28 thoughts on “Asynchronous Assignment on Ay, María!”

1. The actors satirize the incompetency of federal and local politicians during the relief efforts by showing that certain politicians are dismissive of the peoples’ concern(s). When people are mentioning someone dying, politicians would respond with “Shut up, nasty women. Here, I’ve brought you extra soft toilet paper to wipe your little butts” (49), and that “it [death] doesn’t count” (49, 50). Also politicians are satirized when Jose Luis (Rossello) ends the press conference and asks “Daddy, did I do a good job?” (50). This implies that certain politicians see this political position as not a way to help people, but to impress their parents—it is as if these politicians are little kids trying to show off to their parents. The play’s critique of colonialism would be that it has taken over a good amount of culture. One way this is shown is through Bryan’s words: “Hello! FEMA? Yes. English! Because in English the money comes faster!” (54). Colonialism has made people believe that English is the ‘correct’ language, stripping away certain aspects of the Spanish language from people slowly and slowly. Colonialism is making it seem as if English in superior to other languages—and because of this, people believe speaking in English will give them a bigger advantage in what they desire.

   1. Hi, Mohammed. I agree with your notion that politicians are very dismissive when it comes to citizens’ concerns through the exposure of these actor’s use of satire.I believe this quote,“Shut up, nasty women. Here, I’ve brought you extra soft toilet paper to wipe your little butts”(pg 49) that you used on page 49 was great because it signified how careless and dismissive politicians can behave towards their citizens.This quote gave me the sense that politicians viewed themselves as monarchs who have royal blood and consider themselves as humans who are divine. Which also suggests that political individuals’ reason to work their way up into office is for status reasons. I also like the quote you used on page 50 to explain this notion of getting notoriety to impress their parents. You have a good point in explaining the correlation between colonialism and these modern politicians as it affects Latinos living in the United States being told that English is a superior language that must be learned when in fact, both English and Spanish are universal languages that is spoken in many other way with different accents and dialects. But,I agree that politicians emphasizing the English language as a superior language does degrade the Spanish aspects of latinos living in America.

   2. I agree that the actors satirize the incompetency of federal and local politicians and agencies during the relief efforts by showing how dismissive they were of the peoples’ concerns. Politicians were disrespectful to the people because they cared more about the money. “Your governor told me there have been only sixteen deaths. That’s not a disaster. The real disaster is the way you’re messing with my budget!” (49). The governor says there’s been only sixteen deaths because all the other deaths “don’t count.” This implies that Puerto Rican lives don’t matter to the politicians because they “don’t count” or aren’t considered casualties to them. The agencies also did not care enough to use time and resources to resolve the peoples’ concerns. “ ‘I applied for $500 from FEMA, and it still hasn’t arrived.’ ‘Do you see the sign over there? That’s the number for FEMA. Everyone use that for your calls. because I’m on a shortened schedule. Goodbye’ “ (52). The agencies are tone-deaf and aren’t helpful, so Puerto Ricans are left to support themselves and each other. The relief efforts were used to make a pretense of supporting Puerto Ricans when they weren’t. Therefore, the relief efforts served to reinforce colonialism.

   3. I don’t completely agree with you on the part you mention, Rossello did it to impress his father. All the end, the government and his associates think and do things for themselves. Knowing very well, they have the power and money and connections to gather help from within to help their people. The fact FEMA doesn’t want to help, knowing dam well Puerto Rico is part of them. Them giving their back shows they see Puerto Rico as outsiders. Back to the government, right now they only care how they spend their money. They do not want to be wasting on dead bodies, if a citizen died, they really didn’t put much mind to it. As if that person never existed which in their minds these people do not exist for them in the first place. Thats why I don’t completely agree with you. Good concepts by the way.

