Going to Puerto Rico for the first time over Spring Break, I was honored to meet Emilie, a local from San Juan who “adopted” me and my friend, Sanaa, after briefly meeting in passing at a sushi restaurant. Feeling her tender spirit, I asked if I could take her portrait the next day, and she kindly took us for lunch in the city of Loíza, about an hour from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The title of this work is inspired by our 3-hour collective car conversation, regarding the invasive nature of iguanas, who were introduced to the island in the 70s from Central and South America; in this, they began to be traded as pets, and released into the wild once they got too big, or owners not want them anymore, causing the iguana population to now exceed the Puerto Rican population. With this, iguanas have become an island pest, with no natural predators allowing them to eat away at local agriculture, infrastructure, and native biodiversity.

Because of this, this work aims to address the metaphorical iguanas occupying the territory, slowly corroding the cultural and environmental fabric of the land. With the U.S government’s taxation of the Puerto Rican people without federal representation; mainland corporations and wealthy foreigners attempting to privatize public beaches while increasing development projects; and tourists increasing the cost of living for local residents, this piece endeavors to highlight the resilience and resistance of the Puerto Rican people, while calling attention to legacies of colonialism, gentrification, and economic exploitation. Note: This is not to say that I am exempt from the problem, as I was a tourist during my trip, but to acknowledge my position within this dynamic, and think about the nuances of privilege, travel, and responsibility, while simultaneously calling the viewer to consider their own role in systems of displacement and consumption.