Historically the U.S government and the island of Puerto Rico have been at odds. Since the U.S army invasion in 1898, Puerto Ricans have been denied the power of self-determination. As an unincorporated U.S territory Puerto Rico's political rights are limited, e.g. the Puerto Rico's constitution is bound to follow U.S constitutions arguments. This lack of power (including, economical ones) forces the island to remain in a welfare state.On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria hit the island of Puerto Rico. The hurricane left the island in bad shape, with no power, no water and virtually no communication. This disaster that left more than 4,645 deaths, revealed the uneven relationship and power dynamics between the island and the U.S. For example, The Jones Act had to be waived for aid (water, food, batteries, etc.) to come in. Puerto Ricans waited for eight days while the port where full of supplies.While in the media the U.S aid appeared to be sufficient and fast delivered, the reality for some Puerto Ricans where very different. In some areas people never receive this aid, and when it was delivered it was given in a violent manner. These stories inspired me to build this college to juxtapose how media portray the U.S aid relief vs how people receive it.
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