A Puerto Rican Transnational Diaspora Movement Awaits Us
If there were ever a time for Boricuas to register and exercise our vote, it just might be now. What are we waiting for?
As we approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria wreaking havoc on Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, electricity was fully restored on August 14, 2018. At least, that is according to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. We know that Puerto Rico’s infrastructure is vulnerable to another shock if it does not get an upgrade. Who gets to decide what that looks has become center stage over the last year.
Now we have a report to help us all “Reimagine Puerto Rico” that begins to address just that question. It was released by The Resilient Puerto Rico Advisory Commission on June 20, 2018 and the report offers a concrete set of recommendations for spending on recovery. This kind of leadership demonstrates a new normal, where philanthropies are leading the effort and underwrote the stakeholder engagement process.
Meanwhile, we see a confluence of voices obscuring the narrative of what Puerto Rico’s future looks like. From climate change deniers to crypto-pirates who have landed to create their own utopia to vulture capitalists who stand to reap the most while island residents struggle daily…
