Contando historias, reclamando futuros: Community-led Public History and Participatory Action Research in Vieques, Puerto Rico

Session Submission Type: Non-Paper Session: Roundtable Format

Abstract

Vieques is an island of the Puerto Rican archipelago with a long colonial history that is usually told by those outside of the community. Those narratives dominate public historical discourse, influence collective consciousness and silence Viequense voices. The Archivo Histórico de Vieques (AHV) is a community organization and archive born out of the Viequense struggle against the U.S. Navy occupation of the island (1940s-2003). It aims to empower Viequenses in the narration of their history—and in the imagining of Viequense futures in Vieques.

This roundtable delves into the potential of Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a tool for integrating community voices into public history projects. Focused on the Archivo Histórico de Vieques and its collaboration with Memoria Decolonial, our project centers on co-creating walkable tours that breathe life into local histories (from Viequense perspective) while emphasizing collective learning and mutual support. Through this collaboration with a cohort of seven community members, the initiative prioritizes the co-generation of knowledge, allowing for diverse perspectives on history to be shared, critiqued, and celebrated through a decolonial, feminist, antiracist, and ecological lens.

The project involves community members in the archival research process through exploration and analysis of primary sources—both digital and physical—that bring forth underrepresented stories of Vieques. These stories—whether oral, digital, or physical—are then incorporated into the collections of our community archive, ensuring their preservation across multiple mediums. The importance of safeguarding these stories is underscored in an era where archives can sometimes erase or oversimplify local narratives. Our work is rooted in ensuring that these stories live not only in traditional archives but are also accessible through shared oral, embodied and place-based traditions.

A core goal is the creation of workshops and guided tours designed by the community for diverse audiences. These tours serve as a platform for re-integrating forgotten histories, critiquing dominant narratives, and fostering pride in local heritage. The initiative emphasizes a horizontal learning experience, allowing all participants—whether student, researcher, or resident—to contribute to and engage with the knowledge, materials and narratives on their own terms. Through this collaborative process, we strive to uplift not just the stories of Vieques but the very process of creating and preserving history in a way that is accessible, inclusive, and empowering.

Sub Unit

• Annual Meeting of the American Studies Association

Chair

• Rafael V Capó García, The University of Puerto Rico

Panelists

• Ilandra O Guadalupe Maldonado

• Alexandra Z Connelly Reyes

• Charissa Crispin Torres

Comment

• Marie Cruz Soto, New York University

Biographical Information

Rafael Capó García: (Chair)
Rafael is the founder and director of Memoria (De)colonial, a non-profit organization that critically examines the legacies of colonialism in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean through public and digital humanities initiatives. Dr. Capó García holds an MA in History and completed his PhD at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Curriculum Studies, where he teaches courses on education and decolonization. His dissertation critically explored the historiographical development of the narratives of racial democracy, mestizaje, and slavery in Puerto Rican intellectual history. It concludes by discussing how Caribbean forms of historical consciousness can potentially interrupt Eurocentric conceptions of heritage and entangle the relationship between Indigeneity and Blackness. In 2022, Rafael was selected as a decolonization fellow for CENTRO’s/Princeton’s inaugural Bridging the Divides study group program, which convened scholars, journalists, artists, and other intellectuals to critically examine and reimagine decolonization in Puerto Rico. Rafael was also the 2023-2024 digital humanities fellow at the University of Puerto Rico’s UPR Caribe Digital program, and currently teaches public history at its campus in Cayey. He previously worked as a public-school Social Studies teacher for 8 years in his hometown of Santurce and completed an M.A. in History in 2016. His research interests include Caribbean philosophy, (de)coloniality / (de)colonization, monuments, curriculum, public history, race and heritage, historical narratives, and Puerto Rican studies.

Marie Cruz Soto: (Commenter)
Marie has served as the Board President of the Archivo Histórico de Vieques since its incorporation in May 2022, specializing in initiatives that foster community engagement, as with tasks that secure funding and uphold the organization’s financial and legal commitments. Dr. Cruz Soto has cultivated partnerships with various organizations, supervised projects, provided talks regarding Vieques’ history and organized cultural and community centered events while enhancing the organization’s digital presence. As a dedicated member of the Viequense diaspora, Marie is also Board Secretary of La Colmena Cimarrona, an organization that seeks to work and promote the island’s sovereignty right to healthy and affordable foods. She actively contributes to a collective focused on housing justice and land access in Vieques. Marie earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her B.A. in History of the Americas from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Since 2008, she has been a faculty member at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University, where she currently serves as Clinical Associate Professor. Her scholarly work brings a feminist, antiracist, and decolonial lens including articles on Vieques, covering topics such as reproductive practices, memory and the narration of history, and the relationships to land. In addition, she is also finalizing a book for the University of Michigan Press, which traces the long durée history of the Viequense community and the evolution of the colonial regime and its impacts on the lives of the islanders.

Ilandra O. Guadalupe Maldonado: (Panelist)
Ilandra is the Coordinator of Desvío - Vieques, a community participatory research project between Archivo Histórico de Vieques and Memoria (De)colonial. She is a passionate environmental health advocate, focusing on the intersections between historical memory, its shaping around relationships to place and the impacts on attachments to identity and wellbeing. Ilandra has a Master’s in Environmental Health from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus and a B.Sc. in Biology with minors in Medical Humanities and Gender Studies from University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. She works and collaborates in various community organizations in Vieques, such as La Colmena Cimarrona as administrative support and Alianza de Mujeres Viequense. A firm believer of communities' right to practice exercising their abilities towards liberation, Ilandra’s work within her community emphasizes the importance of collective land access to create sovereignty, generous, and abundant agroecological futures.

Alexandra Connelly Reyes: (Panelist)
Alexandra coordinates digitization projects at the Archivo Histórico de Vieques (AHV), including the Andrés Nieves Collection, supported by the Recordings at Risk Grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources. In her role, she manages logistics such as tape shipments, cataloging, and liaising with vendor handling digitization processes. Alexandra holds an undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Puerto Rico, Carolina Campus with a focus on the History of Vieques and tourism. A dedicated member of the Viequense community, Alexandra organizes the Festival de la Lucha Viequense, which commemorates the work, sacrifices and victory in getting the Navy to leave the island in 2003. She also co-directs Vidas Viequenses Valen, an organization that advocates the adequate cleanup of the former Navy lands.

Charissa Crispín Torres: (Panelist)
Charissa is A proud descendant of educators from Vieques, she was raised on Isla Nena, where the values of labor, social justice, and community service were instilled by her parents. Their dedication to their people and commitment to justice shaped her early life and inspired a lifelong passion for helping others.
She attended public schools in Vieques, where she developed a deep appreciation for education and community engagement. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Arts, concentrating in Psychology and Drama, from the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey Campus, before pursuing a master’s in Counseling and Rehabilitation from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Her quest for knowledge led her to earn a Ph.D. in Puerto Rican and Caribbean History from the Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Additionally, she is a Board Member of the Archivo Histórico de Vieques.
Her professional career has been rooted in a commitment to social service. She has worked with a variety of public and private initiatives, providing counseling, coordination, and volunteer support in areas such as family services, child and youth development, and particularly with adults over 60. She has dedicated much of her work to preventing ageism and combating diseases like Alzheimer’s that affect memory and quality of life in older adults. Through all her endeavors, she remains committed to empowering others and advocating for justice, drawing inspiration from her upbringing on Isla Nena and her passion for service.