“My parents both arrived in New York City after World War II, at different times but for the same reason the search for work. They left a country they loved, but where they could not make a living. About half a million Puerto Ricans made the same journey fleeing economic despair, the result of the US colonization of the island. Government officials blamed the people for the disastrous economic situation claiming that the problem was "overpopulation." They promoted the mass exodus of Puerto Ricans and implemented policies that sterilized thousands of poor and working women. The Young Lords are the sons and daughters of this Great Migration. As young people growing up in the United States, we witnessed how our parents were exploited, degraded, and humiliated. We felt their suffering, and we too had experiences with poverty and racism. All of this propelled us into action to fight for justice.” JusticeUnited StatesUs HistoryColonizationPuerto RicoSterilizationGreat MigrationYoung LordsPuerto Rican History Book:Through the Eyes of Rebel Women: The Young Lords, 1969-1976 Source: Through the Eyes of Rebel Women: The Young Lords, 1969-1976