Puerto Rican Kids Need to Learn About Their History

During my formative years, I was the only Puerto Rican in my suburban New Jersey classroom. Being Latino was not a flag to proudly wave, and shouting “¡Wepa!” at the top of my lungs in the cafeteria would have been frowned upon. It was easier for me to assimilate than stand out for being Puerto Rican. 

I often felt like an outsider, unsure of where I fit in the United States of America. My parents recognized that and gave me an introduction to Puerto Rican history, ranging from the indigenous Taínos and the colonization of the archipelago, through the great exodus in the mid-1900s, to the present day. These were the cornerstones on which I maintained my identity and pride.

That said, it was not until my adult years that I started to reflect on my education as a youth. I distinctly remember a lesson in a Social Studies class when we learned about immigration in the United States. A classmate made a snide remark about Latino immigrants —  an ignorant comment aimed at me, a girl of Puerto Rican descent. The classmate saw Latinos as a monolith. Instead of shying away from the topic, I fired back that my family has been citizens since 1917. I was not wrong, but I did not know enough of the full story at the time.

For second-generation children of Puerto Rican descent and beyond, knowing about our history is critical to our culture’s survival. A 2023 study from Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy found that 87% of topics in Latino history are either not covered in United States history textbooks or only mentioned in a few sentences. We can expect that Puerto Rican history is barely being taught in the public school K-12 curriculum. 

Although many think Puerto Ricans emerged in a New York barrio in the 1950s, Boricua history is expansive and goes back centuries, before the Spanish conquistadors arrived on Borikén’s shores. If we do not teach our history, we risk having it paved over with a new narrative that does not reflect our undeniable contributions to United States history. For example, the military service of The Borinqueneers, the judicial contributions of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and the educational advocacy of programs like ASPIRA could be completely forgotten if we do not act to cement them in the next generation’s memories. 

It taught me a lesson when I had a chance to tell some of that history.

I am the author of the award-winning middle-grade historical fiction novel “Paloma’s Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898.” When I was first approached by the publisher to write about a 12-year-old girl in 1898 Puerto Rico, I was nervous. Being from the diaspora, I felt pressured by how Puerto Ricans from the archipelago would react. While I had a basic understanding of the Spanish-American War, it wasn’t until I delved into my research that the wheels started turning on the major effects of colonization by Spain, then the U.S.

However, 1898 was just the tip of the iceberg. There is still much work to be done. That is where the next generation of Boricuas comes in.

There are not many books written specifically for children about how Puerto Rico first became a colony of the United States. Since “Paloma’s Song” was published in 2023, I have visited schools and libraries throughout New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to share the story I wrote and to teach students and event attendees. After reading my book, Puerto Ricans have told me their eyes were opened to our fascinating history. 

I implore parents, friends, and families to share with children the stories of our ancestors and make reading excerpts from history books a part of daily life.  Play them everything from música jíbara through salsa to bomba y plena with a side of reggaetón, then tell them the stories behind the lyrics. Show them videos and pictures of the archipelago, and take them there if you can. Expanding their young minds might just empower you, too.

It is important that the adults in children's lives educate themselves about topics relating to the cultural heritage they hope to pass on to future generations, which is why it is wonderful to see book clubs featuring “Puerto Rico: A National History” by Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, among others.

But how can we instill that curiosity in our Puerto Rican youth in the mainstream?

If U.S. schools are not going to teach younger generations about Puerto Rican history, we must take that mission into our own hands. We need to arm our youth with knowledge and facts about who they are, who we are.

Adriana Erin Rivera is an award-winning New Jersey-raised author of Puerto Rican descent. She is the author of “Paloma's Song for Puerto Rico: A Diary from 1898,” a middle-grade historical fiction novel that won the Gold Medal for Best Educational Chapter Book at the 2024 International Latino Book Awards. Her writing has appeared in Barzakh Literary Magazine, Latina Magazine, Metro New York, and Footwear News.

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