#hurricane maria
Puerto Ricans are Americans.
Hurricane Maria is now a cat. 5 storm. A state of emergency has been issued in many islands. Puerto Rico is going to be hit harder than they have since the 30’s tomorrow morning. Stay safe.
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Does anyone know of the phone service is down in Puerto Rico? I’ve been trying to get in touch with my friend since 6am, I’m really worried about her.
Hurricane Maria
I was at my first day of orientation for my new job all day, and then I come home to find out Hurricane Maria is now a cat 5. Praying for all those in her paths, especially those still rebuilding from Irma. So far it’s not supposed to hit Florida, but that’s what they said about Irma too and we got a direct hit. I don’t know who pissed Mother Nature off, but they need to stop. Much love to Dominica and the leeward Islands tonight.
By Jonathan Harrison PhD on February 7, 2018
Recent reports indicated that FEMA was cutting—and then not cutting—hurricane relief aid to Puerto Rico. When Donald Trump recently slandered Puerto Ricans as lazy and too dependent on aid after Hurricane Maria, Fox News host Tucker Carlson stated that Trump’s criticism could not be racist because “Puerto Rico is 75 percent white, according to the U.S. Census.”
Photo Credit: Coast Guard News, Flickr CC
This statement presents racism as a false choice between nonwhite people who experience racism and white people who don’t. It ignores the fact that someone can be classed as white by one organization but treated as non-white by another, due to the way ‘race’ is socially constructed across time, regions and social contexts.
Whiteness for Puerto Ricans is a contradiction. Racial labels that developed in Puerto Rico were much more fluid than on the U.S. mainland, with at least twenty categories. But the island came under U.S. rule at the height of American nativism and biological racism, which relied on a dichotomy between a privileged white race and a stigmatized black one that was designed to protect the privileges of slavery and segregation. So the U.S. portrayed the islanders with racist caricatures in cartoons like this one:
Clara Rodriguezhasshown how Puerto Ricans who migrated to the mainland had to conform to this white-black duality that bore no relation to their self-identifications. The Census only gave two options, white or non-white, so respondents who would have identified themselves as “indio, moreno, mulato, prieto, jabao, and the most common term, trigueño (literally, ‘wheat-colored’)” chose white by default, simply to avoid the disadvantage and stigma of being seen as black bodied.
Choosing the white option did not protect Puerto Ricans from discrimination. Those who came to the mainland to work in agriculture found themselves cast as ‘alien labor’ despite their US citizenship. When the federal government gave loans to white home buyers after 1945, Puerto Ricans were usually excluded on zonal grounds, being subjected to ‘redlining’ alongside African Americans. Redlining was also found to be operating on Puerto Rico itself in the insurance market as late as 1998, suggesting it may have even contributed to the destitution faced by islanders after natural disasters.
The racist treatment of Puerto Ricans shows how it is possible to “be white” without white privilege. There have been historical advantages in being “not black” and “not Mexican”, but they have not included the freedom to seek employment, housing and insurance without fear of exclusion or disadvantage. When a hurricane strikes, Puerto Rico finds itself closer to New Orleans than to Florida.
An earlier version of this post appeared at History News Network
Jonathan Harrison, PhD, is an adjunct Professor in Sociology at Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida SouthWestern State College and Hodges University whose PhD was in the field of racism and antisemitism.
have not heard anything and my friend is worried about his family in Dominica; please help us pray for them.
A geography and history refresher, in the wake of Irma and Maria
I am really appalled by comments that I’ve seen about us coming to the aid of Puerto Rico, which has been brutally ravaged back-to-back by hurricanes Irma and Maria - comments about how they don’t deserve our “foreign” aid, they send too many “illegals” and “refugees” here…
So, I thought it would be worthwhile to share the following:
⭕ Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory! Therefore, they are not a “foreign” land.
⭕ Puerto Rico is not a U.S. territory by our virtue and goodwill - we took control of Puerto Rico in a war with Spain.
⭕ All Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Not a single person born on Puerto Rican soil, is “illegal.”
⭕ Puerto Ricans were made U.S. citizens by the U.S. Congress - despite Puerto Rican protests - in the 1910s, which meant that Puerto Rican men were subsequently drafted into World War I.
⭕ Puerto Rico has **ZERO** voting representation in Congress - therefore, they cannot vote on things like the budget (which includes hurricane relief), whether or not to go to war, etc.
⭕ Puerto Ricans are not Mexican.
⭕ Puerto Rico is an island - and therefore, they don’t share ANY border with the contiguous United States. This makes “Build That Wall” chants sound even more stupid and vile.
Let’s not spite our fellow countrymen and women, just because their native tongue isn’t English.
Supreme released its Brooklyn Box Logo t-shirt online at its web store to raise funds for the victims affected by the recent natural disasters in Puerto Rico.
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May Day in Puerto Rico: Police Attack Anti-Austerity Protesters with Pepper Spray & Tear Gas
Thousands of Puerto Ricans marked May Day by joining a general strike in the capital of San Juan to protest austerity measures, from the closing of public schools to increases in university tuition. When protesters tried to converge on the building where the federal financial oversight board has its offices, police fired tear gas and pepper spray.
