Spotlight
La Isla del Encanto; Borikén
josé a. alvarado jr.
Sep 20, 2018
Since the beginning of December 2017 and the months following, I have spent time traveling to the Cordillera Central region of Puerto Rico to document the physical damage to areas in my family's villages post-Hurricane Maria. What began as a way to cope with the devastation and loss of many of my family's tangible history, has cultivated into a body of work that I feel captures the optimistic and undeterred men and women whose lives changed on September 20, 2017. The people who, for the last year since the destruction of the storm, have tirelessly spent their days and nights trying to pick up the pieces.
Thank you, Jim Estrin, for giving me the opportunity to share this story with everyone and for all your valuable guidance along the way. Thank you, David Gonzalez, for your incredibly insightful and impactful writing. Thank you to all my loved ones, friends, family, and strangers for believing in me, for the valuable support, and for allowing me to document this very delicate time in your lives.
He Photographed What Hurricane Maria ‘Couldn’t Take Away’ From His Family
Jose Alvarado Jr. set out to capture quiet moments that are rooted in his family’s experiences yet speak to those of countless others.