them about the critical issues Puerto Rico is facing and the devastation that is still there. I have had many good discussions with people about what I learned, and being able to educate them about the island. I feel like this is the best way for me to continue to make an impact as I am back home, because the more people I educate, the more change that can happen for Puerto Rico. The more people I tell, the more people that may want to go help with disaster relief there or may want to work on policy change. The more supporters there are for Puerto Rico on the mainland, the stronger the potential for change for the island!

Service with a View

 What have you learned about the people and policies during your service in Puerto Rico?
Considering what will be four years with the Bonner Institute of the College of New Jersey, I find that I have learned one main message on community engagement at large. This trip has so far been a beautiful experience, one which has allowed me to examine social issues I've seen back in the mainland within a broader context. 

That is, to understand policies and their impact on communities, you need to listen to the communities under these political institutions. The most effective way to solve a social issue affecting a community is to include members of that community and to prioritize their input over those who may hold positions of power who often miss an authentic understanding of the culture at hand a necessity to productively address the issue in front of us. Political science and other studies revolving around conceptualizing the human condition can label the effects of these institutions with an -ism. This is a scapegoat route, one that leaves those in power of the resources absolved of little responsibility and diminishes the integrity and capacity of those enduring. 

The people we have interacted with so far have been incredibly kind and accommodating. By sharing their authentic perspectives as well as their vision for Puerto Rico, it's evident that those needed to change the status and situation of a community are those who are actively considering the well being and development of the community. These efforts often manifest as grassroots organizations such as the one we are working with this week.

In this case, I understand the political structure of Puerto Rico are a prime example of American colonization within the modern world. The impact of the hurricane additionally emphasizes this, for in the state of rehabilitation the United States continues to show little commitment to the preservation and progression of Puerto Rico further emphasizing another social issue of the modern world: disaster capitalist. 

In the photo above, the team is enjoying the view of an in-progress community space. The view like the people captures the raw beauty of owning your spaces, the grit it takes and how it can manifest in anywhere you can imagine it.  

Mid-Service Reflection Blog Post: Puerto Rico Winter 2019

What have you learned  about the people and policies during your service in Puerto Rico?

While serving in Puerto Rico, I think I learned a lot about its history (though, I recognize there is so much more to learn). From what I can remember learning in US History, Puerto Rico was not really included or given a lot of attention. This is telling of the complex history between Puerto Rico and the US stemming from many of the latter’s  incredibly offensive and repugnant actions, but which remain concealed to sustain systems such as capitalism and other forms of discrimination. Lack of education manifests into the barriers of misunderstandings and preconceived notions that continue to divide people. For these reasons, I think it is important to serve and to be exposed to the very people we learn about—or do not. To serve, I mean to immerse yourself into the culture, being present through eating the food, interacting with the locals, creating a space to listen, to sincerely listen. 

Through my interactions with people with the people of Puerto Rico, I have experienced the spirit of resilience found in both the young and older generations to rebuild Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria, relating to the central question  in The Battle For Paradise: Puerto Rico Takes On Disaster Capitalists. I have witnessed the importance of art in all cultures, particularly Puerto Rico’s. Art can be and often is political expression and a form

of resistance. Although we have worked with formal non-profit organizations, I think it is important to recognize those who go unrecognized as they pursue through those grassroots movements for  political, environmental, and overall social justice for Puerto Rico. Even though we do not see them, I think there is a spirit of resilience and hope remains that can be felt in Puerto Rico. There is so much to learn and to experience about Puerto Rico, and I admit, I am still confused and unknowing about various aspects relating to (my) service and activism on both a micro and macro-level. On page 76, Klein states that “Unlike capital, movements tend to move slowly.” I know that Puerto Rico is crying “Power” and I choose to be a part of that as it encompasses my voice, one that is struggling and cautious, moving slowly, yet seeking justice in every sense of the word. I am continuing to work in order that my actions embody that. 

