Hurricane Maria Forced These Puerto Ricans To Leave

VICE News

20 Sept 201804:22

Summary

TLDRThe video script recounts the struggles of Puerto Ricans after the devastating hurricanes in September, revealing the inadequacy of relief efforts amidst an ongoing economic crisis. It captures the emotional stories of displacement, the search for help, and the challenges faced by those who left the island. The narrative also touches on the isolation and cultural pressures experienced by the displaced, as well as the ongoing lack of basic amenities in Puerto Rico. Despite the hardships, there's a yearning to return and contribute to the rebuilding of their homeland.

Takeaways

💓 Puerto Rico faced devastating back-to-back hurricanes in September, exacerbating an already dire economic and infrastructural situation.
📱 The death toll from Hurricane Maria was estimated to be nearly 3,000, a figure that highlights the severity of the disaster.
📲 Relief efforts following the hurricanes were criticized as being inadequate, despite President Trump's claims of success.
📱 Puerto Rico's population decreased by 8% post-Hurricane Maria, indicating a significant number of people displaced from their homes.
📱 Displaced Puerto Ricans shared their experiences of fear, loss, and the struggle to find new homes, reflecting the human impact of the disaster.
📱 The emotional toll of leaving Puerto Rico was profound, with individuals expressing sadness and a sense of displacement.
📱 Some individuals faced challenges in accessing aid and services, feeling questioned and undervalued despite having documentation from Puerto Rico.
📱 Cultural identity was threatened, with one individual being told to lose their Spanish accent to succeed in their job.
📱 The feeling of isolation and the longing for family were common themes among those who left Puerto Rico.
📱 There's a sense of guilt and betrayal felt by some who left, as if they were abandoning their homeland and people.
📱 Despite the challenges, there's a determination to succeed and make the best of the situation, even if it means facing criticism.
📱 The lack of basic amenities like light and water in some Puerto Rican towns is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle.
📱 There's a desire to return to Puerto Rico, but the reality of economic conditions makes it a difficult decision.
📱 The script conveys a complex mix of love for Puerto Rico, the harsh realities of life post-disaster, and the resilience of its people.

Q & A

What were the two major hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico in September?
-The script does not specify the names of the hurricanes, but it mentions that Puerto Rico was hit by back-to-back hurricanes in September.
How did the island's pre-existing conditions exacerbate the situation after the hurricanes?
-The island was already crippled by an economic crisis and crumbling infrastructure, which made the situation much worse after the hurricanes.
What were the estimates regarding the number of deaths after Hurricane Maria?
-Recent estimates say nearly 3,000 people died after Hurricane Maria.
What was the criticism regarding the relief efforts for Puerto Rico?
-The relief efforts were widely criticized as inadequate, despite President Trump's insistence that they were an incredible unsung success.
What percentage of Puerto Rico's population was lost one year after Hurricane Maria?
-Puerto Rico has lost 8% of its pre-Maria population one year later.
What was the emotional impact of the hurricanes on the people who left Puerto Rico?
-The emotional impact was significant, with many experiencing tears, a sense of displacement, and feeling like they were betraying their country by leaving.
What was the situation with the morgues after the hurricanes?
-There were so many bodies that they couldn't fit them all in the morgues, and some were left outside.
What kind of assistance did the narrator receive at a back UE Center?
-The narrator was given a tote bag with socks and was questioned extensively despite having the necessary paperwork.
What was the narrator's experience with accessing Medicaid after moving to the mainland?
-The narrator found the process of accessing Medicaid to be difficult and was met with insensitive remarks.
How did the narrator's co-worker suggest they could be successful at their job?
-The narrator's co-worker suggested that they would have to lose their Spanish accent to be successful at their job.
What is the narrator's current living situation?
-The narrator is currently staying in their aunt and uncle's living room on a couch.
What is the narrator's perspective on the situation in Puerto Rico?
-The narrator sees the situation as a form of genocide and feels that the government and people are oppressing them.
What are the narrator's thoughts on returning to Puerto Rico?
-The narrator has considered moving back to Puerto Rico but is concerned about the lack of job opportunities and the reduced minimum wage.

Outlines

00:00

🌪️ The Devastation of Puerto Rico

This paragraph discusses the aftermath of the back-to-back hurricanes that struck Puerto Rico in September, compounding the island's existing economic struggles and crumbling infrastructure. Nearly 3,000 people are estimated to have died after Hurricane Maria, and while President Trump lauded the relief efforts, many criticized them as insufficient. The devastation led to a mass exodus, with 8% of the population leaving in the wake of the disaster.

🚪 The Desperation to Escape

In this segment, a Puerto Rican survivor recounts the chaos and fear they experienced as they fled the island. They describe scenes of panic and death, with morgues unable to accommodate the rising number of bodies. The emotional toll affected everyone, regardless of social class. For this person, leaving Puerto Rico was a heart-wrenching decision they never wanted to make, but it felt like the only option for survival.

🛋️ Life in Limbo

The narrative shifts to the challenges faced by displaced Puerto Ricans who are trying to rebuild their lives in unfamiliar environments. The speaker describes living with their aunt and uncle, where a couch serves as their temporary bed. They face bureaucracy while seeking aid, with charity efforts falling short and uncomfortable remarks from service providers highlighting the challenges of being an immigrant. The struggle to receive proper assistance and respect is evident.

🗣️ The Struggles of Assimilation

Here, the speaker highlights the difficulties of assimilating into a new culture. They share an incident where a co-worker suggested they needed to lose their Spanish accent to succeed at work. The isolation, homesickness, and longing for family contribute to their emotional burden. The trauma from the hurricane lingers, triggered by storms or even everyday moments, showing the lasting mental health effects of the disaster.

