Scholar@UPRM :: Browsing Student Works by Subject "Alimentos e inseguridad alimentaria"

Publication

Oral history interview with Amanda S. Soto González, December 17, 2021

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Soto González, Amanda S. (Narrator) ; Estévez Quintana, Aleyshka (Interviewer) ; University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

At the time of the interview Amanda Soto Gonzalez is a student at Universidad de Puerto Rico Mayaguez, and an activist who works in Alacena Feminista and Siempre Vivas. In this interview she explains how her degree in Biology and Microbiology help her view the social and political issues from a different context; explaining that the main goal of Alacena Feminista is to address needs of food security and food sovereignty. In her narrative she shares the events of summer 2020, Tropical Storm Isaias. What began as an act of solidarity to help the community becomes a larger organized permanent project, and Soto Gonzalez explains the logistics and planning that happens to sustain a mutual aid project like Alacena Feminista. Soto Gonzalez addresses the responsibilities of the government and how lack of funding, privatization of public services, rising poverty levels, climate crisis all contribute to lack of access in food and health for communities. While the focus of the project is food security, Soto Gonzalez describe intersectionality with other groups and activities to promote education through documentaries (Landfall) and other public events. The interview also describes educational methods, redistribution of resources, the Puerto Rico strikes of 2017 and 2019, Hurricane Maria, access to safe abortions and sexual education, the Covid-19 pandemic, and other events relevant to LGBTQ+ communities. Some organizations mentioned include, Siempre Vivas, Ache Top, Combahee River Collective, Matrilíneo, and Kilometro 0.

Publication

Oral history interview with Amelia Ruiz-Ruiz, September 28, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Ruiz-Ruiz, Amelia (Narrator) ; Feliciano Agostini, Naedra J. (Interviewer)

Amelia Ruiz Ruiz is a farmer in Maricao. Since she was a child, agriculture has been a big part of her life. She is the tenth of eleven siblings. Since there were so many siblings and her father was the only source of income, they experienced poverty. But despite everything, they always managed to find something to fill their stomachs. Their main livelihood came from agriculture; from what his father grew on the farm. Amelia is a mother of four and grandmother of eleven. Throughout her life she has always carried on the recipes she learned from her mother. Recipes mostly made with ingredients she can find on her farm. Among her favorite recipes are: "vianda con bacalao”, "pasteles", coffee made from scratch, and "sorullos”. Amelia also tells us about the difficulties faced, as a farmer on the island. How difficult it is to work the land and how little they get monetarily. In addition to all this, there is the farmers' terror: weather phenomena, such as hurricanes and storms. With their strong winds and rain, they destroy the hard work, sweat, effort and take away the livelihood of many farmers. "The life of a farmer is difficult, very difficult." Note: The interview was conducted in Spanish.

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Oral history interview with anonymous narrator, April 11, 2023

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Anonymous (Narrator) ; Anonymous (Interviewer)

A social justice story told by an anonymous narrator. This interview is about a young student who describes two experiences that made them feel uncomfortable. Both times were in a restaurant, and both were with a person of color. The narrator discusses social justice issues related to people often making judgements based on skin color. The narrator also expresses having been the object of incorrect assumptions from others due to having unusually light skin for a Puerto Rican.

Publication

Oral history interview with anonymous narrator, November 16, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Anonymous (Narrator) ; Y.R.A. (Interviewer)

The narrator is a student of the UPR of Rio Piedras. Studies Natural Sciences. This interview addresses the year 2017. She was in high school and the Hurricane Maria was passing through Puerto Rico. Her family was crucial in this history, because she lived this whole catastrophe with them. The narrator saw first hand how people from rural areas have to wait more than others for services from the government. Most of the time, they have to help themselves.

Publication

Oral history interview with anonymous narrator, November 18, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Anonymous (Narrator) ; A.C.M. (Interviewer)

The narrator is a quality control technician at a medical manufacturer industry. She lives in Puerto Rico, but she was born in the United States due to her parents seeking a better opportunity of treatments because of a rare condition that affects the formation of the radius bones in her arms. Even though she was born in the United States, she is a Puerto Rican who is working hard every day to reach her dreams. The access to a good education, good healthcare and many other services with quality, is what people are looking for in this day.