 

Mid-Trip Post

What have you learned about the people and policies during your service in Puerto Rico?
       As previously mentioned, I've visited Puerto Rico several times and am no stranger to the locals. Puerto Ricans are a friendly, down to earth, relaxed, easy going people, and who are known to take care/help each other in a way I've never seen in the United States. I have never seen such a sense of community anywhere else that I've traveled. I wish Americans particularly in the NY/NJ area could be more like this. NY/NJ is a region where stress, being in a rush and being rude is stereotyped/attributed to the people, we could learn a lot from Puerto Ricans in that sense. Locals/diaspora such as Nani, Sam, Fifi, Manuel, Rafeal and many others have provided indispensable insight on how they dealt with the hurricane and persevered. New information I did learn is the policy side of Puerto Rico. A mixture of blatant government corruption and extremely unfair economic policies the United States implemented on Puerto Rico such as the aforementioned Jones Act, the controversial council of seven and taxes that go directly to the United States government has caused widespread poverty on the island. As a result Puerto Rico has been unable to fund its schools, police force and infrastructure(damaged roads, public buildings and a lack of recycling) that still remains damaged from the hurricane. These factors have caused crime to skyrocket with more murders per capita than any US state for the past two years, it is also worth mentioning that despite 2019 starting a couple weeks ago, 25 people including an influential LGBTQ trap artist were murdered. Puerto Ricans and tourists are being advised by the government/police force not to leave their house/hotel/airBnB late at night. It pains me deeply to see an island that has played a large role in my life in such a desperate and dire situation. It should also be noted that Puerto Rico suffered six months to a year in some areas without electricity, making it the longest blackout in US history and second longest blackout in world history. When I was in Yabucoa for two different service days, I witnessed a broken water pipe that was leaking a large amount fresh water, our most precious/vital natural resource. This has been happening every single day for the past two years. This shows how neglected Puerto Rico is because I firmly believe that if it was a state, this wouldn't have happened and be tolerated. Puerto Rico either needs to choose statehood(to receive the same treatment as states) or independence(so that it has full control of its economic and social policies).

Resilience to the Max

After all that has happened before Maria and continues to occur after Maria, the one word I can use to describe the population of Puerto Rico as a whole it would be the word “resilience.” Through all of the organizations we have partnered with during this amazing week so far, I have been able to see the strength and resilience of the Puerto Rican population. Not only are we immersed every day in Puerto Rican culture through TiTi, Noel, Francisco, Manuel and Rafael; we have also had the opportunity to connect with both Sam and Nani.

When I first met Sam two days before the trip, I instantly knew that the education we would receive on this service trip would surpass any education taught by someone who is not familiar with the island. For the first time in my four years as a Bonner, I am looking forward to our Reflections. I am excited to learn about what stories Sam has in his back pocket and so grateful for his openness regarding his thoughts and feelings. Sam is one of many people I have met on this trip that beam resilience and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the week brings.

The second person who I have been able to connect with over this past week is Nani. I am always blown away when I meet people who are only a few years older than I am but have accomplished so much in their life. Not only is she an amazing tour guide, she's also a mom, a badass business woman, and so much more. Though her time is split between all 13 of us, she has constantly gone out of her way to connect with us individually, meeting every person who is working alongside local Puerto Ricans to overcome the effects of the hurricane and government controls.

When I wrote my original blog answering the question, “What are you most looking forward to” I answered “meeting the locals and feeding off their strength and resilience.” There is something so special about the people here. Everyone is one big happy family. I am so grateful to not only work alongside them, but to learn so much from their life.

Don't want to leave...

Sam

Puerto Rico 2019 Mid-Post

So far this trip, learning about the people in Puerto Rico and the policies that cause a lot of the issues that the island currently faces, showed me how much I was oblivious to. I never even considered how much control the government puts on Puerto Rico that blocks them from doing so many things that could make the island more prosperous. I know there must be reasoning behind the Jones Act, which requires items to come from the continental U.S. land, but it seems unnecessary to me that Puerto Rico has to spend extra money to receive their supplies. What really upset me is that after Hurricane Maria, this act was only lifted for 15 days for relief efforts compared to Texas receiving a 90 day extension. Relief efforts were hurt so much because of this, and this created a ripple effect that has left Puerto Rico in its current state, still in large need of repair without enough resources.

