Dispensary at Barrio Padilla of Corozal
Description
Group of women with their babies at the entrance of a medical clinic at Barrio Padilla of Corozal. The floor is made of tiles, which alternates between two colors. There is a wooden lattice covering the walls' openings of the space and all the women are seated on chairs waiting. Two open double doors can be seen on the right side and among the wall there are signs communicating public health details. The building is made of wood and is one of 122 dispensaries that were built by the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (PRRA) as Medical Centers at the camps of the towns in the center of the island.| Origin Name |
PRA 0081 F0001
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| Relation |
Archivo de Arquitectura y Construcción de la Universidad de Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration > Cartapacio 17
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| Geographical Coverage |
Corozal
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| Date |
1936
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| Descriptive Notes |
Title assigned by the cataloguing team. Right at the bottom of the image it says: "Dispensary in Bo. Padilla Corozal No. 4 1936". The general description contains information provided by the Architectural and Construction Archive of the University of Puerto Rico (AACUPR).
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| Descripción decolonial |
The image depicts women with their babies at a medical clinic in Barrio Padilla, Corozal, highlighting the coloniality of gender and life care. This scene underscores the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration's efforts to address public health in rural Puerto Rico during the 1930s, focusing on women and children. The clinic, one of 122 built by the PRRA, reflects the intersection of gender and colonial health policies. Women, as primary caregivers, faced systemic health challenges exacerbated by colonial structures. While the PRRA aimed to improve public health by treating diseases like malaria and typhoid fever, these initiatives also reinforced traditional gender roles by emphasizing women's responsibility for family health (including the issue of overpopulation, which many politicians blamed on Puerto Rican women in racist and sexist terms). The modern medical facilities contrasted with traditional rural practices, pushing a colonial agenda of modernization. The PRRA's work, though beneficial in many aspects, illustrated how colonial powers controlled and directed life care practices, embedding their authority in the daily lives of Puerto Rican women and children.
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| Historical Background | |
| Architectural Subject |
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| Decolonial Subject | |
| Rights |
The PRAHA does not own the rights to this resource. The user must contact the repository or archive that holds the physical document to determine the restrictions that may apply under the Copyright and Intellectual Property Law or by agreements agreed with donors.
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| Editor |
Fundación Luis Muñoz Marín
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| Resource Format |
JPEG
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| Resource Type |
Image
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