Invasive Matter(s): Matterphorical Performances of Puerto Rican Colonial Displacement and the Coqui

• In Event: Solidarity Against Settler Displacement in Puerto Rico

Abstract

In the wake of ongoing colonial and environmental crises, I examine the coqui tree frog as a lens for understanding the intersection of colonial displacement and ecological rhetoric. The coqui, historically significant for the Boricua identity, serves as a matterphor—a concept that re-articulates traditional metaphors through performance studies and environmental ontology. Matterphor emphasizes the interconnectedness of sense-making and materiality, urging us to understand knowledge and identity through the interaction of human and non-human elements. This exploration offers insight into how the performance of queer naturecultures has shaped the island's identity through the onto-epistemological concept of matterphor.
This paper delves into how these tiny frogs serve as tangible sites for matter-making and performance, providing a unique lens to understand the cultural and environmental fabric of Puerto Rico. The absence of the coqui's call when I first moved to the United States highlights a broader narrative of longing and displacement shared by the Puerto Rican diaspora. The coqui becomes a symbol of Puerto Rican resilience and resistance, illustrating how the performance of queer naturecultures shapes the island's identity. I criticize the prevailing Western notion of human dominance over nature, highlighting how this perspective has hindered genuine eco-ontological understanding. My paper introduces the concept of matterphor to emphasize the intrinsic connection between human and non-human entities. The coqui's plight, especially in places like Hawaii, underscores the consequences of viewing nature through a lens of domination.
By exploring the queernatureculture of the coqui, the paper links their existence as matterphorical in the constitution of Puerto Rico, illustrating how the coqui matter-forth Puerto Rico itself. The coqui's reproductive system, gender roles, and loud calls are examined to reveal how their performance shapes cultural identity. This analysis rejects the human-above-all paradigm, emphasizing the agency of non-human entities in shaping our world. In the paper I also aim to highlight the historical and socio-economic context of intra-colonial Puerto Ricans, focusing on the intersection of identities and the impacts of colonialism. It explores the experiences of Puerto Rican and Filipino workers in Hawaii, revealing how intra-colonial relationships are matterphorically performed. Poetry and art, such as decimas and NiNo's giant coqui installation at the 2024 Burning Man festival, are analyzed as matterphorical expressions of Puerto Rican identity and belonging.
Ultimately, this paper calls for a reimagined understanding of American Studies from the peripheries, embracing the creative possibilities emerging from the intersections of imperial violence, colonial relations, and environmental degradation. By foregrounding the coqui and its role in Puerto Rican culture, the paper offers new ways to understand the intricate web of relationships that define both cultural identity and ecological realities. This matterphorical approach urges a shift in our ontological perspective, recognizing the interconnectedness and agency of all entities in shaping our shared world.

Biographical Information

A performance and Caribbean studies scholar specializing in Puerto Rican cultural, social, and political landscapes. They are a second-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their work is interdisciplinary, drawing from critical theory, queer environmental theory, decolonial theory, and media studies. They are currently in the pre-dissertation stage, narrowing down their research focus to themes of identity, resistance, and decolonization. They explore the complexities of Puerto Rican experiences within broader Caribbean and transnational contexts. They use performance as research and aim to highlight the dynamic interplay between personal narratives and collective histories, emphasizing storytelling as a form of resistance and empowerment. Incorporating media elements such as video, sound, and digital media into their performances, they push the boundaries of performance art and create immersive and relational experiences. Their goal is to contribute to performance studies, Caribbean studies, and communication by offering nuanced perspectives on culture, politics, and transnational identity. Their research and creative practice aim to create intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant work. Their work often includes sensory experiences to create immersive and relational performances, and they continue to explore identity and resistance through larger staged pieces. Their research is deeply rooted in their own identity, offering a reflexive approach that critically examines the roles and responsibilities of scholars in academia. By intertwining personal experiences with academic research, they challenge conventional notions of objectivity and emphasize the importance of ethical engagement. This reflexive stance not only enriches their work but also underscores the significance of addressing power dynamics and positionality within academic inquiry. They have performed in several pieces, most recently including "Echography of Despair" (April 2025) at UNC Swain Hall and "Devising Diagnosis" (Nov 2024) at UNC Media & Arts Space.

Author

• Vanessa P Sanders Taboada, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill