Abstract
Abstract
Puerto Rico has a long history of battling colonialism, first by Spain then by the United States. As a result of United States' possession of the island, Puerto Rico was thrust into a new battle between colonial status and keeping its identity despite colonial control. At the center of this fight, Vieques, a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico, represents a smaller model of colonialism due to the former presence of a military installation established by the U.S. Navy that claimed the majority of the small island in 1941, resulting in its citizens being moved from their homes to the center of the island near bombing ranges and ammunition stock houses. Landscapes that were once home to military installations and host to military activities are now often dangerous, contaminated, and changed in dramatic ways due to the introduction of munitions, bombs, fuels, and nuclear contaminants. Years after the U.S. Navy's military evacuation, environmental, physical, and mental health concerns were recognized, including the environmental damage due to toxic contamination and its effect on the communities currently residing on the island. This article documents the impact of years of environmental polluting and the destruction of the environment as a lingering vestige of military colonialism in Puerto Rico.
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