On September 20th, 2017 Hurricane Maria left the island of Puerto Rico with an inexplicable amount of devastation. At the time of the crisis, news coverage was filled with a frenzy of different statistics of death, destruction, and overall, an unforeseen hope for the recovery of the island. Without any source of power or means of communication to family and friends, the media was the only resource that kept people in the states and on the island connected.

Almost seven months later, Puerto Rico has slowly recovered yet disappeared from media coverage. The lives of thousands who have been through travesty being literally left in the dark. Many relief funds have raised money and have restored some of the areas of Puerto Rico. In addition, contributions made by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have continued to raise awareness and funds to help the civilians. Yet, this still isn’t enough and definitely says something for the humanity of our country and the media’s priorities.

Most recently, Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez a graphic novelist and writer has teamed up with DC Comics and has utilized some of the most famous superheroes to create Puerto Rico’s very own: La Borinqueña. The “Ricanstruction” is not only a play on words but also a comic book with the common goal to reminisce and rebuild the Puerto Rico its people love and know. La Borinqueña tells original stories about the past and embodies the beautiful history of the island and its people. 100% of the proceeds of this comic book will go towards relief funds and for rebuilding the infrastructure and the homes of many who still desperately need it. Somos Arte, the organization who created this anthology says that “These short stories remind us all that the true power of being a hero is inside each of us. When we come together as a united people, we will never be defeated!”

What makes this effort so remarkable, is definitely the character Somos Arte chose to represent in their project. La Borinqueña, tells the story of the character Marisol Rios De La Cruz who is a college student from Brooklyn, NY. When she decides to take a semester abroad at the University of Puerto Rico, she comes across a cave where she will meet Atabex, the Taino mother goddess. Her sons Yúcahu, spirt of the seas and mountains and Juracan, spirit of the hurricanes summon Marisol’s superhero powers and she becomes La Boriqueña.

Not only does this graphic novel bring awareness to Hurricane Maria, but also to the rich history that lies within La Isla del Encanto! For comic book lovers this is definitely exciting to see. Yet for Puerto Ricans like myself, this brings an even more overwhelming sense of pride and joy to see a Latina superhero. A woman of color! A superhero that teaches little girls to to love their rizos (curls), their skin color, and to have deep pride in their roots! The name is very appropriate and thoughtful as well as this is the national anthem. Puerto Rico is a place like no other. When it faces adversity, it only rises up stronger. The people are strong, giving, and kind souls. So, I encourage you to continue to speak up about Puerto Rico and give all that you can.