Publication

Oral history interview with Aurea “Aggie” Hernández and Mirna I. Carlo, June 17, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Hernández, Aurea (Narrator) ; Carlo, Mirna I. (Narrator) ; Betancourt Malavé, Natalia M. (Interviewer) ; University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

Aurea “Aggie” Hernández Rodríguez se mudó a Toa Baja a los catorce años, donde estudió antes de ir a la universidad a estudiar Historia. Su familia tiene un largo historial de trabajo comunitario en la iglesia, lo cual también la inspiró. Cáritas es una organización internacional sin fines de lucro subvencionada por la iglesia católica, y Hernández Rodríguez es la coordinadora de la organización en la Iglesia del Espíritu Santo en Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. El objetivo principal de esta entrevista es entender mejor cómo Cáritas ayuda y provee a su comunidad. “Compartiendo mi pan” es un programa de banco de alimentos que comenzó hace 10 años donde los miembros de la comunidad pueden donar alimentos frescos y artículos no perecederos a la organización. Tienen un gran armario de almacenamiento que usan para guardar suministros de comida, así como congeladores para los alimentos frescos. Las personas necesitadas pueden comunicarse con la organización o presentarse en la iglesia y ellos brindan provisiones de emergencia. Hernández Rodríguez describe el llamado a la acción que tuvo la organización tras el paso del huracán María. Comenzaron llevando a cabo un censo casa por casa para averiguar cuáles eran las necesidades y comenzar a repartir provisiones. Colaboraron con miembros de la comunidad para identificar a las personas con necesidades y llegar a ellas. Como afirma Hernández Rodríguez, “Cáritas se envuelve. Tenemos grupos dedicados a personas sin hogar, familias, niños. No discriminamos. Es para todos los que necesitan ayuda y todo tipo de ayuda”.

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Oral history interview with Ángela Luisa Pagán Rosario, April 29, 2023

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Pagán Rosario, Ángela Luisa (Narrator) ; A.N.B.P. (Interviewer)

The interview features Ángela L. Pagán, who was born and raised in the town of Aibonito and currently resides there. During the interview, her childhood was initially discussed, including her favorite hobbies from back then. Another event in her life that is discussed it’s her great love for music, leading her to become a music teacher and later a primary school teacher. The main purpose of this interview was to analyze the challenges that Ángela faced as a result of Hurricane María and her recent diagnosis of breast cancer. Her experience provides valuable information on the struggles that many Puerto Ricans faced during this time, especially those who were most vulnerable to social injustices. After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the island was devastated and there was widespread damage to infrastructure, including the power grid. Much of the population was deprived of basic services such as electricity and running water for several months. The shortage of basic necessities such as food and medicine was severe, and access to critical services such as healthcare was severely limited. As a cancer patient, Ángela was particularly vulnerable to the effects of the storm.

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Oral history interview with Blanca, April 14, 2023

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Blanca (Narrator) ; Rosario Portillo, Joelys Marie (Interviewer)

The narrator is called Blanca. This 58-year-old woman has been through difficult times, and yet she is always willing to help people. Through her employment as a food attendant with the Head Start Program, she had the opportunity to meet many people whom she had the pleasure of helping by providing delicious food and much more. This interview spans from the lady's childhood to her time working at Head Start, as her upbringing influenced the quality of person she became. There should be more employees with the initiative that Blanca has to observe what happens to the people she works with and be able to notify the organization to help those people.

Publication

Oral history interview with Carlos Rodríguez García, March 11, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Rodríguez García, Carlos (Narrator) ; Claudia (Interviewer)

In this interview, I sat down with Carlos Rodríguez García, and we talked about when Hurricane Georges hit Puerto Rico. At that time, he lived in Humacao with his wife and his son, who was about 9 months old. Carlos mentioned his experience and some social justice problems he and others were facing. Throughout the interview, Carlos talked about how scary it was when he heard a loud sound and when he went to his baby’s room, he realized that the window had broken because of the pressure of the air. He then realized that water was coming in. He mentioned how important the help of many private sectors and the Church were.

