Author and musician Rita Indiana on how to stay fearless

Oct 2020

Lessons Learned — Over the years, Indiana’s penchant for pushing boundaries has presented challenges. But, with the right mindset, they’re hurdles she’s always managed to clear.

2020 Healthline & Feeding America Stronger Scholarship Winner: A Chat with Carol Ramos-Gerena

Aug 2020

She is on a mission to transform Puerto Rico’s food system. After all, why does a place depend on imports from abroad for 85 percent of its food when its climate can support year-round farming?

As Puerto Rico Battles Hurricane Season, HIV-Positive Folks Begin To Brace For The Worst

Aug 2020

With the coronavirus spreading and natural disasters intensifying, HIV-positive Puerto Ricans are having to decide to flee — or stay and fight for their lives.

‘Behind The Lens’ serie Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago

Aug 2020

I spoke for the ‘Behind The Lens’ serie, the event is part of the group show ‘Temporal: Puerto Rican Resistance’.

Why Puerto Rico has debated U.S. statehood since its colonization

Jul 2020

This territory in the Caribbean has been fighting for autonomy and full citizenship rights for more than a century.

“Temporal: Puerto Rican Resistance" at Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago

Jul 2020

The exhibit explores Puerto Rico’s contemporary history as a United States territory. Organized by Dalina Aimée Perdomo Álvarez.

In Puerto Rico, an Epidemic of Domestic Violence Hides in Plain Sight

Jun 2020

After Hurricane Maria, the number of women killed by their partners doubled. Survivors say the government’s misguided response has put more lives in danger.

Leer en español.

'Mamá, I'm Still Hungry': In Puerto Rico, Child Hunger Becomes A Flashpoint

May 2020

The coronavirus emergency has worsened hunger nationally, with recent polling finding that one in five U.S. households can't afford enough to eat. But Puerto Rico's rates of food insecurity have been higher than that since long before the pandemic.

Bad Bunny Manager Noah Assad on Launching a Label, Landing the Super Bowl & His Near-Deal With Interscope

Apr 2020

Noah Assad fell first for the voice: a deep bass with the ductile consistency of brown taffy, rapping over sparse trap beats. Then he discovered the voice belonged to a grocery bagger.

With Earthquakes and Storms, Puerto Rico’s Power Grid Can’t Catch a Break

Jan 2020

The lines and poles rebuilt after Hurricane Maria held up, but some power plants did not, leading to another worrying blackout.

Women Photograph's "2019 Year in Pictures”

Jan 2020

A photo from the #RickyRenuncia protests from NYT’s story Puerto Ricans in Protests Say They’ve Had Enough! was included in Women Photograph yearly selection.

Zilia Sánchez: An Artist Who Transforms Paintings Into Cosmic Sculptures

Nov 2019

A new exhibition in New York showcases the boundary-pushing, but long overlooked, work of Zilia Sánchez.

The Last Days of Legal Cockfighting in Puerto Rico

Nov 2019

Cockfighting will soon be outlawed, an overdue ban in the eyes of animal welfare advocates. But some Puerto Ricans maintain it is part of their culture.

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In Puerto Rico, The Days Of Legal Cockfighting Are Numbered

Oct 2019

In the rural mountains of central Puerto Rico, cockfighting is culture.

Hurricane Maria Almost Wiped Out These Hawks. Can We Save Them Before the Next Big Storm?

Oct 2019

Scientists are in a race to bring the Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk back from the edge of extinction, one hand-reared chick at a time.

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Making sausage an art in Puerto Rico, and a treasured memory in a California childhood
– by Illyanna Maisonet

Oct 2019

A visit to Nando, the man who makes longaniza in the mountains of Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Maria, 2 Years Later: ‘We Want Another Puerto Rico’

Sep 2019

From the ruins of the storm rose a grass-roots movement that unseated a governor. But what happens now?

“Aftershocks of Disaster: Puerto Rico Before and After the Storm”
– Edited by Yarimar Bonilla & Marisol Lebrón

Sep 2019

Two years after Hurricane Maria hit, Puerto Ricans are still reeling from its effects and aftereffects. Aftershocks collects poems, essays and photos from survivors of Hurricane Maria detailing their determination to persevere. 

Here’s Why Puerto Rico’s Next Governor Will Inherit a Financial Mess

Jul 2019

When Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló, steps down on Aug. 2, his successor will be left with a mountain of unfinished business, including the biggest governmental bankruptcy in United States history and an economy propped up by emergency aid.

An ode to the soulful magic of simple beans
– by Illyanna Maisonet

Jul 2019

Rice and beans are life in Puerto Rico. And yet, the vast majority of the island's beans are now imported.

‘A Space Where You Could Be Free’: Puerto Rico’s L.G.B.T. Groups Rebuild After a Hurricane

Jul 2019

Hurricane Maria doomed some of Puerto Rico’s safe spaces for L.G.B.T. groups. Now they’re opening new ones — and fighting new political fights.

Leer en español.

