• ' YEARS - - • PIONffiROS(AS): MIGRANT PIONEERS TO THE (1898-1930s)

A period of American expansionism and increased commercial interests that 1898 The Treaty of Paris puts an end to the Spanish -Cuban-American War. Spain cedes date back to the early 1800s, leads the United States to incorporate new _j I , the Philippines, and Guam to the United States and Cuba becomes a territories and populations. The United States declares war against Spain and invades Cuba and Puerto Rico. This conflict is known as the Spanish­ 1 8 99 _Pu-e-rt_o_R·_,co_c_o_ve_r-ed_b_y_A_m_e-ri-ca_n_fi-ag_s_). _[P_D_; G_E_N_J American War or Spanish-Cuban-American War. 'rf_ __;: _~_o~-~-~-~ -L~n_F_~_r~a-~e-~-~ -g o_v_e_rn_o_r ·s_p_a_l a-ce_i _n (I mage fro mear ly 20th ce ntu ry ciga r box label). [PD; GEN] I A non-voting Resident Commissioner, Federico Degetau, a Puerto Rican who favored statehood for the island, was the first to occupy this post and repre------1·1900 sent Puerto Rico in the U.S. Congress. Two years after the U.S. takeover and the initial military regime, the Foraker Act is enacted by the U.S. Congress to imple­ I Charles Allen, the U.S. appointed governor of Puerto Rico, promotes • ment a civil government in Puerto Rico. The new legislation stated that all Spanish subjects living on the island would 1900 become citizens of Puerto Rico, entitled to the protection of the United States, but not accorded the full constitutional migration of Puerto Rican contract workers to Hawaii, another possession rights shared by U.S. citizens residing in the states. Legal challenges related to citizenship, civil rights, immigration, and of the United States since 1898, and to a few neighboring Caribbean trade tariffs were made in later years, aimed at demanding equal treatment for . These Supreme Court islands to work in the sugarcane fields. decisions are known as the "insular cases:' (P hoto of Puerto Ri ca n field wo rkers in Hawa ii, c. 1900s). [PD] 1904 L New U.S. immigration guidelines issued in 1902, changed the immigration status of all Puerto Ricans. Isabel Gonzalez, The Club Puertorriqueno de San Francisco is established. Some Puerto Rican workers con­ I a young and pregnant Puerto Rican single mother, was detained at Ellis Island as an "alien" and potential "burden " to tracted to go to the Hawaiian islands stayed in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and others con­ the state. The Gonzalez v. Williams insular case reached the Supreme Court. The Court decided that Puerto Ricans were tracted to work in Arizona farms also later settled in California. not aliens and could travel to the United States without restrictions. The Court reaffirmed that Puerto Ricans were not (P hoto of the cover of the Club's Co nstitution, 1912). [JC P] I U.S. citizens and should be regarded as "noncitizen nationals:' 1912 Puerto Rican tabaquero [cigar worker] ~~ 1912 ~------Bernardo Vega migrates to Puerto Rican women's rights advocate, labor organizer, and feminist writer Luisa Capetillo and becornes a leading community activist travels to New York and the next year to Tampa, Florida to organize tobacco workers. 1916 and journalist. Memoirs of Bernardo Vega (1977; 1983) is one of the most important sources for documenting ~ 1916 (Poster of Ca petillo by Antoni o Martorell, 199 1). [EAB] the contributions of tabaqueros(as) and other workers to the forma­ tive stages of the New York Puerto Rican community. J1917 '------., (Litho print "The Cigar Maker Hands" by Arn old Martin ez; photo of Bern ardo Vega). r--1 The Jones Act, enacted by Congress, grants U.S. citizenship to all Puerto Rican island resi ­ [Co urtesy of Arn old Martinez; JoCP] dents and migration to the United States increases at a faster pace. Conferral of U.S. citi­ 1917 f- zenship, however, did not provide island Puerto Ricans the same rights enjoyed by state­ The United States joins European allies and enters . As new American citizens , side U.S. citizens. Puerto Rican men are drafted into the U.S. armed forces. 191 7 ----t 1917 Deemed an excess population in a territory of widespread poverty, U.S. officials continue to promote labor migration from Puerto Rico to the United States. Laborers and other Joaquin Colon, a Puerto Rican of African descent, arrives in New York City where he becomes a migrants helped established the early Puerto Rican communities in East and in community activist, writes for community newspapers, and is among the founding members of the 's Navy Yard, Boro Hall, and Williamsburg areas. Puerto Rican Democratic Club, Inc. (1923). The club encouraged the community to vote and partici­ (Postca rd of Broo klyn Bri dge, c. 1930s) . [POST] pate in the U.S. political process.

