Roots Of La Perla At Old San Juan

by Sandra Pena de Ortiz

Title

Roots Of La Perla At Old San Juan

Artist

Sandra Pena de Ortiz

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

FEATURED FOTO: Activism in Art FAA group - 02/04/2013

FEATURED FOTO: M O U S E FAA group - 02/04/2013

FEATURED FOTO: Comfortable Art FAA group - 02/03/2013

FEATURED FOTO: USA Artists News FAA group - 02/01/2013

FEATURED PHOTO: Your Favorite Artwork FAA group - 01/31/2013

FEATURED PHOTO: Memories Memories FAA group - 0130/2013

A digital art photography rendition of a small section of La Perla at Old San Juan displaying a large orange yellow sign of Colmado La Perla (La Perla's Grocery Store). One can also see the poor old houses as well as the Atlantic Ocean behind. Most Puerto Ricans and tourists today consider La Perla, the paradox of the beautiful city of Old San Juan so full of splendor, interrupted in a rather dramatic fashion by the presence of La Perla. La Perla is a heavily populated urban area characterized by substandard housing and squalor situated on both sides of the northern historic city wall of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, before making attempting to provide any judgements or condemning adjectives, one must know the roots: the roots of La Perla at Old San Juan. What is the history behind it? Is there something in its history that can explain what it became? Judge for yourselves! La Perla was established in the late 19th century. Perhaps, as a premonition of what it would eventually become, the area was the site of a slaughterhouse because the law required these and the homes of former slaves and homeless non-white servants � as well as cemeteries � to be established away from the main community center. That is, outcasted and outside the city walls. What a sad reminder of slavery, racism, prejudice, and social injustice! Slavery in Puerto Rico was instituted by Spain, after the discovery of the Island by Christopher Columbus in 1483. Initially, the friendly indigenous Taino inhabitants of the Island were enslaved by Spaniards. As the Taino slave population started to linger, Spain brought African slaves and introduced them into the Island. Tainos were eventually exterminated by disease, but not before leaving their DNA in the remaining population when Spanish and Taino or Taino and African blood was mixed to produce our ancestors. Slavery was abolished in Puerto Rico in March 22, 1873. Why the story about slavery when we are talking about La Perla? Because they are two facts that have been intertwined in time. Remember, the area were La Perla is located was a slaughterhouse, the place were former slaves and non-whites could live. Today, that are unaware or insensitive of this history consider the beautiful oceanfront and secluded location the main reasons for the high level of drug related activities in the area. However, think what if things had been different under Spain's rule over the region? What if proper housing, education, and socio-economic justice for La Perla soon or at any time after Puerto Rico became a US territory? What if ...

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January 30th, 2013

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