The concept for my project was inspired by a profound understanding of the Puerto Rican diaspora to which I belong. Immersed in large communities of diasporic Puerto Ricans, I’ve observed recurring themes and elements within our shared experiences, including a common desire to return to the island. The articles on mapping and archival techniques influenced how I envisioned my project, opening up possibilities for what could be achieved through this process. It will be exciting to start this project in the future and see what new digital tools come along in the process.

My project sets out to create an interactive map to trace the Puerto Rican diaspora’s movement to the US mainland, inspired by the participatory nature of “queeringthemap.com.” The idea is to let people pin their family’s origins, encouraging widespread participation through partnerships with Puerto Rican communities and events. The aim is to make the map a public tool for sharing data and showcasing the diaspora’s diverse roots across the US. It’s a digital humanities effort that combines public engagement with scholarly pursuits, offering a new lens on the diasporic narrative by analyzing Puerto Ricans’ collective memories and experiences. By providing a platform where individuals can document their stories, this project helps to fill the gap in understanding and visualizing the Puerto Rican migration story, linking academic research with the lived experiences of a vibrant culture. This work complements existing resources like https://puertoricosyllabus.com/, placing Puerto Rican studies within the digital humanities framework.

The Tools of Digital Humanities, hosted by the Digital Fellows at the GC, laid out a few of the important tools that one might use in the field. An important aspect of the tools that were shown was the concept of open-source tools. That means anyone can use them but also build upon the tool as needed.

Tuka Al Salhani led the workshop, and although her primary course of study was not Digital Humanities, and she is a linguist, she was able to call upon the tools for her field of study. This, I believe, speaks to the importance of Digital Humanist Tools as we know them and the expansion of the digital world. Tuka also went over some of the key tenets of DH and focused on five primary ones. They included Digital Pedagogy, Data Visualization, Geospatial Mapping Research, Digital Archives, and Digital Publishing. Through this workshop, there were two main goals: to consider what makes something DH and to explore the tools and research that evoke DH.

I appreciated the walkthrough of various tools, such as Voyant for textual analysis and Audacity for audiovisual editing, which is something I could have used for. Understanding the tools we even use in class, such as Manifold, and the purposes of the tools to help understand them in a new way. Tuka went over some of the ‘Things to do with DH’ and how the work we do can inform the projects we create.

The Struggles of Maintaining Neutrality

After looking at the reading, “When Wikipedia Fought Back,”  highlighted the challenges of maintaining neutrality on the platform, especially when there are no firm rules. Wikipedia’s commitment to neutrality often leads to rigorous debates among contributors, showcasing the complexity of representing diverse perspectives on contentious topics. This article emphasized the importance of understanding the nuances of neutrality and the responsibility it places on editors to navigate controversial subjects.  Dr. Mari, assumed that the platform would not have a life of its own, when their students started posting and making edits, that seemed harmless, they did not stay on the webpage as some of the information being added was false or students were too connected to the topic, but my question is according to whom? 

Digital Archives and Equity

Looking at digital archives I also delved into the broader implications of online archives and knowledge production. Online archives have the potential to perpetuate inequities, as access to the internet, education, and notability can influence what is considered notable.  An example discussed was the 9/11 archive, which highlighted the need for intentional efforts to include underrepresented voices in digital archives to avoid skewed narratives, especially on the events that transpired during the 9/11 incidents.  This reflects the broader issue of social inequality and the digital divide.

My Contribution to Wikipedia
After gaining a better understanding of Wikipedia’s principles and the challenges it faces, I began to make a minor edit to a Wikipedia page. I chose to edit the page on “Nuyorican” wiki page. A  term that holds personal significance for me as a New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent. I added Mariposa Fernandez, a poet mentored by Pedro Pietri, to the list of notable Nuyoricans. This edit aimed to contribute to the recognition of individuals who have made valuable contributions to the Nuyorican culture and poetry scene. See below for a screenshot: (in case it gets deleted) 

This assignment to look at Wikipedia provided valuable insights into the inner workings of this vast online encyclopedia and its commitment to neutrality, collaboration, and accessibility. It also sheds light on the broader issues of equity in digital archives. By making a minor edit to a Wikipedia page, I participated in the ongoing process of knowledge creation and dissemination, reinforcing the idea that Wikipedia is not just a resource but a dynamic platform shaped by its contributors. It is a reminder that each of us has the power to influence and enhance the digital knowledge landscape through our contributions, however minor they may seem.

I have some experience with data visualization tools like Looker Studio by Google and Power BI by Microsoft. Tableau caught my attention as a tool that could offer valuable insights. Initially, I intended to work with birthday data and correlate Zodiac Signs with participation, but I found that managing this data was quite challenging. Consequently, I opted for an alternative approach – analyzing my clothing items to distinguish between thrifted and fast fashion pieces.

I focused solely on my everyday wear, which includes shirts, pants, jackets, sweaters, and T-shirts. I categorized each item into one of four categories: Fast Fashion, Thrift Shop, Hand Me Down, or Small Business. Additionally, I assigned secondary attributes to the clothing items. To facilitate this analysis, I created a spreadsheet and conducted a qualitative assessment of my wardrobe, which I later imported into Tableau for visualization.

While working in Tableau, one of the challenges I encountered was ensuring that the graphs had consistent colors to establish connections between them. Additionally, some of the terminology within Tableau made it a bit difficult to navigate the platform.

Nonetheless, I persevered and experimented with various charts and graphs, ultimately selecting the Bubble Graph for a comprehensive closet breakdown. This project served as an exploratory data analysis, as I had preconceived assumptions about my wardrobe composition. However, I sought to validate these assumptions and uncover any intriguing findings that could influence my future shopping habits.

In summary, my exploration in Tableau was not only aimed at confirming my initial beliefs about my closet but also at discovering new insights that may shape my future fashion choices.

Here is the visualization of My Closet Breakdown from Tableau.

Digital Humanities, as an academic discipline, aims to broaden our understanding of Human Arts, History, and Culture by pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Within academia, where these subjects are defined and measured for widespread education, Digital Humanities ushers in a new era of learning, offering fresh perspectives on traditional categories. The Early Caribbean Digital Archive serves as an excellent example of how this field breathes life into history, enriching our knowledge of the culture and people of the early Caribbean.

From our earliest days in school, we often learn about Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, particularly the Caribbean. The Early Caribbean Digital Archive takes on the ambitious task of creating an open and accessible repository that aligns with the core principles of Digital Humanities, as articulated by scholars like Matt Gold and Jacqueline Wernimont. Matt Gold emphasizes the unique role of Digital Humanities in advancing humanities research and teaching “through creative use of digital technology.” This mission statement aligns perfectly with the objectives of the Early Caribbean Digital Archive.

This archive not only preserves historical records but also facilitates their distribution for learning and encourages the expansion of our understanding of Early Caribbean History. By harnessing the power of the internet, it fosters a broader discourse and promotes deeper exploration of this rich and complex topic.