* This event is postponed until further notice *
This presentation explores varied expressions of nationalism and puertorriqueñidad in Puerto Rico during the last century.
From its founding in 1922 through the 1950s, the pro-independence Nationalist Party operated with a dual definition of the word, nationalist in the traditional sense but transnational at the same time. The Nationalist Party simultaneously sought the establishment of the independent Republic of Puerto Rico and its reincorporation into Latin America. From the late 1950s forwards, much of the anti-colonial movement projected a new vision of nationalism, one that embraced Marxism-Leninism and called for both independence and socialism.
Fast forward to the last two and a half tumultuous years that included Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017, the massive street protests that led to Governor Rosselló’s resignation in the summer of 2019, and weeks of earthquakes and tremors in January 2020. The presentation ends with discussion of what impact these experiences have had on Puerto Ricans’ ideas about nationalism and being Puerto Rican, both in the archipelago and in the diaspora.
The event is co-hosted by the 'Americas in World History' research cluster at the LSE Department of International History.
Speaker: Professor Margaret Power, Illinois Institute of Technology
Chair: Dr Tanya Harmer, LSE Department of International History
Follow the live Tweeting of the event: #LSEPuertoRico
Cover photo: Alex Barth, 2007, Flickr.