Ep. 76: Navigating the Crossroads of Law, Race, and Sovereignty in Puerto Rico with Dr. Mónica Jiménez

Join the conversation with Dr. Mónica Jiménez on Strictly Facts, where we peel back the layers of Puerto Rico's unique political situation and the heavy hand of U.S. legislative decisions on the island's fate. Through Dr.Jiménez's personal ties and her scholarly examination in her forthcoming book, Making Never, Never Land: Race and Law in the Creation of Puerto Rico, we gain an intimate glimpse into the Puerto Rico's legal status as an unincorporated territory and the systemic challenges that have been magnified by American legal precedents. 

As we traverse the complex terrain of Puerto Rico's status, Dr. Jiménez helps us navigate the moral dilemmas and economic strategies that have historically shaped American colonial ambition. The island's lack of federal representation and the tangible repercussions of past and present U.S. legal frameworks lead us through a reflective exploration of a legacy marred by racial and colonial practices. We confront these enduring issues head-on, casting light on the implications that reverberate through Puerto Rican society today.

Mónica A. Jiménez is a poet and historian. She is currently assistant professor in the African and African Diaspora Studies Department at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research and writing explore the intersections of law, race, and empire in Latin America and the Caribbean. Her first book, Making Never-Never Land: Race and Law in the Creation of Puerto Rico, will be published in 2024 by the University of North Carolina Press. 

Dr. Jiménez has received fellowships in support of her work from the Institute for Citizens and Scholars (formerly the Woodrow Wilson Foundation), the Ford Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation, among others. In 2021, she was named an inaugural Letras Boricuas fellow by the Mellon and Flamboyan Arts Foundations. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Texas at Austin and a JD from the University of Texas School of Law. Her poetry and scholarly writing have appeared or are forthcoming in WSQ: Women Studies Quarterly, Latino Studies, CENTRO: Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Radical History Review, NACLA Report on the Americas,  Hayden’s Ferry Review, and sx salon, among others. 

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