The term “yerba mala” is Puerto Rican slang for the different plants that grow on the faces of buildings. The direct translation would be “bad weed”. We, Puerto Ricans, are susceptible to giving things negative connotations by simply putting the word “bad” or “malo, mala” to the word we’re
describing. To non-Spanish speakers, it may sound silly or even self-explanatory. I feel like that word perfectly encapsulates what it is to be Puerto Rican. The way that it grows out of the deepest crevices of unnatural circumstances into the light. The way I wanted to approach the question or prompt of the film is through an architectural lens. I feel as though the built environment is a mirror of us. The way we decide to shape our surroundings speaks to what we like, what we don’t like, who has been here, and who will eventually. It opens a dialogue about society, power, and culture. I wanted to explore my identity and relationship with the space I’ve lived in for 17 years through those eyes.
describing. To non-Spanish speakers, it may sound silly or even self-explanatory. I feel like that word perfectly encapsulates what it is to be Puerto Rican. The way that it grows out of the deepest crevices of unnatural circumstances into the light. The way I wanted to approach the question or prompt of the film is through an architectural lens. I feel as though the built environment is a mirror of us. The way we decide to shape our surroundings speaks to what we like, what we don’t like, who has been here, and who will eventually. It opens a dialogue about society, power, and culture. I wanted to explore my identity and relationship with the space I’ve lived in for 17 years through those eyes.
In simple terms, it’s an exploration of the colonized experience through the built
environment.
environment.
