Victor Vazquez, Ph.D., is an associate professor of instruction in the sociology and anthropology department at UTEP. Vazquez is coming out with his first book, “Resistiendo la Gentrificatión en Puerto Rico: La Lucha Comunitaria de Los Filtros en Guaynabo”or Resisting Gentrification in Puerto Rico: The Community Struggle of Los Filtros in Guaynabo. The book is set to hit the shelves Nov. 15.
Vazquez’s book is based on his former doctoral dissertation.
“I was attending my Ph.D., and I was looking for a thesis,” said Vazquez. “That’s when I learned of the fight in Guaynabo, of this community, and I said— ‘wow this is so incredible I have to do something’.”
Vazquez spent the course of two years developing his dissertation into a book, structuring the narrative in a way that would be more digestible to everyday readers.
As a cultural anthropologist, Vazquez’s main approach to writing his book was done through ethnographic research.
“Anthropologists, we do ethnography research that means that you need to be immersed in the community. So, it’s a book based on participant observation and interview analysis,” said Vazquez.
The book, focusing on the Los Filtros community of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, is meant to present an analysis about the ongoing gentrification of the people on the island. While Vazquez used to work as a professor at the University of Puerto Rico, he explained how he, alongside many others, had to eventually leave the island, which lead to his move to El Paso in 2017.
“After 2016, Puerto Rico declared bankruptcy in the government. There was no money in the government to run the social institutions, including the university. So, there was a huge displacement of the working class, including myself, because there’s no job opportunities,” said Vazquez.
Additionally, the ongoing economic crisis has made municipal governments more permissive with developers, allowing them to purchase tax-exempt property in low-income neighborhoods. For tax-weary Americans, this land has become quickly attractive, transforming the areas into “exclusive enclaves” as Vazquez said.
Consequently, thousands of low-income residents have been displaced, unable to afford the soaring costs of newly renovated homes, producing a huge campaign of gentrification and displacement for residents who cannot afford to compete with American investors.
While residents are still expected to pay federal taxes at some of the highest rates within the country, for property owners, taxes are next to nothing.
“There is an incredible raise of prices,” said Vazquez. “The cost of living in Puerto Rico is bigger than here in El Paso because we pay tax. We have the highest tax in the United States, more than Miami. In Texas, it’s around 8%, right? In Puerto Rico, it’s 14%. So how are you gonna live in the middle class with that standard of life?”
Vazquez conducted his research inside the Los Filtros community of Guaynabo from 2004 to 2010, in order to further understand how the displacement process worked. “In Guaynabo, this is where the silver spoon people live,” said Vazquez. “People with privilege. So, we have a huge contrast between the middle class and the upper class.”
According to Vazquez, the governor of Guaynabo launched a campaign to displace the low-income community of Los Filtros.
However, the residents of Los Filtros have continued to resist these efforts. Alongside community leaders, they have organized a movement to confront this threat. As the people of Los Filtros continue to fight for their place in their longstanding community, the government of Guaynabo has continued to cut off their access to services.
More recently, the city has removed Los Filtros from their cleaning process, so much of the community is living under trash.
“I grew up in the 80s when it [Puerto Rico] used to be a great place,” said Vazquez. “And it’s no longer a great place because of the politicians there. There are so many structural problems, and gentrification is a huge part of that problem.”
Vazquez expressed his hopes to continue to use ethnography as an instrument for providing solutions and reflections to address the crisis in Puerto Rico. For readers , Vazquez also hopes to bring awareness and make the poor conditions on the Island more visible.
“My main objective is to show the real pain that these people are suffering from right now in Puerto Rico. The mismanagement in the government, it’s key to understanding the crisis of Puerto Rico,” said Vazquez. “We used to be a first world country 10 decades ago, 10 years ago, but now Puerto Rico is one of the poorest territories in the United States.”
Vazquez explained that one of the first steps towards combating the issues facing his community is to change the policy approach.
“You know, we need politicians who are willing to compromise in Puerto Rico and who want to address the real problems,” said Vazquez. “But the corruption is the temptation in Puerto Rico. And you say, oh, okay, this is another professor who is talking about corruption. Yes, because that is the problem.”
Vazquez emphasized the importance of anthropologists and scholars engaging deeply with the study of gentrification, stressing that it is not just an academic endeavor but a humanitarian issue.
Vazquez pointed out that while living in a “paradise” is a dream for many, it’s crucial to consider the impact on those with longstanding ties to these neighborhoods.
“I mean, we would all love to live in an admirable community, with renewable buildings, right?” said Vazquez. “But what happens with its historical background? What happens with the working-class people? What happens with the families with a low budget? What happens with all these people who deserve a quality of life as well?”
Vazquez drew parallels between the gentrification issues in Puerto Rico and those unfolding in El Paso. Vazquez shared that he takes his UTEP students to Duranguito, a historic neighborhood in downtown El Paso facing ongoing battles over redevelopment and preservation.
He encourages his students to engage in participant observation within their own communities.
“We need a strong dose of ethnographic research,” said Vazquez. Vazquez emphasized his hopes to inspire others to look beyond the surface-level, and recognize the broader, systemic forces at play.
“For those who can read my book, I hope they can learn a little bit more regarding the crisis in Puerto Rico. The crisis is beyond the lack of money to run the government. The crisis is heavy, the crisis is structural, and more than anything, it requires a multi-sectoral effort in Puerto Rico to be addressed.”
Vazquez’s book will be available by November 15, and can be bought through www.libreriang.com/
Rumi Sevilla is a staff reporter for The Prospector and may be reached at [email protected]