💔 Feeling Like a Betrayer

This section explores the internal conflict many displaced Puerto Ricans face, feeling as if leaving the island was an act of betrayal. The speaker shares how they and others are called cowards or accused of abandoning the struggle ('la lucha'). Despite the feelings of guilt, they emphasize that leaving doesn’t equate to giving up but is a means to survive and build a better life in the face of adversity.

🇵🇷 Struggling with Identity

The speaker grapples with their identity as a U.S. citizen, feeling disconnected from the benefits and rights that should come with that status. They express frustration over Puerto Rico’s slow recovery, with some areas still lacking basic necessities like electricity and clean water. Their sense of alienation is exacerbated by the feeling of not truly belonging, either in the U.S. or in Puerto Rico, highlighting the complex relationship Puerto Ricans have with their citizenship.

🏠 Longing to Return Home

In this emotional conclusion, the speaker expresses a deep desire to return to Puerto Rico, which they still consider their true home. However, they are wary of the economic conditions there, with low wages and scarce job opportunities. While they enjoy a better quality of life on the mainland, such as a fully stocked fridge, they feel torn between their current stability and the pull to return to the island they love. They also touch on their newfound ability to influence politics in the U.S. by voting in elections.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated U.S. territory located in the Caribbean. In the context of the video, it is portrayed as a place that has suffered greatly from back-to-back hurricanes and an economic crisis, leading to a significant loss of population as people are forced to leave in search of better living conditions. The script mentions the island's struggle to rebuild and the emotional impact of displacement on its residents.

💡Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria was a devastating Category 5 hurricane that struck Puerto Rico in September 2017. The video script references the widespread destruction and loss of life caused by this natural disaster, which is a central theme as it led to the displacement of many Puerto Ricans and is a catalyst for the stories shared in the transcript.

💡Displacement

Displacement in the video refers to the forced movement of people away from their homes due to natural disasters like Hurricane Maria. It is a key concept as it encapsulates the personal stories of individuals who had to leave Puerto Rico and start new lives elsewhere, facing challenges such as cultural assimilation and the emotional toll of leaving their homeland.

💡Economic Crisis

The economic crisis in Puerto Rico is mentioned as a pre-existing condition that exacerbated the impact of the hurricanes. It refers to the territory's financial struggles, which include high debt, unemployment, and austerity measures. This crisis is a backdrop to the video's narrative, as it contributed to the desperation that led many to leave the island.

💡Relief Efforts

Relief efforts are the attempts to provide aid and assistance to those affected by disasters. The script criticizes the relief efforts following Hurricane Maria as inadequate, suggesting that they did not meet the needs of the people, which is a point of contention and adds to the narrative of struggle and survival.

💡Acculturation

Acculturation is the process of adapting to a new culture. In the video, it is implied that Puerto Ricans who move to the mainland U.S. face challenges in adjusting to a new cultural environment, such as the pressure to lose their Spanish accent to be successful, which is highlighted as a form of cultural erasure.

💡PTSD

PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a mental health condition triggered by traumatic events. The script mentions PTSD in relation to the emotional aftermath of the hurricanes, where individuals experience lingering fear and distress, even in situations as common as rain or storms, illustrating the long-term psychological impact of the disaster.

💡Medicaid

Medicaid is a U.S. health care program for eligible low-income individuals. The script uses Medicaid as an example of the bureaucratic challenges faced by displaced Puerto Ricans when seeking assistance, highlighting the systemic issues and the dehumanizing nature of the process.

💡Isolation

Isolation refers to the feeling of being alone and detached from others. In the video, it is mentioned as a consequence of displacement, where individuals feel disconnected from their community and family, leading to feelings of loneliness and a sense of not belonging.

💡Couch Surfing

Couch surfing is a colloquial term for temporarily staying with friends or relatives without a permanent place of residence. The script describes a situation where a person is staying in a living room on a couch, illustrating the unstable and uncertain living conditions faced by some of the displaced.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. The video conveys a sense of resilience among the Puerto Rican community, as they strive to rebuild their lives despite the challenges they face, such as the loss of their homeland and the struggle to maintain their cultural identity.

Highlights

Puerto Rico was hit by back-to-back hurricanes in September, exacerbating an existing economic crisis and infrastructure issues.

Recent estimates suggest nearly 3,000 people died after Hurricane Maria, a stark contrast to official numbers.

Relief efforts were criticized as inadequate, despite President Trump's claim of an 'incredible unsung success'.

Puerto Rico lost 8% of its population in the year following Hurricane Maria.

Displaced Puerto Ricans shared their stories of fleeing their homes amidst chaos and danger.

The lack of resources was so severe that bodies were left outside as morgues couldn't accommodate them.

The crisis was seen by some as 'genocide' due to the scale of the disaster and the response.

Emotional accounts of leaving Puerto Rico, including the difficulty of the decision and the sadness of the departure.

Displaced individuals are still in transit, unable to settle down, living temporarily with relatives.

Government assistance was described as insufficient, with one person receiving only a tote bag and socks.

There were reports of bureaucratic hurdles and insensitive remarks from officials.

The experience of being told to lose one's Spanish accent to succeed professionally was shocking to some.

Feelings of isolation and loneliness were common among those who left Puerto Rico.

PTSD from rain or big storms is a real and raw experience for some of the displaced.

There's a sense of guilt and betrayal felt by those who left, as if they are abandoning their homeland.

Despite the challenges, there's a determination to succeed and make the best of the situation.

The contrast between being a U.S. citizen and not feeling fully part of the U.S. is highlighted.

Some still have hope of returning to Puerto Rico, despite the current conditions.

The reality of living with less, such as not having a full fridge, is a stark reminder of the hardships faced.

The ongoing struggle in Puerto Rico, with some towns still without basic services like light and water.