Seguimos Aquí: Future-Oriented Histories and Listening to Anti-Colonial Possibilities in Palestine and Puerto Rico Restricted; Files Only
Colorado Merino, Taylor (Spring 2026)
Abstract
What does decoloniality look like in places where (settler-)colonialism still thrives? As geopolitical violence continues to unfold in our contemporary moment— from ongoing settler-colonial violence in Gaza and the West Bank, to the pervasive immigration raids occurring throughout the U.S. empire— the role of the artist takes on new meaning. The United States and Israel as settler-colonial nations function as nation and empire, closely centering the construction of a people and raising the question of land and territory. This paper investigates how Palestinian and Puerto Rican musicians respond to their respective nation-state, recounting historical narratives grounded in mutual experiences characterized by self-determination, colonial violence, and articulations of identity and pride. Using a women of color feminist’s epistemological framework and “listening in detail,” I analyze these experiences as they have been voiced through musical productions to further explore the anti-colonial possibilities present, that provide the means for solidarity to form between marginalized groups. By placing Palestine and Puerto Rico into conversation, we realize the lived realities of people of color, domestically and abroad, as inextricably linked in the efforts to alternative modes of belonging and survival. Moreover, I use the case of solidarity between Palestine and Puerto Rico to further interrogate the possibilities of social organizing within an affective framework of “brownness.”
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
The Role of the Artist 5
Music as Liberation Praxis 7
Chapter 1 — Palestine: A Nation of Displaced Dreamers 15
Citizen Strangers 19
G’areeb fi Bladi (2006) 20
Heritage Keepers 23
Dammi Falasteeni (2014) 23
On This Land (June 2024) 27
7arrir 3aqlak / Asli Ana (Nov. 2024) 28
Kollo Lena (2025) 34
The Pen is Greater than the Sword 35
The Pen & The Sword (2023) 36
Chapter 2 — Puerto Rico: El Pueblo No Aguanta Más Injusticia 38
The Silence and Remaking of the Archive 40
DtMF (2025) 41
Economies of Extraction & Leisure 43
TURiSTA (2025) 44
LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii (2025) 47
Puerto Rican Nationalism 50
This is Not America (2022) 51
NUEVAYoL (2025) 54
LA MuDANZA (2025) 60
Chapter 3 — Brownness: Global Solidarity and World-Making Possibilities 64
Conclusion 70
Bibliography 72
Appendix 79
APPENDIX A 79
APPENDIX B 90
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File download under embargo until 28 May 2028 | 2026-04-07 18:14:01 -0400 | File download under embargo until 28 May 2028 |
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