2 days ago
Coqui frogs belong in Puerto Rico. Killing them is colonization.
To my five year old mind, Borikén, also known as Puerto Rico, was more than just an island in the Caribbean. It was the magical place where my Titi Evelyn and her husband George resided.
In 2004, my parents took my brother and me on a trip to the island's southern coast, and Titi Evelyn made sure to educate our young minds on all things Boriqua.
Throughout our vacation to the city of Ponce, I indulged in way too many quenepas and too much freshly made paella, and I was lulled to sleep by the chirps of tiny frogs. To me, it was a place of love, history and most importantly, coquis.
In May, a tourist on Reddit expressed that he overheard a couple talking about buying an insect repellant to get rid of these precious endangered frogs while he was in Puerto Rico. He wanted to know where he could do the same.
As expected, locals and descendants of La Isla del Encanto erupted on social media at the thought of harming these frogs that are no bigger than a bottle cap.
It seems like a minor thing, but this discussion about protecting the island's coquis shines a light on the issue of outsiders continuing to try and mute or control Puerto Rico.
More: Everyone's vacationing in Puerto Rico. Can the island handle it?
Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory on December 10, 1898, after the end of the Spanish-American war.
Oddly enough, although it is a U.S. territory and its residents are considered Americans, Puerto Ricans are still treated like second class citizens, without many of the rights of those on the mainland.
Residents who reside on the island cannot vote in presidential elections. The government can also, at any time, exclude or limit Puerto Ricans from access to federally funded programs such as Medicare, Supplemental Security Income and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Since its occupation, many natives and allies have fought for the right of Puerto Rico to be an independent country. But as with many American movements, specifically those pertaining to indigenous and minority populations, a law was passed to criminalize those who fought.
In 1948, the passage of La Ley de la Mordaza, or Law 53, made it illegal to display or own the Puerto Rican flag, sing patriotic songs or discuss independence.
The light blue Puerto Rican flag associated with an independent Puerto Rico was created when the island was under Spanish colonial rule. However, the dark blue flag that is commonly used today was adopted in 1952 and is used by the federal government.
Law 53 was repealed in 1953, and pushes for freedom have continued since then.
Most notably, in 1974, political activist and author Angela Davis joined other Black leaders at Madison Square Garden in New York City to speak at the Puerto Rican Independence Rally.
Opinion: Trump's deportations emboldened GOP. But they're going after kids, not criminals
'Imperialism says Puerto Rico is a small country, and it needs the United States — it doesn't have the wherewithal to support itself without the United States,' she said. 'They said the same thing about another small island — I'm talking about Cuba.'
The current presidential administration has continuously attempted to mock Puerto Rico and its resilient people.
In 2017, when Hurricane Maria decimated areas of the island and resulted in the death of nearly 3,000 people, President Donald Trump responded by withholding approximately $20 billion in hurricane relief funds.
Miles Taylor, Trump's former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, told MSNBC that in 2018, the President wanted to 'swap Greenland for Puerto Rico because Puerto Rico was dirty and the people were poor."
Later, during a rally for Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe joked, 'there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it's called Puerto Rico.'
Opinion: 'Kill Tony's' Puerto Rico joke was the real garbage
Fast forward to today, and many non-Puerto Ricans, including YouTube influencer Logan Paul, have been leveraging Act 60 to buy property on the island. In a YouTube video released in February 2021, Paul expressed that one of the main reasons for his move was to take advantage of this tax break offered specifically to non-citizens.
"It's getting crazy here in California, paying taxes,' he said. 'In Puerto Rico, you're motivated to do more and make more money because of the implications that come with it.'
But there's a problem. Influencers like Paul are driving up housing costs, which, in turn, forces natives out of their home. As a result, they are aiding in the destruction of the country's very soul, just for their comfortability.
In an interview with Time Magazine, rapper Bad Bunny, one of the most famous Boriquas, addressed the issues the island continues to face at the hands of foreigners.
'Politically and historically, they know nothing about Puerto Rico, nor are they interested in knowing,' he said. 'Tourists come here to enjoy the beautiful places, and then they leave and they don't have to deal with the problems that Puerto Ricans have to deal with day-to-day.'
In 'Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii', a song from his latest album, 'DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS', the artist spoke to Puerto Rican natives' fear of American statehood. They don't want the United States to strip the country of its unique culture and traditions, as it did with Hawaii.
History shows there is reason to worry. The U.S. government has long tried to force territories and states to assimilate. In Hawaii, the native language was banned from school instruction in 1896 and was only recognized as one of two official languages nearly 80 years later, in 1978.
Puerto Rico and its people have continued to fight, yet a new round of visitors are attempting to mute them on their own soil. Colonization can come in many forms, and killing a protected animal in an attempt to mute the soundtrack of a country is one of them.
Artists, activists and historians such as Djali Brown-Cepeda, who founded a digital archive called Nueva Yorkinos, are doing the work of educating the masses on the cultures and people of the island. But it's up to all of us to listen.
The Puerto Rico I love is rapidly changing, but the presence of those tiny green and brown frogs remains. They were here before us, and maybe, one day, we'll be blessed with hearing them serenade us in a free Borikén.
My Titi Evelyn passed before seeing a free Puerto Rico, but hopefully my generation will be able to say they did.
Gabrielle Chenault covers Williamson County for The Tennessean. She received a bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in political science from Hampton University and a master's degree in race/social justice reporting from the University of Southern California.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Killing Puerto Rican coqui frogs reinforces colonization | Opinion
