1898-1998 Puerto Ricans in the U.S.:
Affirming Identity, Citizenship and Nationhood 

This exhibition, originally consisting of still images, documents, and a multi-media presentation, was created as a visual accompaniment to  the theme of the Third International  Conference on Puerto Rican Studies,  “Affirming Identity, Citizenship and Nation-hood: Los Ultimos Cien Años,”  held at Brooklyn College on October 16-18, 1998.  All of the materials on display are from the collections of the Centro Library and Archives.  Beginning with the events of 1898, marking the end of the Spanish-Cuban-American War, the exhibition highlights the political, cultural and economic circumstances of Puerto Ricans in the Diaspora intending to shed light on how the hundred-year colonial relationship with the U.S. has shaped these experiences.   There is no way that all of the complexity of this relationship can be captured in a brief display.  The images in the great majority depict elements of Puerto Rican life in New York, from family activities to public protests to participation in the debate on the national question—Puerto Rico’s political status.

Panel Titles for the 1898-1998 Puerto Ricans in the U.S.
I. The “Pioneros” and Early Communities
II. Citizenship Issue
III. Airplane Migration and Settlements
IV. Business and Community Organizations
V. Culture and Entertainment
VI. Civil Rights and Other Struggles
VII. Social Activities and Links with Other Ethnic Groups
VIII. A View of Puerto Rico’s Political Status from Stateside