2. Throughout the play, Ay María, satire is used to emphasize the incompetency of politicians. During Trump’s visit to Puerto Rico, he says “Hello, brown people of Puerto Rico. I am the President of the world. Your governor told me there have been only sixteen deaths. That’s not a disater. The real disaster is the way you’re messing with my budget!” (49) These lines point out the irony in the actions of politicians during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. “Only sixteen deaths” is not enough for the president of everything to care. Instead he is more worried how much money Puerto Rico needs in order to rebuild after the hurricane. By making Trump into this insensitive caricature, the play is pointing out how little the government cares about their well-being, while also poking fun at the man responsible for the lack of aid. The play also pokes fun at Governor Rossello who dismisses the deaths caused by the hurricane. He belittles their pain and ignores their pleas by simply saying that the deaths “don’t count,” showing how the politicians refuse to admit that there is more they could be doing. While combating the mosquitoes, the line describing the smell of the homemade bug repellent—“This smells better than any colonia”—is meant to be a play on words, colonia meaning both cologne and colony. Marisa replies to this line by saying, “Well, sure boys, anything’s better than this colony” (47). The play on words shows the play’s/author’s views on colonialism. They recognize that being a colony of the U.S. is undesirable and they are forced to rely on a government that refuses to help them in a time of need.

   1. I 100% agree that the play definitely prioritizes to establish the incompetence of the politicians during the aftermath of the Hurricane. It is actually quite interesting because I remember so vividly during realtime when Trump actually visited Puerto Rico and there were the videos going around of him throwing paper towels. Although I know that the quotes in the play might have been a slight “exaggeration”, it feels extremely realistic considering that Donald Trump was constantly acting as if he were an actual caricature. I think that the play also highlights how these are “leaders” yet are so unprepared in poise, and basic human decency to deal with such an emergency. The Trump you quote is also ironic because he was seen like a clown throughout his whole presidency by the whole “world”, while his “narcissism” made him believe that he was running the world.

3. In the play Ay Maria, some daily issues Puerto Ricans struggled with after Hurricane Maria was waiting in long lines for water, the supermarket, emergency rooms, gasoline, ATMs, and power inverters. Hundreds of people couldn’t receive medical care without electricity and without it, they also couldn’t receive an electric deposit. Many Puerto Ricans reached out to FEMA for money support, but FEMA treated them like they were an inconvenience. In states like Florida and Texas where hurricanes usually hit, support is given rapidly and with efficiency whereas Puerto Rico, which is part of U.S. territory, is ignored. An example of the mistreatment that the play mentions is when Trump did the bare minimum in helping the aftermath of Hurricane Maria by throwing paper towels around. The negative feedback to that was understandable because it honestly felt like a slap in the face to Puerto Rico. On page 49 Mickey emulates Trump by saying, “Hello, brown people of Puerto Rico. I’m the president of the world. Your governor told me there have been only sixteen deaths. That’s not a disaster. The real disaster is the way you’re messing with my budget!” Although Trump did not actually say those words, his actions spoke for him and that’s basically what he might as well have said.

   1. Hi Amanda, I agree with your discussion that the government could have done much more to help our Puerto Rico when they got hit by Hurricane Maria. Much of the examples used are current struggles that Puerto Ricans go through daily because of Hurricane Ian. When professor mentioned in class that the electricity there is a monopolized, it really made me appreciate my accessibility to electricity and clean water.

   2. I agree with Amanda’s statement that Puerto Rico is not seen as important as other states when it comes to natural destruction. Within every instance, Puerto has been disregarded. One quote that stood out to me was “Almost two years after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the island’s infrastructure – its energy grid, health care, transportation, housing, and social services system – have mostly received band-aids instead of the long-term fixes that are desperately needed. ” We can see that the government will only give short-term fixes to the huge crisis, which even after years still leaves Puerto Ricans without proper homes or any federal resources that are needed to build up the country once again. In the play, we can see, that the government tried anything to quickly answer the citizen’s questions without care. He says “Well it doesn’t count, the press conference is over.” He did everything in his power to not answer any of their questions and saw them more as a burden. We can see that the issues go beyond daily needs, it also goes to a humanity level.

