The Cries That Came After The Storm
The People of Puerto Rico Still Suffer From The Effects of Hurricane Maria
There is nothing more difficult than being a Puerto Rican living in Puerto Rico today. The devastation of the category four hurricane “Maria” continues to affect the lives of those that are living in the island; the terrible gift that keeps on giving. While no one can stop a natural disaster, there are certain measures that could have been taken to protect the island and the fact that these american citizens‒ yes, american citizens‒ have yet to receive adequate care as they fight for survival from the United States is sadly not even a surprising one. There is a clear explanation for the United States blatant neglect to one of their territories and that is the term biopolitics.
To clarify, the term biopolitics refers to “the strategies and mechanisms through which human life processes are managed under regimes of authority over knowledge, power, and the processes of subjectivation” (Javid 2013). However, the term can also be identified with the phrase, “make live, let die”. Through that, what is happening in Puerto Rico is almost self explanatory. Through imperialism, the United states was able to capture and command Puerto Rico and on September 20th, 2017, widespread devastation was spread killing sixty people in the process.
Regardless of the fact that Puerto Rico is United States territory‒with the help they’ve been shown they wouldn’t know it. The United States has done little to nothing to help in the relief efforts. The phrase “make live, let die” relates to the conditions these citizens live in due to the fact that the United States obtained the territory, therefore assuming responsibility for the region and yet the citizens have yet two days after the disaster happened President Trump was more concerned with the fact that football players were kneelinging for their rights. When The president did decide to show somewhat of interest in relief interest he found it the perfect time to mention the fact that the region was also in debt to the United States. Sadly, my shock doesn’t lie in the reaction the president has chosen to give‒ at this point if he actually said something honest and sincere I would probably think it was an alien taking over his body‒ the thing that shocked me the most was the abjective view in which the rest of America decided to debut. Having an abjective view, as defined by Julia Kristeva, is “ a threat to the understanding of reality” and can those who portray abjection experience a “failure to recognize its kin” ( Kristeva 1982). All of that to say, when americans heard what was going on in Puerto Rico there still was little effort put into the disaster relief efforts.
In all, the attitudes being broadcasted about the hurricane in Puerto Rico has been seen all around the world. The Bhopal disaster‒ A fatal chemical gas leak, which cost over three thousand people their lives, in just one night, and continues to affect the lives of the survivors‒ was perfectly represented in the novel written by Indra Sinha tittled “Animal’s People”. In the novel the main character, Animal, takes us through life amongst his people in Khaufpur after the gas leak. In the book it is mentioned how the gas leak was due to an American company that allowed the deaths of thousands of people because of refusing to heed warnings about the plant’s safety. Because people around the world did not have to be put in the shoes of the victims of Bhopal, the trend of little done appears again. The disassociation that occurs through the act of abjection is extremely alarming.
In this sense, it is imperative that people‒ more specifically, american citizens that reside in the United States‒ take the time to recognize the mindsets and tactics in which they actively participate in everyday. By recognizing the role in which they play, people have the ability to correct themselves and acknowledge the liminal spaces‒ places where people do not willingly stay‒ that they have created for themselves. The first step to change is recognition and, sadly, many people are still blind to the affects their actions can have because of the lack of consideration to other people. The people of Puerto Rico need to be recognized as an equal and important part of the united states and, most importantly, the people of Puerto Rico need help. The best way to help right now is to bring awareness. When it comes to the news, it might as well be yesterday’s headlines, but what is happening to the people of Puerto Rico is current and based on the support they are getting from their country, there conditions will only get worse if people don’t start to speak up about it.
Works Cited
“Biopolitics: An Overview.” The Anthropology of Biopolitics, 21 Jan. 2013, anthrobiopolitics.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/biopolitics-an-overview/.
Jervis, Rick. “6 Months after Hurricane Maria, Life in Puerto Rico Is Better — but Will ‘Never Be Normal Again’.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 5 Mar. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/05/6-months-after-hurricane-maria-life-puerto-rico-better-but-far-normal/380127002/.
Kristeva, Julia. Powers of Horror: an Essay on Abjection. Nota, 2017.
Sinha, Indra. Animal. Neri Pozza, 2009.
Works Cited
“Biopolitics: An Overview.” The Anthropology of Biopolitics, 21 Jan. 2013, anthrobiopolitics.wordpress.com/2013/01/21/biopolitics-an-overview/.
Jervis, Rick. “6 Months after Hurricane Maria, Life in Puerto Rico Is Better — but Will ‘Never Be Normal Again’.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 5 Mar. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/05/6-months-after-hurricane-maria-life-puerto-rico-better-but-far-normal/380127002/.
Kristeva, Julia. Powers of Horror: an Essay on Abjection. Nota, 2017.
Sinha, Indra. Animal. Neri Pozza, 2009.
