Created in 1985, this print pays tribute to the Puerto Ricans who migrated to Hawaii during the opening years of the 20th century and commemorates a visit by their Hawaii-born descendants. Large-scale migration began in 1900, when Puerto Rican laborers were recruited for Hawaii’s sugar plantations following the devastation of Puerto Rico’s agricultural economy by the hurricanes of 1899. The composition presents two related island landscapes divided by a central white passage, suggesting both geographical separation and enduring cultural connection. Its coastal towns, mountain forms, brightly painted architecture, and expansive blue water transform a difficult history of labor migration into a visual statement about survival, memory, and diasporic identity. The print identifies the Universidad Metropolitana, Grupo de Avanzada Cultural Inc., and Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades as sponsoring organizations.
Created in 1985, this print pays tribute to the Puerto Ricans who migrated to Hawaii during the opening years of the 20th century and commemorates a visit by their Hawaii-born descendants. Large-scale migration began in 1900, when Puerto Rican laborers were recruited for Hawaii’s sugar plantations following the devastation of Puerto Rico’s agricultural economy by the hurricanes of 1899. The composition presents two related island landscapes divided by a central white passage, suggesting both geographical separation and enduring cultural connection. Its coastal towns, mountain forms, brightly painted architecture, and expansive blue water transform a difficult history of labor migration into a visual statement about survival, memory, and diasporic identity. The print identifies the Universidad Metropolitana, Grupo de Avanzada Cultural Inc., and Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades as sponsoring organizations.