Protester Raina Ramírez, a chemistry student, described the violence:
“The police surrounded us. They blocked us from each side, and they didn’t let us through. They began throwing tear gas at us, and I couldn’t get out. I have asthma. And with that and running away, my asthma situation became more difficult.“
Watch the full report from the streets of San Juan.
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Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable are still waiting for help 7 weeks after Maria https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/puerto-ricos-most-vulnerable-are-still-waiting-for-help-7-weeks-after-maria_us_59fcb730e4b04cdbeb331e94
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When Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico, it virtually wiped out farmers and ranchers, putting the island’s ability to feed itself in jeopardy.
Where to Donate to Help Puerto Rico with Disaster Relief and Recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria
Hurricane Maria, a category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph to 155 mph, landed in Puerto Rico Wednesday morning just a few days after Hurricane Irma. It is estimated that “Irma caused as much as $1 billion in damages on the bankrupt island.” The impact of hurricane Maria is expected to be worse, with significantly more fatalities, devastating the island’s infrastructure, producing prolonged electrical outages and stalling any potential for economic recovery for months to come.
Edwin Melendez, director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College in New York, said such widespread outages would affect millions of people and deal double blows to communities in the island’s mountainous interior whose water systems depend on electricity. Two sectors of the Puerto Rican economy that have shown signs of life, tourism and agriculture, would also suffer. “It’s a grim picture no matter how you slice it,” Melendez said.
Puerto Rican community leaders and elected officials in the diaspora are calling for a renewed effort to assist Puerto Rico with disaster relief and recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Many families have lost their homes and need assistance with basic needs.
You can help by donating to charities in Puerto Rico that are leading the effort to mitigate the unfolding humanitarian crisis. Here are some proven organizations with direct access to the victims of these hurricanes. You can visit their online donations or send a check to the enclosed address.
Fondos Unidos de Puerto Rico
- Address: P.O. Box 191914 San Juan, PR 00919
- Website: http://www.fondosunidos.org/
Caritas Puerto Rico
- Address: 201 Calle San Jorge, Esquina Baldorioty de Castro, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00902 / P.O. Box 8812, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00910-0812
- Website: http://bit.ly/2wD3Bgy
Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico
- Address: 1719 Ave. Ponce de León, San Juan, PR 00909-1905
- Website: https://www.fcpr.org/
Hurricane Maria Children’s Relief Fund
- Address: 501 Kings Highway East, Suite 400, Fairfield, CT 06825
- Website: http://bit.ly/2xhjUPI
Maria & Irma: Puerto Rico Real-Time Recovery Fund ConPRmetidos
- Address: 1511 Ave. Ponce de León Suite K, La Ciudadela, San Juan P.R. 00909
- Website: http://bit.ly/2w9VBPM
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It’s been three weeks since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and conditions on the island are still nightmarish: Many are without water, electricity, or cell phone service. People are still struggling to access medical treatment, food and drinking water. Congress is considering an aide package, but it provides primarily a loan that Puerto Rico would have to repay, deepening the island’s debt crisis. The Jones Act was temporarily waived, but is not back in effect.
Puerto Rico needs more help, and they need it now. Call your senators and representative to ask them to do more to help Puerto Rico!
Here’s your script: “Hi, my name is [your name] and I’m a constituent from [your town]. I’m called because I’m still really concerned about conditions on Puerto Rico. Much of the island is still without water and power, and the aid package proposed by House Republicans doesn’t do enough to help. I hope that Representative/Senator So-and-so will call for more disaster relief, and permanently repeal the Jones Act so that Puerto Rico can get the supplies they need. Thank you.”
Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and the island is facing an unimaginable humanitarian crisis: All of the island could be without power for months, and critical supplies like fresh water and gas for generators are running out.
Puerto Rico is home to 3.5 million American citizens. This crisis is as if the entire state of Connecticut were without electricity and water for the indefinite future. But instead of sending more relief, Trump is tweeting about football. If the administration won’t act, we must pressure our members of representatives and senators to do more.
Here’s your script: “Hi, my name is [your name] and I’m a constituent from [your town]. I’m calling because I’m extremely concerned about the humanitarian crisis facing Puerto Rico. I want [Representative/Senator So-and-so] to immediately call for a new bill authorizing a second round of federal disaster relief funding to help with hurricane recovery. The crisis is just too big to wait until October for more funding. Thank you.”
Want to do more?
Call again and urge Congress to suspend or repeal the Jones Act, a World War I-era shipping law that drives up prices in Puerto Rico and is hindering recovery. (I recommend making this as a second call rather than adding it to your first. It’s always more effective to have a single ask of your representative at a time.)
Donate to relief organizations like Conprmetidos.
Water under the Burrows Bonus: Pay It Forwards
Water is the foundation of our society, and of every society.
