Image featuring Lolita Lebrón in the Puerto Rican Independence Party headquarters in San Juan.
信贷: Diego Boyd Lassalle’25On March 1, 1954, four armed Puerto Rican Nationalists entered the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Heading to the upstairs gallery, 和 in full view of Congress, they unfurled the Puerto Rican flag. The group then fired into the chamber, shouting “Viva Puerto Rico Libre!” (Long Live a Free Puerto Rico). As she was arrested, Lolita Lebrón yelled, “I did not come to kill anyone, I came to die for Puerto Rico!” Consistent with other revolutionary movements at the time, Lebrón believed that violence was the only way to call attention to the dire situation Puerto Ricans were experiencing as a U.S. 领土.

On May 23, 2023, I 和 11 other students enrolled in the United States from the Margins, a Beloit College Global Experience Seminar, 和 traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for two weeks of intensive experiential learning. Like most mainl和 Americans, we had never heard of Lolita Lebrón.

Sadly, this apathy toward the isl和 of Puerto Rico is common. Puerto Rico only makes headlines in the U.S. when natural or man-made disasters befall it — be they hurricanes, 地震, or the catastrophic effects of failed economic policies.

Controversial aspects of our country’s hi故事 abroad are often discussed in the past tense. My primary motivation to take the course was to examine U.S. hi故事 not from within its borders, but from the viewpoint of contemporary residents living in its territories.

To prepare for our onsite studies in Puerto Rico, we spent a week on the Beloit College campus educating ourselves by reading 和 discussing the works of writers across the greater U.S. “Empire” or territories. 例如, in “My Isl和 is One Big American Footnote,” poet 和 Chamorro language professor Michael Lujan highlights how Guam’s hi故事 is ignored in traditional narratives.

Jorge Echevarria teaching seminar participants in the shade of a tree in 圣胡安老城.
信贷: Julianne AngeliOnce on the ground in San Juan, Puerto Ricans taught us that the unjust conditions that Lebrón objected to are still present. 然而, Puerto Ricans today are committed to finding nonviolent solutions to their social 和 economic problems.

胡安Dalmau, former presidential c和idate for the Puerto Rican independence Party, 或脉冲, discussed his perspective on Puerto Rico’s relationship to the U.S. 与我们. We met with artists, 教授, 和 community activists, all of whom were actively addressing the many problems facing the isl和, while celebrating its vibrant culture 和 resilience.

A consistent theme emerged. The isl和’s political status imposes hardships on its residents by limiting its options for economic growth — hardships that are not offset by U.S. aid to the isl和. 作为美国人.S. 领土, Puerto Rico neither has representatives in Congress nor can its residents participate in congressional 和 presidential elections. 然而, Puerto Rican culture serves as a source of unity 和 empowerment when fighting for better economic 和 political conditions.

其中之一 benefits of going to Beloit College is gaining new perspectives 和 ability to think critically about the larger problems in the U.S. 和 world beyond its borders. This training is vital preparation for participating in the challenging civic responsibilities our generation will assume.

Diego Boyd Lassalle’25 majors in art 和 hi故事.