"""""' ,. -- ·-·"~·~ ~ .. , ..... ,..,._, .,..,. 1918 Erasmo Vando arrives in New York, after spending time as a construction contract 1918 f---- worker in South Carolina. He was a theater actor, producer, writer, and community Following in the footsteps of his older brother Joaqufn, Jesus Colon, migrates to activist. He co-founded the Juventud Nacionalista Puertorriquena [Puerto Rican New York as a stowaway in a steamship. He initially works as a waiter, but contin­ l ues his education and later becomes a journalist, labor organizer, and commu­ Nationalist Youth] (1919) and the Asociacion de Escritores y Periodistas Puer­ -~ 1919 torriquenos [Puerto Rican Writers and Journalists Association] (1939), and was nity activist. He participated in the founding of several key Puerto Rican commu­ involved in many other organizations. (Photo of Va ndo, 1964). [EVPJ nity organizations in New York from the 1920s-1970s (Left to right: Joaquin and JesusCo lon photo, 1918 ). [JCP]

Puerto Ricans began to settle in in large numbers in the 1920s and : .:.?."'"-"-'"'""~ 30s. The neighborhood came to be known as Spanish Harlem or El Barrio. They .g~q~~ also begin to settle in the Lower East Side. (S panish Harlem, c. late 19 40s-early 1950s). [JAM] Luis Munoz Marin moves to New York, after many years living in Washington, DC. He spent over a decade moving between Puerto Rico and the United States, and finally settles on the island in 1931 to pursue a political career. Pura Belpre, a Puerto Rican of African 191 9 j------L~( ~Ph~o~t o~o~f~M~u~n o~z~M~a~ri~n ,~c~. 1~9~20~s~) . ~[ F~L M~M~l~------descent, arrives in New York and is the first Puerto Rican librarian to be hired in The Alianza Obrera Puertorriquena [Puerto Rican Workers' Alli­ the New York Public Library. She l ance] is founded in New York City by Bernardo Vega , Jesus Colon, becomes a storyteller and writes 1920 Luis Munoz Marin, and other labor activists to encourage workers children's books that recreate some to unionize. Puerto Rican folkloric traditions. [PBPJ I (Left to right: Vega an d Co lon photo, mid-19 40s). [JCP] 1922 ~ The Liga Puertorriquena [Puerto Rican League] is established in New York by members of the Puerto Rican professional elite. Among them wa s Nationalist writer Guillermo O'Neill. The Club Caborrojeno is founded marking the beginning of island hometown clubs in New York. These clubs promoted social and political cohesion and net­ (Photo of O'Neill, seated holding ah at, with the cast of hispl ay Bajo una sola bandera, 1934). [E mVP] works within the community. (P hoto of Lexington Avenue in 1962, w here the town club Hijos de Patillas was located). [J AM]

