Historical Context of The Chrysalis
Since 1898, Puerto Rico has undergone transformations that have shaped its identity, economy, and standard of living.
Following the Spanish-American War, the U.S. annexed Puerto Rico, imposing policies that profoundly impacted the island’s political, economic, and social trajectories. The Jones Act of 1917 granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans yet denied them full political representation, fueling resistance. In the 1930s and 1950s, the party led by Pedro Albizu Campos sought independence, culminating in uprisings such as the 1950 Jayuya and San Juan Revolts and the 1954 attack on the U.S. Congress by Puerto Rican movements that faced severe suppression.
The mid-20th century saw an economic shift under Operation Bootstrap, promoting industrialization through U.S. tax incentives, leading to the rise, from IRS Rule 936, of American pharmaceutical companies on the island. By the 1970s, Puerto Rico became a hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing, yet these industries often benefited multinational corporations more than local workers, contributing to economic dependency. During the 1980s AIDS crisis, pharmaceutical companies in Puerto Rico prioritized the sale of these drugs in wealthier U.S. markets rather than making them widely available to Puerto Ricans, exacerbating health disparities on the island.
Since the period of The Chrysalis, gentrification (Law 2022) has further strained Puerto Rico’s economy and social fabric, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017. Wealthy investors and mainland Americans have purchased properties, driving up housing costs and displacing 10-15 % of Puerto Ricans.
Despite these hardships, Puerto Ricans continue to assert their cultural and ethnic identity, balancing resistance, adaptation, and calls for self-determination. The independence movement, though weakened by U.S. policies and economic realities, remains a key part of Puerto Rico’s historical narrative, shaping its ongoing struggle for sovereignty and social equity.
Most recently, Bad Bunny has drawn attention to social, political, and economic issues affecting Puerto Ricans. In 2019, he protested with other popular artists to demand the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló after leaked chats revealed corruption and offensive remarks. In his 2022 music video for El Apagón, he criticized the displacement of Puerto Ricans by wealthy investors and U.S. expatriates who exploit tax incentives. In a more recent video “Debi haber tomado mas fotos” he has hit the same issues with renewed force and in the face of President Trump's degrading statements.
In lyrics and interviews, he has called out U.S. policies that maintain Puerto Rico’s economic dependency and criticized industries that exploit the island’s labor and resources while providing little long-term benefit to Puerto Ricans. He has publicly supported LGBTQ+ rights in a conservative Latin music industry, paying tribute on late-night TV to Alexa Negrón Luciano, a transgender woman murdered in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico’s nationhood, like Native Americans, Hawaiian, and many other remaining colonies, is being brutally threatened by colonialism, outside controls by capitalism, gentrification with loss of our only resources—our ancestors' land and the loss of its little autonomy by an imperial US imposed Junta. The independence movement had a big gain in the recent vote; the US president’s insults are chastised, the people on the island and diaspora are waking up and have found their power in their streets and popular voices articulate it in music and sports. The flag is seen everywhere and there is a feeling that finally, Boricuas have woken up: “Boricua despierta, defiende lo tuyo.”
At the time of the play (1990) these issues flare up due to the AIDS epidemic exposing the wounds: denial by American companies of life-saving drugs as an affront to Puerto Ricans who gave their lives in Vietnam and other Wars without power to vote in Congress..
A family microcosm of this national crisis struggles with these issues, and their inner conflicts are a reflection of the outside world crumbling even though grandparents return to intervene. The national tragedy of HIV infection hits home when Jose, Raul's best friend, falls ill without access to adequate medical care. Jose’s condition reinforces the island’s dependency on outside interests and the need for the rise of a new independence movement.
The family survives its multiple conflicts as a unit or chrysalis by embracing what truly holds them together—national pride, the flag, the Patria (Francisco’s true identity), and their common ancestors.
The Chrysalis promises the rebirth of the nation, the will of Puerto Ricans to survive and the determination that above all, nationhood is the force that binds them most.
Added May 10, 2025
Earlier this week, the administration was questioned by CBS News about its proposed elimination of funding for LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention in their budget.
In their response, the White House doubled down on not funding what they called “a chat service where children are encouraged to embrace radical gender ideology by ‘counselors’ without consent or knowledge of their parents.”
The Trevor Project has always put people over politics. So regardless of how our life-saving programs are misconstrued, we’re doubling down on working with friends and allies across all parties to save the lives of LGBTQ+ young people.
This includes preparing for the very real possibility that Congress won’t be able to stop this funding from being eliminated.
We got nearly 500,000 calls and chats like this last year from LGBTQ+ youth in crisis.
"As someone who has worked as a suicide prevention counselor for a Minnesota hotline, I know how listening saves lives. Whether it's on the phone or as part of a theater audience, being present lets others know you care." Joe Moses, director of The Chrysalis.