The Puerto Rican Diaspora -- Book Review

The Puerto Rican Diaspora:  Themes in the Survival of a People

By Frank Espada

Self-Published:  San Francisco,  2006

This is a beautifully produced photographic essay on the plight of the Puerto Rican people in the United States.  It begins, interestingly, in Hawaii but spreads across the entire United States, with stops in New York City, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Chicago, Washington DC, and California.  Most of the photographs are from the 1980s, with a few somewhat earlier.  The photographs are supported by well written, informative text that movingly documents the struggle of a displaced, disenfranchised people.  The Puerto Rican people are in a peculiar position which has made them especially vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination.  They are part of the United States, so they are American citizens.  But they are not a state.  They do not vote in federal elections and have no representation in the U.S. Congress.  Puerto Rico is considered a “commonwealth,” with a somewhat confusing and ambiguous status.  The issue of statehood versus independence versus continuation of the status quo as a commonwealth is a matter of ongoing debate among Puerto Ricans.  However, the history of the relationship with the United States is akin to the relationship between a colonial power and a colony, namely, oppression and exploitation by large well capitalized interests.  This book is the visual documentation of the human impact of that relationship.  In response to the economic hardships facing them on the island, many Puerto Ricans migrated to the United States mainland and Hawaii in hopes of improving their lot.  Espada's assessment of that quest is generally negative.  He believes that living conditions in the Puerto Rican communities have worsened between 1980 and 2000.  However, his beautiful black and white photographs, which include many sensitive portraits as well as urban landscapes, reveal a community with great vitality and youthful energy struggling against the harsh background of poverty and discrimination.  Although they are downtrodden, these people are not in despair.  That can be clearly seen in the photographs.  These are people with dreams and the drive to pursue them.  These are communities that have strong internal bonds and are engaged in a vigorous ongoing struggle to improve their fortunes. Espada has been an activist and a leader in that struggle as well as a photographer who documents it.  He has produced a very moving and informative book that is a credit to his people and their ongoing endeavor.  In the interest of full disclosure Frank Espada has been a teacher, mentor, and friend of mine for probably twenty years.  He brings high standards of craftsmanship and quality to his work as a photographer. One sees those standards of excellence at work in the skill and thought with which this high quality book has been put together.  It is an excellent addition to any photographic collection.