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Jesus Colon: A Writer Who Changed our World Written by Carmen I. Mercado, Hunter College School of Education. Jesus Colon. Questions to Think About. How do Jesus Colon’s writings reflect the times in which he lived? What writers share Jesus Colon’s interests and ways with words? - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Jesus Colon: A Writer Who Changed our World
Written by Carmen I. Mercado, Hunter College
School of Education
Jesus Colon
Questions to Think About
How do Jesus Colon’s writings reflect the times in which he lived?
What writers share Jesus Colon’s interests and ways with
words?
How can you use this information to motivate student learning?
Take double entry notes
Fold a paper in half.
Jot down facts of interest in one column and questions or comments in the other.
Review your notes and circle important ideas at the end.
A Childhood Filled with Words
Jesus Colon was born into a working class family in Puerto Rico on
January 20, 1901.
Puerto Rico went from being a Spanish colony to being a colony of
the United States.
He was born in Cayey, a tobacco growing area, three years after the
Spanish American War.
As a young boy, Jesus was mesmerized by the oratory of
readers hired by cigar makers.
The resonant voices of skilled performers entertained and informed workers as they
engaged in the tedious work of rolling cigars.
Tobacco Workers in P.R.
The words of Jesus’ first teachers made their way
through the windows of the Colon home and ignited a life-
long passion for the written word.
Becoming a Man of Letters
As a student , injustices called Jesus Colon to action and his use of words proved powerful in fighting all kinds
of injustices.
Whether writing or speaking, Jesus Colon’s
simple, compelling prose won admiration from
peers and respect from teachers.
It came as no surprise that he was named director of the school newspaper and president of the school’s
literary society.
The Journey North
After Puerto Ricans were made U.S. citizens in
1917, many arrived on the south Brooklyn waterfront
aboard commercial steamers.
Among them were some of the best artists and
composers of the island.
Jesus Colon made the five day journey aboard the
S.S. Carolina, working all the way to New York.
The Long Journey North
Jesus Colon’s Id Card
Joaquin and Jesus
When he arrived, Jesus went to live with his brother Joaquin, not far
from the Brooklyn waterfront where the S.S. Carolina
docked.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard
It was here that the first Puerto Rican
community in New York was established and where Jesus made his home.
Letters to Concha
Jesus wrote frequently to his sweetheart in Puerto Rico.
Written conversations between lovers give insights into their
relationship and family gossip.
The letters also provide a glimpse into what life was
like in New York City at the beginning of the 20th
century.
Today, these letters are part of the historical record of how small town
people from the tropics adjusted to a large northern city, with an
unfamiliar language and a different way of life.
Concha’s Letter of July 26, 1923
“Each time a boat arrives, I wait to see your face coming home. Tell me, what would you like for me to cook for you when that happy day arrives?…something you cannot get in New York City?…Meanwhile you encourage me to read as many things as I can.
The San Juan Harbor
Do you know that I actually hate to read? I like novels, love
stories, stories about the lives of different men and women but in general, I love to talk to have a discussion rather than to read
about it.”
Hard Jobs, Poor Wages
During the Great Depression jobs were hard to come by and wages
low. This was also a time of intense racial discrimination and violence.
Jesus Colon worked at many menial and dangerous jobs while attending
night school at Boys High.
Jesus Colon learned about the dangers workers faced in the city.
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The sketch, Easy Job, Good Wages, appears in “A Puerto Rican in New
York.”
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Making Time to Write
“It is always more interesting to live
than to write,” said Jesus Colon’s friend, and Colon did both with
passion. He never earned a living as a journalist but Colon wrote for
several Spanish language papers in New York and Puerto Rico at the
same time.
By 1950, Colon had regular columns in English, in labor
and community newspapers. He wrote articles and news commentaries as well as poetry, short stories and
anecdotes.
However, Jesus Colon was masterful in the use of the
cronica or chronicle to relate important events to the
community in an engaging and affecting manner.
Translating a Way of Life
Jesus Colon was bilingual by circumstances of birth. However, he worked hard to develop his writing skills in English. Colon’s bi-literacy
allowed him to chronicle how Puerto Ricans shaped and were shaped by
the history of New York City from his unique perspective.
“A Puerto Rican in New York,” the first
book written in English by a Puerto Rican about the NY
Puerto Rican experience, was
published in 1961 .
“A Puerto Rican in New York and Other Sketches” is both a
collection of human interest stories and a social history of
New York.
The Internationalist
Jesus Colon was a life-long advocate for the rights of all workers, inspired by early
experiences with cigar makers in Puerto Rico.
Speaking at a Rally
He was drawn to internationally progressive movements,
especially in Latin America. He learned first hand that workers
in all parts of the world shared a common cause.
He also knew that political power was key to creating better
opportunities. Thus, he ran for numerous public offices, including comptroller, city councilman and
assemblyman.
Jesus Colon and Local Labor Leaders
The Nationalist
Colon wrote about many topics, but his constant concern was
the social and economic conditions of Puerto Ricans in
New York City and on the island.
Colon was keenly aware that the migrants quest for equality in the United States could not be separated from Puerto Rico’s ambiguous relationship to the
United States.
A Quiet Man with Strong Convictions
Like many writers of his time, including Langston Hughes,
Jesus Colon was called to testify in front of the House Un-
American Activities Committee during the McCarthy period.
His response was simple:
“I will not cooperate with this committee in its aim to destroy
the Bill of Rights and other constitutional rights of the
people.”
Affinities with Other Writers
Colon’s work is reminiscent of Walt Whitman and Zora Neale Hurston. But it was Langston
Hughes, also a light-skin mulatto, who had much in
common with Colon.
Langston Hughes and Jesus Colon…
•
1. Were active in New York’s Black and Latino communities.
2. Portrayed the lives of ordinary people
3. Wrote about racial injustices.
4. Wrote in English and Spanish.
The Jesus Colon Papers
Although he wrote more than 400 pieces in his lifetime, little has been written about Jesus
Colon . Unfortunately most of his writings are not accessible in
bounded form.
Fortunately, the Jesus Colon collection of the archives of El
Centro de Estudios Puertorriquenos at Hunter College makes accessible a collection of documents about the
life and times of this unassuming visionary.
Colon’s Inspiration
One hundred years after his birth, Jesus Colon’s legacy and
his contributions to America live on through his writings and his
speeches.
Colon’s legacy also lives on through the Neo-Rican writers’
movement he sparked as evident in the writings of Sandra Maria Esteves, Nicholasa Mohr,
and Piri Thomas.
In his time, Colon’s simple and incisive prose informed and
entertained the masses. Today, they give us a sense of historical
continuity, connecting our present to our past and our differences to a
common humanity.