   3. Amanda, I completely agree with how you voiced that FEMA treated Puerto Rican residents as a annoyance during the time of hurricane Maria. I feel that it is extremely disappointing and inhumane on how the United States reacts to the disasters Puerto Rico goes through. Even though Puerto Rico is U.S territory, I feel that Puerto Rico is looked just as some sort of property to the U.S. Further, I think we can make connections to the faulty politicians not from Ay maria, however, from the story we read in Newark. The hardships and struggles of Puerto Ricans stem from the lack of support and empathy from the leaders of our world. And it’s seen till this day, especially when you mentioned Trumps insensitive remark to the disaster and treating it like some sort of joke. Awesome, response Amanda!

   4. Hi there, Amanda.

      As much as the Puerto Rican government and US government attempted to make it seem as though ‘not a real tragedy’ happened, the long lasting effects of the hurricane were to not be ignored. To base the authenticity of a tragedy on whether the amount of deaths is high or low is unethical, irresponsible, heartless, and inconsiderate. And that was when it was based on the initial number of deaths caused by the storm, ignoring for their own convenience the deaths and despair that came due to the lack of electricity that handicapped hospitals and left many with their injuries and infections untreated. Now, when it came to the hurricanes that impacted US states, such as Texas, the help was immediate and their wellbeing prioritized over Puerto Rico’s, who was tossed aside and treated like an inconvenience. It is so, that when asking for help from FEMA, some even tried reaching for help through speaking English in hopes they’re treated with more urgency and care. Alas, they weren’t, thus the issue continued. Due to this lack of care, many Puerto Ricans began to flock out of the country, believing their struggles there will be nothing compared to the struggle in their homeland. Both the States and US territories should be treated with equal care and representation, but instead the territories are held locked in an uncertain limbo that makes one wonder why not just release them and let them become independent, then? This inconsideration is appalling.

4. Puerto Ricans faced the devastating effects of natural disasters such as Hurricane Maria. In the play, there are really long lines to get any access to helpful aid. The characters discuss how there are lines for water, the ATM, gasoline, Western Union, supermarket, emergency room, etc. These long wait times show how urgent everyone in Puerto Rico was to cope with the situation at hand. FEMA also wasn’t the fastest way for them to receive financial help as we see characters in the play waiting on small amounts of $500 to arrive. Many people lost all of their belongings as Jose Eugenio stated that his best friend committed suicide due to losing everything yet morgues were full and wasn’t included in the death toll Puerto Rico had after Hurricane Maria. This is significant because the play depicts government leaders not taking the aftermath, including the death toll, of the hurricane seriously. Mickey imitating former President Donald Trump, “Your governor told me there have been only sixteen deaths. That’s not a disaster. The real disaster is the way you’re messing with my budget!” Although these weren’t Trump’s exact words, his acts of non urgency for the people of Puerto Rico felt like this was what his attitude was. People lost their lives after the Hurricane due to lack of availability to urgent care, water, housing, etc. meaning the death toll was most likely way more than sixteen. Turning to help from the U.S. didn’t help Puerto Ricans cope because they didn’t receive the aid they needed but instead received the former president throwing paper towels at them. The play is still relevant in current times considering Hurricane Fiona has tragically impacted Puerto Rico recently.

   1. It is very sad that after all that Puerto Rico went through during and after hurricane Maria Puerto Ricans were basically pushed to the side and not taken into consideration. You mention that there were long lines for water, the ATM, gasoline, Western Union, supermarket, emergency room, etc, Puerto Ricans were in desperate need of help and no one seemed to help them especially their government after everything they lost like their home and their belonging. You also mention how someone committed suicide after the hurricane because they had lost everything which is very sad to hear and should have gotten some officials attention. The government didn’t even care about the death tolls. They weren’t taking into the consideration the people that had lost everything. Trumps actions was unacceptable. I remember watching the news and see how Trump was throwing paper towels to the people as if they were animals. It got me so upset because no one should treat a person like that especially coming from the president. Another thing I want to mention is how although Puerto Rico is a state of the U.S it is not treated like all the other states in the U.S. In the play Marisa says, “The problem is that Maria came too late. We already had Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida, and unfortunately, we just don’t have enough tarps for all these emergencies. You’ll have to go to Home Depot” (53). FEMA made it seem like they only work to help the other states and not Puerto Rico. Like I mention before Puerto Ricans are pushed to side by the U.S. The U.S does not help them because they rather see them suffer than help them out.

