Pura Belpré, Bringing Boricua Stories to the Bookshelf

Curated by Katiana Bagué with assistance from Lourdes Santamaría-Wheeler & Dr. Ramona Caponegro | Designed by Katiana Bagué

Pura Belpré telling stories to children at El Museo del Barrio, New York City from Lisa Sànchez González’s The Stories I Read to the Children: The Life and Writing of Pura Belpré, the Legendary Storyteller, Children’s Author, and New York Public Librarian
2013
Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College

Pura Teresa Belpré, born in 1899 in Cidra, Puerto Rico, made significant contributions to librarianship and children’s literature through her 40+ years of activism as a writer, scholar, and the first Black Puerto Rican librarian for the New York Public Libraries (NYPL). She began her journey at NYPL in 1921 as a bilingual library assistant for the 135th Street Branch in Harlem. While working alongside other Black intellectuals such as Augusta Baker and Arturo Schomburg, Belpré noticed a lack of representation of Puerto Rican stories on the children’s bookshelf. Belpré believed in the universality of childhood and dedicated herself to serving children from Puerto Rican and BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) communities by becoming a librarian. She not only wrote children’s books and stories centered on Puerto Rican identity to combat the lack of representation but also empowered her community by playing a role in organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Puerto Rican People.

Moreover, she wanted children and people from the Puerto Rican Diaspora to recognize that they had a history and culture worth valuing, even if U.S. society would refuse to acknowledge it. While Belpré’s life is worthy of reflection, her voice, actions, and writings have mostly been hidden or erased. Many factors contribute to her erasure, including the lack of recognition of the importance of children’s literature in academia, the fact that her published works have been out of print for several decades, and her status as a Black Puerto Rican woman. It is crucial to look at her legacy, as her activism is one that many can learn from and is still relevant to the present day.

Note on Language and Identity Terms

This exhibit uses the term Latinx to refer to individuals and communities that are part of the Latin American Diaspora. The x in Latinx works to challenge the toxic gender binary that persists both in language and society. According to scholars Salvador Vidal-Ortiz and Juliana Martinez, while the true origin of the term remains unclear, there are some traces of its first usage in Latin American and online LGBTQ journals such as Feministas Unidas. The term Latine is also used widely and mimics gender-neutral terms in Spanish. While there may be a preference to use Latine due to its proximity to Spanish, it is important to note that not all individuals of the Latin American Diaspora speak Spanish as their primary language.

Other terms such as Diaspora, Boricua, and Nuyorican are used throughout this exhibit. