PROJECTS
Since 2023, we have been supporting Puerto Rican community organizations in La Perla, San Juan, and Vieques in developing their own public memory initiatives that destabilize outsider views from academia, tourism, and settler colonialism.
In 2023, Memoria Decolonial and the Asociación Impacto Comunitario de La Perla established a collaboration agreement to facilitate workshops and tours with the active participation of the community. Residents of La Perla joined as researchers in the San Juan Extramuros project, which includes stops in the community guided by its residents. Tours that visit the community are offered exclusively to students and educators in Puerto Rico.
The project also includes Finca Escuela, an environmental education initiative that promotes sustainable food production through a community urban garden, as well as reforestation and coastal cleanup efforts in La Perla..
In 2025, Memoria Decolonial supported Finca Escuela through a grant sponsored by The Philanthropy LAB at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. The funds will support a series of workshops and coastal cleanup events throughout the coming year for residents and children from nearby schools.
To access the activity calendar and learn about upcoming events, visit Finca Escuela on social media at @fincaescueladelaperla
la perla
Vieques
In 2023, several organizations from the municipality of Vieques — including the Alianza de Mujeres Viequenses, La Colmena Cimarrona, and the Archivo Histórico de Vieques — participated in a community gathering with La Perla titled Renacer Comunitario (“Community Rebirth”). During their visit, they took part in the San Juan (Extra)muros tour and connected with community initiatives such as La Plaza del Negro. This visit marked the beginning of partnerships with Vieques-based organizations, which were strengthened in 2024 through the formalization of a collaborative agreement with the Archivo Histórico de Vieques.
In 2024, thanks to a grant from the Mellon Foundation, Memoria Decolonial provided the Archivo Histórico de Vieques with financial support and accompaniment to develop a research project that would culminate in a decolonial historical tour. Throughout the process, a group of six community humanists from Vieques participated in workshops and carried out research under the guidance of Dr. Rafael Capó García and Dr. Marie Cruz Soto.
The result is a project of guided walks led by members of the Vieques community that educates and reflects on the island’s historical past and collective voices. Want to learn more about this project? Visit the Entramando page: https://www.ahvpr.org/programas/programa-de-recorridos-hist%C3%B3ricos and on social media @archivo_historico_de_vieques