   2. Emily, I can tell you fully understood the state that Puerto Ricans were in during the aftermath of the hurricane. Not only were they suffering physically, but mentally/emotionally. Resources were scarce, and they had basically no humane means of survival. Jose’s friend committing suicide is a primary example of this issue and the consequences of the lack of preparation for the storm. Through better preparation I believe there would have been a better outcome, but the US could have handled the situation better, ie when you explain what happened when Trump addressed PR.

   3. Emily,

      I agree with you in all of what you wrote. The play is significant because in a way it shows the thread between natural disasters and the government. Trump’s government and him responded to this natural disaster in a cruel way because not only did Trump throw toilet paper, he had no urgency to do anything for Puerto Rico because he felt PR was messing with the United States’ government. I think it is such a double standard because the United States expects Puerto Rico to be the perfect territory, but how can it be when there are barely any resources flowing to it. Honestly, we often think people will quickly recover from a hurricane, but Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico shows us just how long and how brutal the road to recovery is, including mentally, emotionally, and physically.

   4. Hey Emily, I agree with what you have written in response to what the characters are going through after the events of Hurricane Maria. Many Puerto Ricans are feeling neglected and rightfully so as resources have become scarce. As you have mentioned there are lines for all resources such as water, gasoline, and other resources aside from necessities such as atm machines and emergency services. In this case, it’s not even about living but more so about the fact of surviving and each person fending for themselves to a certain extent. The story also presents the story of Jose who because of Hurricane Maria, has everything taken away which leads him to commit suicide. This is just another aspect presented that demonstrates how this Hurricane affects those mentally. United States intervention could have better approached the situation had it not been for former President Trump. The former president is mocked as he does not show importance to the matter and quite frankly shows how unprepared he was for the entirety of the situation. As Emily mentions in the end it is definitely important to see how this play takes place in contemporary times as once again Puerto Rico seems to be in the midst of another Hurricane (Ie Hurricane Fiona) and it will be interesting to see what parallels become apparent once everything settles down.

5. OPTION TWO

   Just like what Amanda has mentioned, when Hurricane Maria hits, there are long lines for many necessities, people couldn’t get their electronic deposits from their relatives nor could they receive the money support the government promised. When they turn to government departments for help, all they get are excuses and neglect. So some people thought of moving from the island to the United States because at least there were no hurricanes and shelters for people. In the play, Mickey said, “I have a cousin that left for the states and is living in some tents for refugees in a parking garage, and he tells me that it’s fine and that I should come with my daughter.” Even though the living condition is not that great, it is better than the conditions in Puerto Rico because there aren’t enough tarps for people to cover their roof and many houses were blown away during the hurricane.

   1. Hello Jiaqui, it’s very sad what happened to the Puerto Rican people after hurricane Maria especially when the neglection of the government when they most need it the help. I feel like Puerto Rico is the “middle child” of the United States as it’s a state but its not really treated as one and this situation and the way ex-president Trump treated the situation proofed that. When people hear of the United States we don’t imagine a place where resources, food, medical attention and other living necessities are scarce but this situation proofed otherwise, the long line people had to make reminds of other countries who had similar problems like Venezuela and most recently Ukrainians seeking shelter in other countries.

6. OPTION TWO
   The aftermath of hurricane Maria caused many Puerto Ricans to move from the island to the states. While the situation isn’t better as they’re living in tents for refugees– it’s something they felt they had to do as the government has failed to provide proper help for its citizens. Marisa says, “Now we can see how badly administered this country is, from the Department of Consumer Affairs to the Department of Housing, Health, and Education. While people were going hungry, the government was signing multimillion-dollar contracts..” Many Puerto Ricans left not because they wanted to but because they had to. It’s clear that the people in power have other priorities than helping their citizens. Hurricane Maria left many without power, water, jobs, and proper homes to live in. Schools have been shut down along with teachers being arrested for protesting against it. Some aren’t able to receive the proper medical attention they need either. In the play, we also see how the characters have attempted to reach out to FEMA for assistance yet received no proper answers on when they will actually receive financial help. While the government has done nothing to help its people we see how characters like Marisa and José Eugenio offer to lend a helping hand to their neighbors.