On Mother's Day In Puerto Rico, Hope To Visit A Mother's Grave Turns To Anguish

May 2019

It has been almost two years since the soft-spoken 82-year-old last visited his mother's grave in 2017, just a few weeks before Hurricane Maria sent a landslide rippling through the municipal cemetery in the town of Lares.

How Cuban Chinese refugees in Puerto Rico built a life on ice cream
– by Illyanna Maisonet

May 2019

One of the contributions of the Chinese immigrant community in Puerto Rico is ice cream, locally known as “helados chinos”.

Local Food in Puerto Rico Finds Energy in Recovery

Mar 2019

Two hurricanes slowed a budding effort to reclaim the island’s agricultural and culinary independence. But its chefs, farmers and entrepreneurs are rebuilding.

Opening [PR: IN/EX] Exhibition in Calif.

Feb 2019

[PR: IN/EX] presents work that reflects on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria at the Art Gallery in Glendale Community College. Opens Friday, March 1st.

Puerto Ricans Concerned That $20 Billion Recovery Plan Is 'Not For The People'

Jan 2019

Island officials will have broad discretion to spend the money as they see fit — from repairing damaged homes and building new ones, to shoring up crumbled roads and infrastructure, to launching tourism and business development projects.

Hamilton in Puerto Rico: a joyful homecoming ... but it's complicated

Jan 2019

There has been controversy over a last-minute change of performance venue. They are unhappy about his association with Barack Obama and a debt restructuring plan that imposed harsh austerity measures on the territory.

'My Father Is In There': Anguish Builds In Puerto Rico Mountains Over Decimated Tombs

Dec 2018

In the lush green mountain town of Lares, Puerto Rico, even the dead and buried were scarred by Hurricane Maria.

Republicans were upset about election fraud — before it threatened their candidate

Dec 2018

Dallas Woodhouse, executive chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, spoke with great concern about the issue of election fraud.

Can Crypto, Cannabis, and Nicolas Cage Boost Puerto Rico’s Economy

Sep 2018

Governor Ricardo Rosselló is placing bets on small but potentially transformational businesses, from blockchain technology to movie production.

Authority Collective & Diversify Photo

Aug 2018

Honored to be selected. The list recognizes and awards the outstanding work of photographers who are womxn, femmes, trans, non-binary people of color, or otherwise underrepresented artists."

'The Oldest Colony'

Aug 2018

Photoville Outdoor Exhibit: 'The Oldest Colony'

Aug 2018

My long-term documentary project "The Oldest Colony" will be exhibited in Brooklyn Bridge Park from September 16 - 23.

Jul 2018

Presenting my work at inaugural “PhotoTalks” with photographers Lucian Perkins and Wayne Martin Belger. Hosted by photojournalist Allison Shelley.

At Bronx Documentary Center, N. Y.

Jul 2018

LAFF includes the work of 12 photographers from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia and Perú. Opens July 12 at 7pm at the Bronx, N.Y.

After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rican Women Embrace Their Natural, Curly Hair

Jun 2018

After the storm, many Puerto Ricans didn't have electricity to blow dry their hair. According to Om, "A lot of people decided, I'm not gonna deal with that anymore."

Student Protesters in Puerto Rico Face Trial as Government Criminalizes Dissent

May 2018

[…] another legal battle over the right to dissent is unfolding hundreds of miles away in Puerto Rico, where seven students are facing charges in connection to a protest over tuition hikes at the island’s public university.

Harvard study estimates thousands died in Puerto Rico because of Hurricane Maria

May 2018

A new Harvard study published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that 4,645 deaths can be linked to the hurricane and its immediate aftermath, making the storm far deadlier than previously thought.

In Puerto Rico’s ‘last mile,’ power is still elusive as next hurricane season looms

Apr 2018

Nearly every cement-block house along their meandering mountain road flickered to life as indoor lighting flashed on. A girl ran through the barrio and yelled, “Luz!” Power had returned.

Sluggish recovery from Hurricane Maria reignites calls for Puerto Rico’s statehood, independence

Apr 2018

The sluggish disaster response and dissatisfaction with the coordinated recovery efforts have aggravated the sense of abandonment and the sting of Puerto Rico’s subordinate standing with the United States, according to residents, experts and island leaders.

Forests Protect the Climate. A Future With More Storms Would Mean Trouble.

Mar 2018

A group of researchers spent days at El Yunque National Rainforest to study the damage left by Hurricane Maria.

Exodus from Puerto Rico grows as island struggles to rebound from Hurricane Maria

Mar 2018

The government of Puerto Rico’s guess is that by the end of 2018, 200,000 more residents will have left the U.S. territory for good. It would mean another drop of more than 5 percent in the island’s population.

Puerto Rico Faces Blackouts Again, This Time Due to Bankruptcy

Feb 2018

Officials are preparing to implement rolling blackouts if the utility runs out of money to pay for fuel after a federal judge rejected the commonwealth’s request to lend $1 billion to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to keep it operating.

