Students, Schools, and Populism in 1940s Puerto Rico

• In Event: Revisiting Caribbean Populisms: New Perspectives on 1940s Cuba and Puerto Rico

Abstract

In 1940s Puerto Rico, a new generation of populist colonial reformers expanded the public school system. The Department of Education, with the support of the island legislature, created and funded a new scholarship program. High-achieving students from working-class backgrounds were now eligible for a modest scholarship that could help them cover some costs associated with attending public school – clothing, transportation, and books. Once the new scholarship opportunity was advertised, children and parents flooded the Department of Education with scholarship requests. In these letters, students, in particular, identified themselves as citizens claiming their rights to a public education. They demanded that representatives of the colonial state fulfill their responsibility to students and parents. In this paper, I examine student letters and explore how school children defined their rights, defended their families, and articulated their potential contributions to their communities, island, and nation.

Author

• Solsiree Del Moral, Amherst College