Puerto rican power biography books
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Four months after Hurricane Maria, 31 percent of Puerto Rico is still without power; in some places, electricity may not be restored until spring. But you know the expression “good enough for government work”? Well, here it is in operation: FEMA has decided that 69% (D+) recovery is perfectly adequate. The humanitarian crisis has passed, the agency says, and the Americans of Puerto Rico need to get back to buying their own groceries instead of <extremely Republicans voice> relying on handouts.
But if the U.S. government is turning its back on its citizens, that just means that the rest of us have a greater duty to pay attention. For Americans outside Puerto Rico, call your representatives, donate to local aid efforts, and pick up a memoir, story, poem, or nonfiction book by an author of Puerto Rican descent writing about the island. For Americans inside Puerto Rico: We’re still listening to your voices, on and off the page.
When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
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Puerto Rico: A National History
"A panoramic introduction to the island’s colonial history and contemporary political movements. . . . A history attentive to marginalized groups: queer, Black and the working class that have shaped the idea of Puerto Rico as a nation and a diaspora."—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times
"A much-needed primer on the history of Puerto Rico, showcasing how its people have long cultivated a tradition of resilience and resistance. . . . [Meléndez-Badillo] offers readers a critical understanding of how the island came to exist as it does today and how its future may yet unfold. [He] succeeds in not just recounting historical events from a distance as other historians might but in using the stories of real people—both from history and from the present, including his own—to spark something deeper in the reader. I found it impossible to read this book and not be overwhelmed with emotion at times, not just feeling like I learn
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The Puerto Rican War
Hardcover | 112 pages
"A brilliant blend of graphic and literary narration and a lovely work of art in itself.” —Kirkus, STARRED Review
Rendered in gorgeously carved wood blocks and buffeted with historical supplemental ämne, John Vasquez Mejias’s The Puerto Rican War tells the story of the the 1950 insurrection on the island that resulted in 38 deaths and a failed assassination attempt against President Harry S. Truman. Told as a fable, in which the leaders of the movement are visited by the ghosts of Michael Collins and Gandhi, this book showcases an important and often overlooked moment in American history and a historical touchstone for the Puerto Rican independence movement.
John Vasquez Mejias is a visual artist and high school art teacher in the stadsdel i new york. He regularly produces zines, comics, and performs hand-crafted puppet shows and theater events based on The Puerto Rican War and other subjects. The self-published version of The Puerto Ric |