Hearing directly from the people at the organizations we have been working with however, shows me the light and hope that they have for their home. Many of them have been told "no" many times, lost everything they have, or worked directly in advocacy efforts for the island against the government. Being able to listen to their stories, and the powerful things they are doing for the island inspired me to want to know more and to make a lasting change. This trip is showing me about how it really does "take an army" to make a difference, and every person that can join that army creates a ripple effect in making a difference. To be able to hear their stories, I feel an obligation to bring these stories back to the states to spread awareness about the work they are doing. While I cant make structural and power changes on the island, I can tell people about it, and hope that it will get into the ears of someone that can, to repay these people that are dedicating their lives to change. 

Midtrip Reflection

There’s so much I’ve heard about the Puerto Rican people from Puerto Rican people from my hometown before coming here. I’ve heard they’re passionate about their plantains, jolly and loud, but most importantly they are resistant and love their island. I think that’s what I learned most while here about the people. They are determined and tough people. Although the hurricane hit a bit of a year ago, many people have come together to rebuild and those efforts continue. From seeing locals like Titi come and help clean, to seeing neighbors work on their houses to seeing how hardcore Francisco was on cutting coconut trees. The people are hoping for a new beginning and to push forward for a better future and their passion is contagious.

The policies I learned about include the Jones Act and the inability to vote in federal elections as well as lack of representation. These policies have made it hard for Puerto Rico to rebuild their economy and access assistance funds post hurricane. It’s also because of this that there is 2 sides of the movement towards a new future: pro statehood and pro independence. While the first is supported more by the older generation, the second is more supported by the younger generation. The effects of these policies are manifested in the high cost of living as well as the lack of hurricane relief funding.

Mid Week Reflection

What have you learned about the people and policies during your service in Puerto Rico?

Prior to this trip, I've been to Puerto Rico a few years ago with my family. To say the two experiences are different is an understatement. Although I was able to capture a glimpse of Puerto Rico's beauty as I stayed with my family in San Juan and visited Luquillo, it was through the lens of a visiting tourist. I knew when I visited with my family it was to escape the heat and go somewhere beautiful, and that was about it. This trip on the other hand, is an exploration rather than a visitation.

So far, the people we have met in Puerto Rico have been incredibly welcoming and genuine. Walking along with Titi as she tried to satisfy my search for a coconut, I felt as if she was someone I knew for a long time from the way she was treating me rather than an individual I just met. Francisco was cracking jokes and was so invested in sharing aspects of the rain forest. The way in which Manuel described his struggle, and triumphs, in renovating the Naval Base was nothing short of inspiring. Doing service for and with these individuals felt different than serving at home. Back in Ewing, there's a clear supervisor- volunteer relationship. There are rules that need to be followed and a level of propriety expected. Here, there is no power dynamic between volunteers and individuals of the service site. We can be goofy, and more importantly, we can be vulnerable. We're not here to simply serve them, it's a mutualistic experience where we learn through our service and can engage in activities and practice values that are deeply important to us.

So far, what I've learned about the policies is even worse than I thought. The fact that Puerto Ricans have to prioritize their debt to the United States before they do the social services and infrastructure necessary to promote productivity and self- sufficiency within a country seems deliberate and insidious. It's in direct contrast to the notions that lead to the formation of the United States: autonomy and freedom. The metaphor that comes to mind is placing a beautiful fish in a half empty fish bowl. The fish is given enough water and food to survive, but not enough to swim freely or even to be able to jump out of the bowl altogether. It's deliberate, and it's undoubtedly colonization in a different form- one established by the United States and is therefore not questioned.

I look forward to meeting more people and learning more! I am incredibly grateful for this beautiful experience.

Mid-Trip Reflections

The people of Puerto Rico are some of the most resilient I know. They remind me of the strength I see in the people of Trenton and how they look after their own and fight for their community. Nani is someone who impacts your life in a variety of ways despite us only getting to know her for a week. She loves Puerto Rico and it is evident in her words and actions. She supports us with all of her being and is always making sure that we are doing well. Just tonight she told us about how her and her friends use their own money to go out and fix what is wrong. That mentality and strength is what I have seen in everyone we have encountered thus far.