When The Tourists Stopped Coming, This Puerto Rican Town's Nightmare Began

Feb 2018

They haven’t returned. Without the usual influx of tourists in the high-season winter months, the inn has rapidly fallen into debt.

At Trinity College

Feb 2018

Week long residency at Trinity College and Public Talk.

The Ones They Left Behind: A Puerto Rican Family Still Torn Apart Months After Maria

Feb 2018

What may have been temporary decisions at first have since become more permanent, many families still find themselves divided, some on the island, others on the mainland ― not knowing when, or if, they would go back.

‘We Made It Up’: Trying in Vain to Count the Puerto Rico Exodus

Jan 2018

It’s the number everyone needs to know: How many Puerto Ricans will be left in Puerto Rico?

Exhibit & Print Sale

Jan 2018

Last month the collective held an exhibit at Picture Farm Gallery in Brooklyn, N.Y., to benefit of the MAC-PR Community Art Relief Program and the St. Croix Foundation for Community Development. Two of my photographs, along the work of other Caribbean artist is for sale online.

Puerto Ricans Band Together to Survey Birds in Hurricane Maria's Aftermath

Jan 2018

Hurricane Maria did not just affect people, it also destroyed most of the trees home to birds and other animals in the island.

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Declare Bankruptcy in Puerto Rico

Mar 2017

An outbreak of wishful thinking threatens the gains promised by Congress's bipartisan rescue legislation.

Included in NYTs The Year In Pictures for 2017

Dec 2017

We can still clip out newspaper images we want to remember and press them in albums. But today, while every photograph we have ever seen feels instantly accessible at any moment, we also rarely recall them. To pause and look back is a revelation.

After Surviving María, Trying to Keep Holiday Traditions Alive

Dec 2017

Days before Christmas, and three months after Hurricane Maria made landfall, parts of Puerto Rico are still without water, and over a million people are in the dark. But in towns around the island, residents are trying to keep holiday traditions alive, despite the circumstances.

Hedge Funds Disclose Just How Many Puerto Rico Bonds They Own

Jul 2017

A group of hedge funds that owns $3.3 billion of Puerto Rico bonds disclosed in court documents the amount that each of them holds.

Exodus From a Historic Puerto Rican Town, With No End in Sight

Jun 2017

On an island where about 400,000 people have moved away since the 2000 census, Lares lost the highest percentage of its residents — almost a quarter of its population since the census.

Leer en español.

Long-Term Storytelling: Puerto Rico, First People, Iraqi Refugees

Dec 2016

James Estrin talks about the Advanced Mentorship Studies program at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Aspen.

For Puerto Rico’s Workers, Debt Crisis Won’t End Christmas Bonus

Nov 2016

Puerto Rico's fiscal collapse won't ruin Christmas for government employees, at least.

"We are spectators of our history”

Jul 2016

Puerto Rico was in the midst of a mass exodus last year when Erika P. Rodríguez returned to the island. Settling in after a few years of college and work in California, she was asked more than once, “Why the hell are you coming back?”

Leer en español.

Puerto Rico Debt Crisis Explained

Jul 2016

For years, Puerto Rico borrowed money by issuing municipal bonds, using the funds to compensate for declining government revenue and prevent deep cuts in services and layoffs of public workers. It easily found investors.

Puerto Rico's Fiscal Fiasco Is a Harbinger of Mainland Woes

Jun 2016

To tourists, Puerto Rico means piña coladas and sunbathing. To Puerto Ricans, it looks very different: The unemployment rate is over 12 percent, schools and hospitals are closing, and the government debt is so huge it makes Detroit’s look modest.

Instagram Take Over

Jun 2016

On the impact of the debt crisis on daily life in Puerto Rico.

VA is buried in a backlog of never-ending veterans disability appeals

Nov 2015

It’s a veteran disability case that never ends. In 1985, Ivan Figueroa Clausel filed a claim for a variety of conditions he said stemmed from a car accident while training with the P.R. Army National Guard. The Department of Veterans Affairs ruled that he wasn’t disabled.

“The Debt Is Not Ours”

Jul 2015

A few weeks before I landed in Puerto Rico to stay indefinitely, the governor, Alejandro García Padilla, announced the island could not pay its 72 billion dollars of debt. Following that, the government went on default.

How Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz are making a play for the Hispanic vote

Apr 2015

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz will both be making overtures to Hispanic voters Wednesday, speaking to national groups on issues that could increase their appeal within the rapidly growing voting bloc in the 2016 election.

Jeb Bush visits Puerto Rico — with an eye on Florida

Apr 2015

Jeb Bush's trip to this Caribbean island Tuesday wasn't just about catching up with longtime friends — he's also hoping they tell friends and relatives living in Florida that he stopped by.

Puerto Rico’s Debt

May 2015

Puerto Rico has more debt — $74 billion — than any U.S. state government except Calif., N.Y. and Mass. The debt, a result of financial mismanagement, Wall Street complicity and good intentions gone awry, will limit the territory’s ability to rebuild after being destroyed by a hurricane.