7. Option 3:
   A common satirical device used in this play to highlight the ineptitude of lawmakers and relief agencies during relief efforts is repetition. The first example of this is when residents continuously point out deaths to then Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, who responds to each resident with the same skeptical response: “Well, did they do an autopsy?…well, it doesn’t count” (49-50). This sequence is a reference to Gov. Rosselló’s public downplaying of the death toll in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in which he often cited a low total despite growing evidence the official numbers were a drastic undercount. The next example comes when residents are calling the FEMA hotline. Each of the residents calls with legitimate concerns and claims for aid from the organization, but the receptionist at the call center turns them all away or redirects them every time. The use of repetition in these two scenes is meant to highlight the absurdity of the situation: government officials and relief organizations unable to provide basic necessities to people in immediate dire need of aid. At its core, the repetition of the responses and structure in both scenes highlights how relief efforts were out of touch with the reality Puerto Ricans endured. The red tape of the recovery system makes all relief efforts inhumane, ignoring the magnitude of the situation.

8. Some of the daily issues when it came to dealing with hurricane Maria was the lack of support that Puerto Rico and infrastructure that came with the hurricane. Many people did not have access to water, power, and many of the amenities that allow one to live a normal life. Relief was not the fastest as well as the highest amount as noted by in the play saying that some were still waiting on their “500” dollars which was definitely not enough for people in a time like this as many people lost their homes as well as ability to survive. However the government has been known to bail out as well as give money to their top 1% of the economy whenever they missed out on money, such as the robinhood/gamestop issue, or the 2008 banking crisis where the government offered out hundreds of billions to remedy their debts/losses. Since Puerto Rico was treated as a third world country of the U.S relief took forever to come to them. This appears in the play stating “Hello FEMA? Yes. English, because in english the money comes faster” We notice the mocking of FEMA because if this was an Predominantly white territory we would see the help more quickly and more of it such as compared in the 2008 banking crisis. Puerto Rico received a rough estimate of 100 billion dollars worth of damages in which Fema relieved them of only 32 billion dollars worth of damages.

9. Option 2
   Many Puerto Ricans moved from the island to the United States because after the hurricane many were left with debts that they knew would be nearly impossible​​ to pay. This was because there was a lack of jobs, and no money was coming into their households. Many people lost their homes, and all that they had; and due to a lack of jobs and resources. These people were left with no choice but to migrate and immigrate to the United States. The play reads: “It’s not that I want to leave, it’s that I have to. The house doesn’t pay for itself; the light, the water, and the telephone have been cut off for two months, and they’re still charging me. And the only call coming in is my boss telling me that the business is closed and I have to look for another job.” Due to the terrible conditions that they were left to live in after the hurricane people had no other choice than to leave, more so with the lack of help that they were receiving from the government. A government that claimed it was there to aid them and protect them, but right when they needed its aid, they were left to perish. Many of the people in Puerto Rico knew that they would not be able to live in these conditions, that they would not be able to support their families, so they made the tough decision to leave in search for better living conditions.

   1. You offer great insight to the realities of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria for Puerto Ricans, as well as the treatment the nation received from the US government. I agree, there are many instances in the play that make it abundantly clear that there is not infrastructure in place to adequately aid Puerto Ricans, as a result of lack of US social/disaster relief programs.

   2. The struggles that the Puerto Ricans experienced after the hurricane were challenging. They lost everything and with the lack of jobs it was difficult for them to build a new life. I understand why they had to leave in order for them to have a better life. The government failed them and they should’ve provided some type of assistance. It’s difficult to see how our latin countries get treated especially when they need the most help.