Publication

Oral history interview with Carlos Rodríguez Quintero, November 4, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Rodríguez Quintero, Carlos Samuel (Narrator) ; Montalvo Torres, Amanda (Interviewer)

Carlos Rodríguez Quintero is a 22-year-old Mechanical Engineering Student at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. He was born and raised alongside his sister and cousins in Ponce, Puerto Rico. From his early years he was interested in many extracurricular activities like sports, music, designing and cars. His passion for cars has motivated him to study and work towards starting his own business in the future. In 2017, he graduated high school and started studying at UPRM when Hurricane Maria impacted the island in September of that same year. Hurricane Maria caused the death of 4,645 individuals and it had a devastating impact on the island causing estimated damages of millions of dollars. The government response to this natural disaster was slow and people were not prepared for the aftermath. Carlos speaks about the days following the Hurricane and how hard it was obtaining necessities like food, water, and gas, while also waiting every day for the electricity, water, and communication services to come back. Cooperation and companion from family and neighbors helped him overcome these though times. He recounts his transition from the University at Mayaguez to his house in Juana Díaz during the storm, and back to the University the weeks after the passing of the Hurricane. When he went back to Mayaguez, he faced the many new challenges of being a student at the time. Today, Carlos is doing an internship at Eaton Electrical in Coamo, Puerto Rico and is expecting his graduation in May 2024. Note: The interview was conducted in Spanish. Spanish transcription of audio file is available.

Publication

Oral history interview with Celimar Adames, April 2, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Adames, Celimar (Narrator) ; Ramallo, Carola (Interviewer)

This interview is about the experiences Celimar Adames had during hurricanes Irma and María. This was a very difficult time for every Puerto Rican, all the devastation that these natural disasters caused left many citizens with nothing. Celimar’s work was all about going out into the cities and finding stories about these people who have no homes because of the floods, or no water to drink. She had to process all of this and then go and do her job without letting her feelings interfere. She expressed her feeling of desperation at times when she felt like she wasn’t doing enough for the people. When she was feeling like this, she reached out to help groups and joined them. She also expressed her worries about climate change and how that is affecting the intensity of the hurricanes. This interview is a point of view of the hurricane that is not acknowledged enough, and I believe that the space that Prof. Chansky created is the perfect place to expose it.

Publication

Oral history interview with Christopher Mena Lantigua, May 9, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Mena Lantigua, Christopher (Narrator) ; Mena Lantigua, Jonathan (Interviewer)

Demographic changes in Puerto Rico have caused a lack of access to essential services for people 65 years of age or older, which is exacerbated by the constantly growing poverty all through the island.

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Oral history interview with Efrén Molina Rivera, April 22, 2023

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Molina Rivera, Efrén (Narrator) ; Méndez Molina, Gabriel (Interviewer)

This interview is about the lived experiences of Efrén Molina Rivera. He talks about growing up with little money and his experience enlisting in the armed forces when he was 18. He received his training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Gerardo describes various ways in which Latinos and Blacks were mistreated.

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Oral history interview with Gerardo Flores Colón, April 20, 2023

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Flores Colón, Gerardo (Narrator) ; Camacho Flores, Claudia S. (Interviewer)

The interview follows Gerardo Flores Colón and his life growing up with 11 siblings. He was the first of his siblings to graduate from a university, and he describes the obstacles he had to overcome while getting his degree. He talks about how difficult it was for underprivileged youths to complete their degrees.

Publication

Oral history interview with Ismael Pérez Cordero, March 12, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Pérez Cordero, Ismael (Narrator) ; Acosta González, Ana B. (Interviewer)

Ismael talks about his journey with agroecology after taking a course with El Josco Bravo. He highlights key issues with industrialized agriculture and its agroecological alternatives and talks about the importance of teaching the youth about agriculture and its ties to food security. He also discusses his family’s history with agriculture. His great grandmother worked the land to raise seven daughters after becoming widowed. Being in touch with agriculture and agroecology has allowed Ismael to share a common bond with some of his relatives. It’s also helped him relate the principles he’s learned about agroecology now, to old traditional agricultural practices that his great grandparents used.

