Leiden University Student Repository

Jansen, Kimberly L. (2020)

Make Puerto Rico Great Again? An Analysis of Hurricane Maria Relief Aid in the Context of United States – Puerto Rico Relations

Master thesis | International Relations (MA)

For more than 400 years, Puerto Rico has been subject to colonialism and imperialism. After being colonized by Spain it became a United States possession in 1898 which it remains today, albeit in the form of a Commonwealth. United States policies shaped Puerto Rico’s political and economic landscape with severe consequences for life on the island. This particularly became clear in August 2017 when first Hurricane Irma, but especially Hurricane Maria devastated the island. The current study investigates the role that imperialist policies have played in the federal relief aid after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. A content analysis of news items, official documents, and Donald Trump’s Twitter messages indicate that imperialist policies – expressed through preferential treatment between states and Puerto Rico, economic constraints and bureaucratic hurdles, and the behavior and language use of the president – indeed inhibited an effective recovery mission on the island. It underscores...Show moreFor more than 400 years, Puerto Rico has been subject to colonialism and imperialism. After being colonized by Spain it became a United States possession in 1898 which it remains today, albeit in the form of a Commonwealth. United States policies shaped Puerto Rico’s political and economic landscape with severe consequences for life on the island. This particularly became clear in August 2017 when first Hurricane Irma, but especially Hurricane Maria devastated the island. The current study investigates the role that imperialist policies have played in the federal relief aid after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. A content analysis of news items, official documents, and Donald Trump’s Twitter messages indicate that imperialist policies – expressed through preferential treatment between states and Puerto Rico, economic constraints and bureaucratic hurdles, and the behavior and language use of the president – indeed inhibited an effective recovery mission on the island. It underscores that imperialism still guides the diplomatic relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico.Show less

United States

Puerto Rico

Hurricane Maria

Relief Aid

Imperialism

Author

Jansen, Kimberly L.

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Culture and Politics

Supervisors

Schmidli, W.M.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en