Structural and Interpersonal Violence Among Puerto Rican Drug Users

The lives of Puerto Rican street drug users living on the US mainland are structured by addiction and violence. For some, drugs act as a palliative against the trauma of being exposed to extreme physical or emotional harm. For others, the effects of structural oppression, coupled with the cruel logic of addiction, situates violence just below the surface of lived experience (Singer 1996). This paper will explore the relationship between exposure to violence and drug using behaviors, as well as the degree to which violence becomes a byproduct of those behaviors. Drawing from life history interviews and survey data of drug users in Hartford, Connecticut, we will discuss the ways in which addiction, violent upbringings, and the ruthlessness of narco-capitalism-each operating within the context of Puerto Ricans' status as a colonized people vis a vis the USA-create an atmosphere in which violence becomes a near inevitable part of everyday life. We will also briefly address the complex ethical issues involved in studying violence.