Special Projects

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — On Jan. 17, 2012, Puerto Rico’s Individual Investors Act, known as Act 22, was created in order to attract thriving high-income residents and investors to the island for the improvement and growth of the economy by offering tax exemptions.  But now, Act 22 is a very controversial topic for Puerto Ricans because […]

YAUCO, Puerto Rico — There is a street in Yauco that follows a steep incline up a mountain. It’s bursting with color, wildlife, and smiling welcoming faces. The vibrant blues, oranges, pinks, and yellows bouncing off the buildings submerse visitors into a unique cultural experience that truly encapsulates the island’s pride. But it wasn’t always […]

Since Hurricane Maria struck the Puerto Rican Island in 2017, residents across the island are still experiencing power outages every day and no one is being held accountable. 

SALINAS, Puerto Rico — Martin Laboy works all day, Monday through Friday, at his hot dog stand in downtown Salinas, right across from the town’s main square. For the last 36 years, he has sat under his rainbow-colored umbrella, surrounded by colorful, vibrant blue and purple buildings as the sausages roast on his grill.  Salinas, […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — While the LGBT Community has come a long way in Puerto Rico, there are still many issues of concern facing the community today. Waves Ahead works hard at tackling these issues head on.  Waves Ahead is an organization dedicated to serving the needs of the LGBT and elder communities. According […]

Milwaukee is about 2,118 miles away from Puerto Rico. The heart of the Caribbean; Isla de Encanto. When thinking about it, a former Rust Belt city in the Midwest does not seem to have a lot in common with the tropical paradise. But migrants from Puerto Rico made sure to bring one important aspect to […]

Edrick Pagan-Ruiz runs a mobile jewelry store based in Yauco, in which he and his wife custom make all their jewelry, selling it on the island and shipping it to the States. Luckily, Pagan-Ruiz’s family home suffered minimal damage in the hurricane and was able to get it repaired. He resides higher up in the […]

Traveling through the town of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, it was clear a disaster had torn the town apart. Old, abandoned, broken boats sat on the grassy fields, fences lining the rural town were left bent and twisted in unnatural ways, occasional blue tarps lined the sides of buildings as if they had been tossed aside […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Alexa was homeless. After she was kicked out, she spent her time making her way around the island looking for a place to live. She became a familiar face to many throughout her travels and was known on a first-name basis. She never found a secure place to stay. On […]

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Cryptocurrency and tax breaks have made for complicated conversations in Puerto Rico. According to the media portrayal, the island became a hot spot for this trending technology, but the actual situation looks quite different from what people have heard about in the States.  Places like surfer-town Rincón and affluent Dorado […]

It all started 45 years ago. Ingrid Jeffs was just a small child when her parents traveled to Ecuador, found hats and started selling them “by the dozen.” But before hats became a “big hit,” her parents ran a small handicrafts business where everything was handmade. “My dad moved to Puerto Rico 50 years ago,” […]

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student journalists travel to Puerto Rico to shed light on the issues not covered by the mainstream media.