Beginning in the years following World War I, the United States government and medical establishment pursued policies and initiatives in Puerto Rico that sought to address poverty and population growth through birth control and sterilization. These efforts disproportionately targeted impoverished Puerto Rican women, reflecting deeply rooted colonial, classist, and eugenic attitudes. Many physicians advocated for sterilization under the paternalistic assumption that poor Puerto Rican women were "incapable" of understanding or managing other forms of contraception. By the late 1960s, approximately one-third of Puerto Rican women of reproductive age had been sterilized, one of the highest rates in the world.

Una is a visual expression of my response to this disturbing history and the broader legacy of colonialism, racism, and reproductive control in Puerto Rico. The work confronts the ways institutional power can strip individuals of their autonomy, particularly when those individuals belong to communities that have historically been marginalized and dehumanized. It seeks to bring visibility to histories that have too often been overlooked and to encourage viewers to reflect on the lasting consequences of policies and practices that deny people the right to make decisions about their own bodies and futures.

The two-way mirror film serves as a central metaphor within the work. Its reflective surface invites viewers to look beyond their own reflections and consider the experiences, suffering, and histories of others. It challenges us to move beyond self-interest and recognize the injustices that persist when we choose not to see them. The mirror becomes both a barrier and an invitation: a reminder that looking at ourselves is not enough if we refuse to acknowledge the realities of those around us.

Through Una, I seek to provoke reflection on Puerto Rico's history of medical exploitation and reproductive coercion while drawing attention to the broader intersections of colonialism, racial discrimination, and bodily autonomy. The work asks viewers to confront uncomfortable truths, question the systems that allow injustice to persist, and consider their own responsibilities as witnesses to history. Ultimately, Una is an invitation to look beyond ourselves, recognize the humanity of others, and challenge the silence and indifference that allow such injustices to continue.