The Porto Rican Brotherhood of America is created in New York City to foster mutual aid and unity within the community. (P hoto of Brotherhood members at a restaurant, 1928). [EVP] The Betances Democratic Club is established in Brooklyn by Puerto Rican community activists. Among them were 1926 Carlos Tapia and Antonia Denis, both of African descent. As the Puerto Rican population increases in Harlem, there is an outbreak of inter-ethnic clashes 1927 Several political clubs were organized in different Puerto between old residents and newcomers. Known as the Harlem Riots, one reason for these clashes -1 1926 Rican neighborhoods to encourage the community to vote was the establishment of Hispanic-owned small businesses in a neighborhood previously controlled I and participate in the political process. by Jewish and Italian merchants. The Liga Puertorriquena e Hispana [Puerto Rican and Hispanic (Men ca rrying a portrait of Tapia at the Puerto Rican Day Parade, 1961; ID photo of De ni s, 1930s). [JAM; AHMP] League] is founded to deal with such conflicts and other challenges, and foster unity within the 1927 community. (Ce ntro poster for a Voices of the Migration Co nference [1983] featuring JesUs Co lOn, President of the Brooklyn I The Bureau of Employment and Identification is established in New York City by Puerto Rico's Department of Labor. Branch of the Li ga). This agency provided assistance to Puerto Rican migrant job seekers during the years and issued 1930r- identification cards to prove U.S. citizenship. 11934 1 EmeiiVelez Soto arrives in New York and works in a curtain factory. She collaborated in 1935 the founding of El Comite Femenino del Partido Nacionalista [Women's Committee of l Italian American Vito Marcantonio is elected to represent Harlem's 18th the Nationalist Party]. She married Erasmo Vando in 1942. Later on, she pursued a ---1934 District at the U.S. Congress. The Congressman was a strong advocate for career in acting and politics. (Wiez deVa ndo at ar ally). [EmVPJ workers and unions, and supported the Puerto Rican community in many ,,.,.o.,. I of its causes, including Puerto Rico's independence. Another Harlem Riot exposes segregation, discrimination, the racial tensions between Harlem 's 1-1935 --- 1935 {Ma rca ntonio on the left, shakin g hands with Joaquin ColOn, with JesUs ColOn in the back­ white residents and groups of color, and the city's neglect in providing relief to poor communities. ~ ground ). [JoC P] Puerto Rican lawyer Gilberto Concepcion de Gracia collaborated with Congress- I The Hispanic Section of the International Workers' Order (IWO) is established man Vito Marcantonio on Puerto Rican issues. He also represented Pedro Albizu --"T"I 1 9 3 6 1-r----+ under the leadership of Jesus Colon as a fraternal organization that provided mutual Campos and other Nationalists in their trials. In 1946, he founded the Partido lnde- aid and life & health insurance benefits to workers. (Photo of IWO Hi spanic Section Fi rst An niversary Progra m, 1937). [JCP] pendentista Puertorriqueiio [Puerto Rican Independence Party]. Due to political 1936 repression and blacklisting of Nationalists and pro-independence advocates in Gilberto Gerena Valentin, a labor and community organizer, and coalition builder, migrates to New York. In later years Puerto Rico, many migrated to the United States between the 1930s-1960s. he was involved in founding major community organizations. (Ph oto of Co ncepcion deG racia, to the right, shaking han dsw ith Marca ntonio; c. late 193 0s). [ACFGCFO]

The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) brings large 1936 1937 numbers of exiles to New York. Many Puerto Ricans and other Latinos denounced the fascist regime in Spain. Puerto Rican lawyer Oscar Garcia Rivera becomes the first Puerto Rican elected to the New York State Assembly. (P hoto of community rally against fasci sm in Spain, late 193Qs}. [JCP] 1937 (Pheto of Garcia Ri ve ra). [OGRP]

Poster ConlEl~l by Eona Acosta-Belen Poster Series Design 'by Jorge Fish Rodriguez

Poster Content: The Puerto Rican Heritage Poster Series was developed by Dr. Edna Acosta -Belen, Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies (lACS) and Women's Studies at the University at Albany, SUNY.

Acknowledgments: We want to acknowledge the valuable assistance of the Centro Library and Archives and Centro Publications staff; of doctoral student Jacqueline Hayes at the Center for Latino, latin American, and Caribbean Studies (CELAC) and Dr. Hui-Shien Tsao at the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis (CSDA), University at Albany, SUNY; and of Professors Virginia sanchez Korrol at Brooklyn College, Edwin Melendez and Edgardo Melendez at Hunter College, Carlos Rodriguez Fraticelli at the University of Puerto Rico-Rfo Piedras, and Christine E. Bose at the University at Albany, SUNY.

Abbreviations for Archives of the Puerto Rican Dlaspora (also known as Centro Archives) Photo Sources: ACFGCFO (Alma ConcepciOn, FundaciOn Gilberta ConcepciOn de Gracia)i AHMP (Archivos HistOricos de Ia MigraciOn Puertorriqueila) ; APP (Antonia Pantoja Papers) ; BCSP (Blase Camacho Souza Papers) ; CSVP (Clemente Soto Velez and Amanda Velez Papers); EVP (Erasmo Vando Papers); EmVP (EmelfVelez de Vando Papers); FBP (Frank Bonilla Papers); Gen (Centro General Collection); GCDGP (Gilberta ConcepciOn de Gracia Papers) ; HMV (Records of HoMoVisiones); JAM (Justo A. Martf Photographic Collection); JCP (JesUs ColOn Papers) ; JoCP (Joaquin ColOn Papers); MCP (M

Other Photo Sources: AP (Associated Press); AM (Artist Arnold Martinez); CPMP (Clinton Presidential Materials Project); EAB (Edna Acosta -Belen Personal Collection); EO-LP (EI Diario-La Prensa); ENOl (£/ Nuevo Dfa); FLMM (FundaciOn Luis Mui'ioz Marin); ICP (lnstituto de Cultura Puertorriqueiia); MOB (Museo del Barrio); NPRP (National Puerto Rican Parade); NYPL (New York Public Library); PO (Public Domain); PRCC (Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center); UPRPC (University of Puerto Rico Photographic Collection).