In June, I interviewed Zeus, an activist and leader at the non-profit organization Urbe A Pie in Caguas Puerto Rico. During our conversation, I was reminded of the importance of third spaces. A third space is a social sphere separate from one's work and home. It operates as a place to live in a community, to grow, explore and feel safe. Under a colonized state, a third space is pivotal in reaffirming personal autonomy. The right to the mundane symbolizes the right to personal autonomy that may have been lost by surviving under a governing state that reduces the accessibility of third spaces. As an organization, they work to reclaim abandoned lots in the urban center of Caguas, Puerto Rico. The spaces they claim undergo a process where they assess what aspects of the mundane remain hijacked under a colonized state and offer the resources to establish it again. In Puerto Rico under the Jones Act, much of the food and resources that arrive on the island must be brought, packed, and controlled by U.S. ships and crew. In response, Urbe A Pie created a community garden called Huerto Feliz. It is one of 6 open spaces maintained by the group, to promote community knowledge on the protection, preservation, and management of land. In doing so they organize farmers markets for members so the community can come together and bear the fruits of their labor.
When I went to the 116th Street Festival in commemoration of the Puerto Rican Day parade, I was reminded just how much spaces hold history. Enjoying food with fellow research scholars from home, dancing, and playing traditional dominions is a way of reaffirming Boricuan culture and protecting its survival.