About a year ago we started working on the script of Water under the Burrows. Soon it appeared that the project was rather more expansive than Judy is Dead had been, and the topic of opening a Patreon came up. We decided against it, as I didn’t want to feel that in some sense I was selling a product, and I certainly didn’t want to make some underhanded incentive to donate like putting material behind a paywall. And besides, we didn’t really need the money. A simpler (but probably less lucrative option) was to just make a tip jar of some sort, so I just opened a Ko-fi account and let people chip in if they felt like it.
From early on we decided to donate any raised funds to some suitable cause, and I decided that a charity working to expand access to drinking water in arid areas would be fitting, considering the narrative framing around “water”. However, with the unfolding disaster in the Caribbean it seems more auspicious to pick a charity active in that area.
Hurricane Maria was the second category 5 storm of the pacific hurricane season this year, making landfall on sept. 18th and carving a swathe of devastation across the Caribbean islands, many of which were still reeling after damage from hurricane Irma just weeks prior. Infrastructure in many of these regions was already is disrepair before the hurricanes hit, compounding an unfolding humanitarian crisis. Millions of people are now without power, shelter and vitally, clean water.
Waves for Water is an nonprofit that, in their words, works “to provide access to clean water through the distribution of portable water filters, the digging and renovating of wells, and the construction of rainwater harvesting and storing systems in places where groundwater is not accessible.” The first phase of their emergency response to Irma and Maria involves distributing water filtration systems that each can filter up to 1 million gallons of water. Bottled water serves an immediate and necessary need, but as the old adage goes, “give a man a bottle of water and he drinks for a day, give him a water filtration device and he drinks for 5 years.”
Being a minor group, W4W hasn’t been rated by most big charity watchdogs like CharityWatch orBBB Wise Giving Alliance. For this reason I was skeptical to pick them as the recipient of the money, but they do enjoy a “gold” rating with GuideStar(which to be fair, isn’t a watchdog per se) for their commitment to transparency, and in the end their design philosophy of focusing on low-tech but sustainable and long-term solutions was what won me over.
Do you agree? Or would you have chosen differently? Please let me know your thoughts on the matter. It’s funny how an animated movie about talking animals made this possible. Did any of you find inspiration in Nick and Judy’s example and worked to better yourself and your society? Please reblog with your stories, I’d love to read them.
I for one can’t express my gratitude enough to everyone that helped us raise almost a thousand dollars… but I can sure try! Therefore, I extend a big thank you to each and every one of those that donated - literally - under the cut:
Anonymous - my very first donation was from anon, thank you so much!
Mustang - Thank you so much for your generous donation!
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huebris - I have a lot to say but the abridged version is - Thanks!
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pyrophoricitee - iyts a cip n ko-fi
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Kazookie - Thanks, Kaz! And I appreciate YOU! Every time you did your part to keep me up in the wee hours of the night.
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Jan - Your kind words are more than enough for me Jan, thank you!
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TargaryenTurtle - You and me both buddy!
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Ztpia -
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Master-Lux - And a big thanks to YOU for donating, Lux!
Daniel Côté - merci beaucoup!
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rva98014 - Thanks! You know, I almost called pop-pop “Thomas” in the epilogue, no idea where I got that notion from!
And for all the other anonymous donors, a big thank you to each and every one of you as well! I hope I didn’t miss anyone.
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Hey guys, sorry for making you all worry!
I’m still fine, somewhat. It’s been a bit hard keeping myself calm around my family, given the whole situation with the hurricane and whatnot. As I mentioned last time, we’re safe, but we still don’t have any power or internet at home. I have not been able to work on many, if any, of the planned Patreon content due to currently having to share my room with my brother (this also goes for NSFW commissions). Long story short, our “stepdad” has a power generator and the cables we have only reach up to my bedroom, instead of his which is a bit further along the hallway. The generator is only turned on during the night, so I can’t really work on much during the day (my battery is probably nearing its last legs; as of late barely lasts 2hrs with all the power/battery saver options turned on).
For those who aren’t in my Discord server, I’m finally able to post this log I’ve been keeping ever since this whole mess started. It’s not short by any means, but I do hope it at least gives you all some insight on how my situation has been and how I’ve been trying to put up with it, among other things. Ifyou’re interested in reading it, please follow the link below and download the attachment at the bottom of my Patreon post.
I’m currently using the data connection from one of those free government cellphones (after my brother stopped keeping it a secret from me) and I’m not sure how long it will last. I’ll try to upload some of the wip screenshots I had shared with a few of my patrons via Telegram/Discord the last time I was able to hand out these files to some friends for them to post them in my stead at the time (these are Patron-only btw).
Thanks to everyone who’s been wishing me the best, has still stuck around despite my situation, and has been patient enough to wait for things to get better. I really can’t thank you all enough. I’ll try to keep you all updated to the best of my abilities.
La inspección anual de la recuperación del árbol del Paseo La Princesa de los daños ocasionados por Maria //
Yearly inspection of Paseo de la Princesa’s tree recovery from hurricane Maria damages
Check out the trailer for this new documentary showcasing the self determination of the Puerto Rican people of Comerio. Find out more information about it here at We Still Here.
