Declaration of Diversity and Inclusion of the Luquillo LTER.
Luquillo-LTER celebrates and values diversity in our community, and recognizes that a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives strengthens and enriches our work. Indeed, much of our success in research, education, and outreach derives from the broad diversity of participants that we represent and support. We encourage the participation of all individuals regardless of race, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, career stage, physical or mental ability, culture, language, religion, politics, or socio-economic status. We are committed to fostering a work environment, scientific community, and institutional climate that respects individual differences and continuously strives for greater diversity, equity and inclusion.
Resources
We encourage all Luquillo-LTER members to take initiative in broadening the voices and viewpoints included in our scientific, mentoring and outreach activities.
The LTER Network Office has compiled a comprehensive list of resources and ideas for improving inclusivity and confronting systemic racism in academia and ecology:
https://lternet.edu/network-organization/diversity-resources/
The NSF INCLUDES Network offers information on best practices, capacity-building, and a supportive national community to anyone interested in improving diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. For more information visit:
https://www.includesnetwork.org/new-a/about-us
Puerto Ricans are considered a singular ethnic group within the United States. Yet Puerto Rico is inherently multicultural, with races and ethnicities reflecting the long history and “mestizaje,” or mixture, of Taino, African, and European peoples on the island. Luquillo LTER recognizes that in Puerto Rico the issue of underrepresentation is multi-layered and that effective diversity, equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives must respond to this complexity, taking a diversity of viewpoints into account.
Researchers and collaborators who would like to familiarize themselves with Puerto Rico’s racial history and its contemporary impacts, are encouraged to explore the following resources:
Recommended bibliography by the activist group Colectivo Ilé:
http://colectivo-ile.org/?p=742
Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña/ UPR Cayey: COLOQUEO – Racismo en Puerto Rico: Dimensiones institucionales, personales e internalizadas
https://youtu.be/9_QUj6t6nF8
Article on racial history in Puerto Rico by UPR students:
https://pulsoestudiantil.com/la-historia-de-puerto-rico-un-relato-impregnado-de-racismo/