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Cristina Beltrán Biography

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“The Puerto Rican movement of the 1960s and 1970s can be defined by its consistent calls for a radical transformation of U.S. society while simultaneously promoting the independence of Puerto Rico. Known as El Nuevo Despertar, this "New Awakening" of Puerto Rican radicalism was inspired and shaped by the growing militancy abroad and at home. Black Power, youth unrest (particularly against the Vietnam War), the War on Poverty, national liberation struggles in the Third World, Chicano and Native American militancy, gay and lesbian rights, and second-wave feminism are all part of the context that shaped the movement.”

FeminismCivil RightsVietnam WarPuerto RicoBlack PowerPuerto RicansPuerto Rican Movement
Book:The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity
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“During the late 1960s and 1970s, Mexican American and Puerto Rican activists put forward a politically charged critique of American politics. Bringing together a paradoxical mix of cultural nationalism, liberal reformism, radical critique, andromantic idealism, the Chicano and Puerto Rican movements created a new political vocabulary, one emphasizing resistance, recognition, cultural pride, authenticity, and fraternity (hermanidad). The movements-organizations, issues, and events left a profound legacy.”

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Book:The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity
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“Before Trump, conservatives seeking to appeal to Latinos typically embraced the politics of conservative multiculturalism. Politicians such as George W. Bush reached out to Latino voters by showing a familiarity with their language and history, emphasizing the values of diversity and inclusion. Depicting Latinos as a distinct and valuable part of America’s democratic mosaic, conservative multiculturalism connected Latino culture to Republican values, emphasizing conservative approaches to faith, patriotism and the traditional family. Trump, by contrast, knows nothing of the history of Latinos in the United States and rarely even pretends to find value in Latinos’ distinct identities. Rather than offering his non-White voters recognition, Trump has offered them multiracial whiteness.”

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Author:Cristina Beltrán
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“Poetry such as "Puerto Rican Obituary" highlights another significant aspect of movement thought: the shift from cultural shame to ethnic pride. Unlike earlier critiques of prejudice and discrimination, movement rhetoric and writings often focused on the emotional and psychic damage of racism, exploring the need to overcome internalized shame and self-hate.”

PoetryPridePuerto RicoPuerto RicanPuerto RicansPuertorico
Book:The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity
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“The movement's institutional legacy can also be seen in the realm of higher education: Chicano and Puerto Rican studies programs are the product of these movements and continue to play a key role in providing Latinos with a "civic education" that both politicizes and produces particular conceptions of Latino identity and subjectivity.”

AcademiaPuerto RicoChicano MovementLatino HistoryPuerto Rican Movement
Book:The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity
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“Unlike the civil rights struggles of African Americans or the protest politics surrounding the Vietnam War, the Chicano and Puerto Rican movements represent a decidedly underexplored aspect of 1960s New Left radicalism. Outside of the communities themselves, the names, places, and events of these two movements are virtually unknown.”

HistoryCivil Rights1960sVietnam WarPuerto RicoChicanoChicano MovementLatino HistoryPuerto Rican Movement
Book:The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity
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“Both Chicano and Puerto Rican activists continually stressed the importance of community control of local institutions, arguing that oppression and inequality would never end until Chicanos and Puerto Ricans controlled the institutions that directly affected community life.”

CommunityCivil RightsLatinoPuerto RicoChicanoLatino HistoryPuertoricoChicano History
Book:The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity
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“Rather than speaking in terms of specific and distinct subgroups (Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, etc.) ‘Latino’ and ‘Hispanic’ have become the shorthand designation of choice among journalists, politicians, advertising executives, academics, and other influential elites.”

JournalismLatinoAcademiaHispanicPuerto RicoMexican AmericanMexican AmericansPuerto RicansCuban AmericanDominican American
Book:The Trouble with Unity: Latino Politics and the Creation of Identity
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