In Yabucoa, I remember watching TiTi using a broom to try and clear some of the pile that we had created. She’s 82 and still wants to be in the action! Francisco was so cool at the nature reserve! He was right there with us helping us clear room for more trees. Today, hearing Manuel speak about the naval base and the culture in the surrounding lands was incredible. It is the constant positivity and passion for what they do that makes the people here so incredible. They are also giving and welcoming. I think Arky and I were talking about this and we were reflecting on how it feels to be a part of a family here whereas in the US it is hard to come by this sort of community. It has been a welcome change.

Latin America: A Part of the American Continent but Different

The experiences that are worth having are equally worth reflecting on. In revisiting Puerto Rico, 2 years after my backpacking trip and only one year after hurricane Maria, I can feel the shift in the Island's energy. I find myself often thinking about the structural similarities between Ecuador and the Island, laughing at the idea that they can be compared with one being a third world country. In its current condition, the island is facing visible distinctions of resource distributions. The closure of public schools on American soil should be unheard of, but the reality is that the closures happened before mother nature even considered Maria. The people of Puerto Rico, an American community faces the blunders of an underrepresented, poor, majority minority-based community such as my own, on steroids.

I consider the concept of cultural competence, a medical term that I feel translates to the pollical repression in the Island's politics. In traveling around Ecuador and studying Colombia’s ideological clashes (FARC 1960-2017), there are variables that bar my southern brother from fully adopting the Washington consensus, one I think draws on their need for a strong community (Southern American tribalism).

Heres an example applicable today. Consider the new wave of markets that house organic foods, communities surrounding the healthy eating and the demographics of these populations. In the United States, the financially able have fostered this new demands  away from corporate giants such as Walmart and fast food chains like McDonald. But in South America there is a growing governmental push to adopt these household names along with other American based corperations, countering our already existing markets of organic food that inhertitely shift away from a positive aspects of the culture. The aim, as a superpower is to make its southern neighbors more structurally similar than different. As a security measure sameness means allieship and allieship means (military) strength. In considering leftist movement in South American, we can see a long history of alternative efforts, where America has influenced counter movement to rule out any diversion from capitalist open markets and governmental structures. My time in Puerto Rico has reopened  my conflicting feeling on these efforts as a Hispanic American growing up between with both communities.  

Revisiting the Island (Pre-Travel Post)

Within this past year, I have been able to add to my list of countries visited. For that, I am grateful to my mentors that have not only made this possible for me but also given me the insight to travel woke. In adding these countries to my list, I include notes of how social issue manifest internationally.

In the wake of a family emergency that sent me packing to Ecuador the day after finals, our final Bonner trip to Puerto Rico feels like I'm on another mission south of the border, but with a twist. I am excited about our trip to the island. Two years ago, I backpacked the island, making it my mission to avoid tourist trap and enjoy the island for what the community itself had to offer. In returning, following the destruction of Hurricane Maria, my heart aches for my fellow Latino Americans who face the repression of governmental systems that do not represent the Island’s community and the inadequate response to the need that followed the devastation of hurricane Maria. 

Two things stood out to me the most from the book The Battle for Paradise. 1) The urgency of Naomi Klein to write a book that captures and honored her communities voice in the face of devastation and the burning desire to rebuild on their own. And 2) Klein’s ability to capture a feeling that is felt throughout South America, what she conceptualizes as the islands weariness ‘from outside experiments.’    

I think back to Fajardo, the city we will be staying this week. It was there that a kind women, with a 25-year-old son living in a northern New Jersey, welcomed us into her home. We hadn’t showered in two days and unable to afford the hostel next door, this woman found no trouble in letting two outsiders into her humble home, even showing us her garden. The people of Puerto Rico, like many of the people below the Rio Grande, are different from its northern powerhouse neighbors. For whatever the governmental or social equation may be, the result is the same; community wellbeing over everything.

 I look forward to traveling to Puerto Rico because, just as I sit in my classrooms with the intention to bring back the information to my own community, I land with the intention of letting the environment impact me so I can apply what I've learn back in my community. I look forward to having a less insta worthy time and a more organic connections that with the people of Puerto Rico.