About Lydia Otero | Historian and Author Lydia Otero
Writer Lydia Otero's books include L.A. Interchanges (upcoming July 31, 2023) about brown queer activism in 1980s L.A. CA; In the Shadows of the Freeway: Growing Up Brown & Queer (2019); and La Calle (2011). They are featured in PBS's Unidad: Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos. Otero has a PhD in History.
Fantasy island : colonialism, exploitation, and the betrayal of Puerto Rico - Ed Morales
"Since its acquisition by the US in 1898, Puerto Rico has served as a testing ground for the most aggressive and exploitative US economic, political, and social policies. The devastation that ensued finally grew impossible to ignore in 2017, in the wake of Hurricane Maria, as the physical destruction compounded the infrastructure collapse and trauma inflicted by the debt crisis. In Fantasy Island, Ed Morales traces how, over the years, Puerto Rico has served as a colonial satellite, a Cold War Caribbean showcase, a dumping ground for US manufactured goods, and a corporate tax shelter. He also shows how it has become a blank canvas for mercenary experiments in disaster capitalism on the frontlines of climate change, hamstrung by internal political corruption and the US federal government's prioritization of outside financial interests. Taking readers from San Juan to New York City and back to his family's home in the Luquillo Mountains, Morales shows us the machinations of financial and political interests in both the US and Puerto Rico, and the resistance efforts of Puerto Rican artists and activists. Through it all, he emphasizes that the only way to stop Puerto Rico from being bled is to let Puerto Ricans take control of their own destiny, going beyond the statehood-commonwealth-independence debate to complete decolonization." --
Digitizing Hidden Special Collections & Archives Amplifying Unheard Voices Program Evaluation Released Authors Jesse A. Johnston and Ricardo L. Punzalan summarize findings from their 2021-2022 study. Publication Homepage Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives: Amplifying Unheard Voices is a grant competition administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) for digitizing rare and Read More
Recommended Reading for #HispanicHeritageMonth - Sabrina A. Davis
"National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 to October 15. To help celebrate we present the following recommended reading:"