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Oral history interview with Juan Antonio Vélez Feneque, April 17, 2023

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Vélez Feneque, Juan Antonio (Narrator) ; Chaparro Vélez, Glerysbeth Alanis (Interviewer)

Juan Vélez Feneque, also known as Tony, was born and raised in Rincón, Puerto Rico. He was an orphan and the youngest of all his siblings. During the mid-1900, Juan Velez decided to migrate to the United States as a way to help his mother make ends meet. Living in "The City That Never Sleeps" can come with its ups and downs. There were instances where Tony found himself lost while traveling on public transportation, as well as overcoming difficult obstacles, such as searching for a job at the age of sixteen while still learning English. Throughout this journey he experienced many social injustices such as racism and discrimination. As a minority, he had to witness countless gang fights that have impacted life in many ways. He used them as a learning experience as a way to achieve the American dream.

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Oral history interview with Lorna, April 8, 2023

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Lorna (Narrator) ; Green Rodríguez, Diego André (Interviewer)

The narrator, Lorna, shares her life story growing up in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, with her loving family consisting of her mother, grandmother María, and great-grandmother Juana. The central topics discussed in the interview are the importance of education, family values, and the bond Lorna had with her grandmother through their shared love for food. The interview covers Lorna's life from her childhood to her academic pursuits in natural sciences and public health. Significant events include her grandmother's resilience in the face of adversity and her entrepreneurial spirit through the sale of "pasteles". Lorna's experiences provide insight into the societal trends, social movements, and social justice issues in Puerto Rico, especially the value of education and women's empowerment.

Publication

Oral history interview with Lucy Serrano Gastón, March 15, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Serrano Gastón, Lucy (Narrator) ; Armstrong Velázquez, Gabrielle M. (Interviewer) ; Marcial Acevedo, Yarelis (Interviewer) ; University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

The interview focuses on Lucy Serrano Gastón, the advisor and coordinator of the organization named Come Colegial. During this interview, there were two foci. The first was on how did Come Colegial came to be. It focuses on what inspired its creation, for what purposes, and how it started building its way up into what it is known today. Therefore, there will be stories of organized activities, the support they received, and the people and organizations they collaborated with to make these activities happen. The second was on its expansion and evolution. This area focuses on how Come Colegial continued to work when faced with challenging situations and times, such as Hurricane Maria, the 2021 Earthquakes, and the Covid-19 Pandemic. Here, there will be descriptions of the measures that they had to take to provide their services successfully. In addition, there will be stories about some cases with students that impacted her and how they managed to help.

Publication

Oral history interview with Lucy Serrano Gastón, October 1, 2021

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Serrano Gastón, Lucy (Narrator) ; Betancourt, Natalia (Interviewer) ; Estevez, Aleyshka (Interviewer) ; University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

Lucy Serrano Gastón, founder and lead of the Come Colegial project, talks about her childhood and family life. She describes her deep connection with food as well as strong family bonds which have influenced the project that feeds and cares for the university community. We learn about Lucy's professional development and the people who have supported the experiences she describes in this interview. Ranging from grade school stories, Christmas traditions, university life, and present relationships, this interview largely focuses on human connections. Additional topics in the interview are related to current events in the context of Puerto Rico, including life during COVID, protests and massive power outages.

Publication

Oral history interview with Luz María Merle Rodríguez, November 12, 2022

(Oral History Lab @UPRM, ) Merle Rodríguez, Luz María (Narrator) ; Santos Perez, Daniel Enrique (Interviewer)

Luz María Merle Rodríguez has lived her entire life by the beach, “Los Almendros”, in Rincón. Where once there stood an entire neighborhood on the beach with an active community full of people and a fishery, is now a thin, empty, sandy shore next to the ocean. As time passed, coastal erosion destroyed these houses and businesses, meanwhile others were offered deals to sell their beachside plots of land. The loss of fishing in the wake of Hurricane Maria also led to the decline of the fishing community at the beach. Luz describes how this beach has changed over her lifespan and gives insight into the community, the traditions and the people that she had growing up and how they too have changed in the wake of coastal erosion.

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