Pre-Trip Ramblings

I do not have any personal connection to Puerto Rico, but the struggles the people of Puerto Rico face is a trend reflected in history. By choosing to keep Puerto Rico as a colony rather than a state, that had severe consequences for the residents who live there. It reminds me of the nativism and xenophobia that Chinese immigrants faced in the late 1800s with the Chinese Exclusion Acts that forbade the immigration of Chinese people to America. Chinese people were depicted as second rate citizens, horribly stereotyped and presented as foreign invaders and aliens. This reminds me of how the citizens of Puerto Rico are viewed in our current climate and throughout history. In thinking about my service, I am often reminded of who receives the benefits of living in the United States. It isn’t my kids or residents in lower socioeconomic statuses. For the people of Puerto Rico, they are not supported by the United States and lack vital resources to sustain living conditions let alone live comfortably. And, the same can be said for the students I work with. I think in both cases, you see a clear lack of compassion and awareness for marginalized groups in America.

From reading the book, the biggest issue I saw that resonated with me is the colonial status Puerto Rico has as a territory of the United States and not a state. This resonated with me the most because this is a huge part of history that has ultimately dictated why there is no urgency from the US government to provide relief aid and why the rhetoric Trump uses is supported by many Americans. By actively choosing to exclude Puerto Rico from statehood, the US was consciously able to reap the benefits of having Puerto Rico as a colony while they did not receive the benefits of statehood. They are US citizens, but have experienced the woes of paternalism and there are people in the United States who do not believe they are citizens/refuse to acknowledge this matter.

I hope to learn what efforts we can take to aid Puerto Rico in what they need. I want to hear more about their perspectives on being a territory and their views of the United States. I want to know how far they are from full recovery after Maria.