Abstract
This article offers a theoretical reflection on the forms and meanings of networks in the Caribbean, moving beyond traditional definitions rooted in computation and formal infrastructure. By turning to vernacular, improvised, and culturally embedded modes of exchange—such as in "Club Nintendo" culture and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) in the Dominican Republic, the DIY internet practices of Cuban users, and the ubiquity of memes and WhatsApp threads across diasporic communities—this piece reframes the concept of the “network” through a Caribbean lens. Rather than seeing the Caribbean as disconnected or technologically incipient, this approach understands the region as a space of creative, strategic, and often transgressive network-making.
Recommended Citation
Rivera Jiménez, Luis.
2026.
"Infrastructure of Lack: Defining Caribbean Vernacular Networks."
archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis
9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17132/2689-842X.1001
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