10. One of the first and foremost issues that the Puerto Rican people faced was losing their homes and not having shelter for themselves and their families. In the play, one of the actors, Marisa portrays the difficulties many faced with housing at the Office of the Public Advocate, she says “the bank took my house and the hurricane swept away the house that I’m renting so I left for a shelter but we’re too many families in this school building and the wastewater started rising so we left for another shelter but this one isn’t in my town and I don’t have a car so I don’t have any way to take my kids to school, I need a house” (Page 51). For many Puerto Rican people, a variety of factors came together to collapse their livelihoods; people like the character played by Marisa found themselves forced to move from shelter to shelter with no personal belongings or even near adequate living conditions. To make matters worse, they found themselves almost completely disconnected from the rest of society and unable to obtain adequate aid or resources. In another scene of the play, the characters discuss their frustrations regarding the never-ending lines they have to endure in order to access an ATM or receive drinking water. They express that even those fortunate enough to have family members in the mainland U.S. willing to help would not be able to receive this help, “Titi Luli? You sent me a generator From New York? Oh no—by mail? They’ve already stolen it” (Page 50). The people attempt to reach out to their local government, and the offices and agencies meant to assist them on many occasions, but they are often met with either a great disregard and disinterest in helping them or the difficulties and shortfalls of bureaucracy; one person will refer them to another, who will refer them to another and another, in the end it becomes almost impossible for the people to ever get what they need.

11. Puerto Ricans dealt with a lot of horrible stuff due to Hurricane Maria. You can say that the Hurricane change people lives for the worst. According to Aye Maria “October 20, 2017. was supposed to be the opening night of the first play I produced in Puerto Rico. Instead, I found myself among
    fi-icnds from the San Juan theater community, commiserating over
    the damage the Lhuters had suffered after Hurricane Marla. It exactly one month after the storm. and we were worried about when we’d be able to get back to work”(Maria). This shows that way Puerto Ricans made their money was taken away from them. Jobs were destroyed which means money would’ve been tight. The destruction continues when Marisa a character in Ay Maria says “Finish all your preparations. Leave the flood zones. Get out of vulnerable buildings. I’m urging you”(Maria). Puerto Ricans had to leave their homes and lives to avoid the Hurricane in general. The life they set up for themselves is most likely gone. Hurricane Maria changed the way Puerto Rico is looked at forever and left behind a pathway of grief and distraction for the people who live there.

12. The play Ay, María! showcases the devastating results of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. As we have learned, Puerto Rico is an underserved territory of the United States that has been neglected for decades. In the play, the Puerto Rican, actors perform for their people, using this art to come together and share their struggles. One of the main issues that are presented is the lack of government responsibility which is the catalyst for the rest of the problems. We see this when they talk about the fatalities but to Rosselló and Trump, those deaths do not count unless there was a proper autopsy. Furthermore, people struggle to get the resources they need, such as electricity, money, food, and shelter. In one particular scene, Marisa expresses “ and when you see the empty houses that the bank has taken from people. all these foreclosed houses with roofs totally empty”, when she seeks shelter. Another example is when Jose Luis says “I applied for $500 From FEMA and it still hasn’t arrived”, trying to get aid from organizations that are supposed to be there for them. Both of these examples amplify the desperation that these people felt, and how they were simply an afterthought to the United States and the governors of Puerto Rico. Towards the end of the play, it describes the unity “Who lifted up our country. The hardworking people.” While they lacked resources, they had the same struggles, and a sense of community, leaning on each other to make it through this devastation.

13. In the aftermath of hurricane Maria, Puerto Rican people were left with little to no resources to help them survive and recover. The play highlights the difficulty people had trying to receive aid from FEMA, as well as gather basic necessities like water and tarps to cover their roofs. Many people lost their homes or jobs, and had to live with no water, light, and other basics. As a result, some people decided to move to the states in hopes of receiving some sort of aid in refugee camps or finding new jobs. Although this situation was not ideal it was the only option some people had left as they were not receiving any government support at home. In the play, Mickey explains that “it’s not that I want to leave, it’s that I have to”. He says that he lost his job, so he’s been using his savings to pay his bills but they are running out. His daughter’s school is closed so she has no access to treatment for her chronic condition. Mickey says that “this country is strangling me… with its corrupt officials messing with my family and yours”. Even though the situation in the US living in tents is not what most people want, it was a better option for some people than staying in Puerto Rico and continuing to struggle there.

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