Collage as Common Ground: Juan Sánchez’ "Poema para Mami" (2013)
June 24, 2025
So many things are familiar to me in this image: the chanclas, a staple of my childhood, for instance. A shoe that isn’t a shoe at all. In my house … Continued
Researching, preserving & sharing the puerto rican experience
Centro, The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College, is the largest university-based research institute, library, and archive dedicated to the Puerto Rican experience in the United States.
Art by:
Highlights
Christopher López: Readjusting the Historical Lens
June 20, 2025
Bronx-born photographer Christopher López shares his work as a lens-based artist and public historian.
Arming the Contemporary Through Memory and Fantasy: A Look at Tools Created by Amaryllis R. Flowers
June 19, 2025
If one was to enter the Caribbean history wing at a museum, assuming said museum would even have taken the time and space to dedicate to the subject, you would … Continued
Christopher López’s Hoboken Fires: From Ashes, a Counter-Archive Emerges
June 16, 2025
On October 25, 1981, Ana Mercado lost her life along with her father, husband, and four children. An activist advocating for tenant rights in her community, she succumbed to the … Continued
The Formation of Islets as a Metaphor Against Distance and Oblivion: The "islotes" Series by Kevin Quiles Bonilla
June 13, 2025
Islands arise through dynamic geological processes, including volcanic activity, tectonic plate shifts, and erosion. These forces not only create new land but also continually reshape the Earth’s surface. Over time, … Continued
Upcoming Events
Diasporic Collage: Puerto Rico and the Survival of a People
June 25, 2025
Diasporic Collage: Puerto Rico and the Survival of a People honors Puerto Rican identities in the archipelago and its diasporas. Puerto Rico’s colonial status and geographical location situate it as a locus of global encounters and ongoing displacement. On view at CENTRO Gallery (2180 3rd Avenue at 119th Street, New York, NY) through September 25, 2025 Mon-Thur 12-5pm.
Afterlives of San Juan Hill
June 25, 2025
In 1958, an emerging Puerto Rican community was displaced from New York City’s Lincoln Square and San Juan Hill neighborhoods to make way for the construction of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Fordham University. Infamously called “the Puerto Rican Slum” and “the worst slum in New York,” by the architect of New York’s Urban Renewal Process, Robert Moses, Lincoln Square and San Juan Hill were home to approximately 2,000 Puerto Ricans.
Help preserve our past and forge our future.
As Puerto Ricans in the diaspora, we know the impact of our communities across the United States. Every day we continue to see how important it is to foster an informed understanding, and appreciation of our legacies. We continue documenting, preserving and disseminating our precious history to ensure a clear, authentic understanding of our communities, our contributions, and our challenges. Be part of this effort with your donation.
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Our virtual store honors one of the most iconic Puerto Rican institutions in New York, la bodega. Here you can purchase our publications, educational, research, and cultural materials related to the Puerto Rican experience produced or sponsored by CENTRO. Additionally, you can purchase our swag which will support our mission of strengthening, reimagining, and diversifying the field of Puerto Rican Studies.
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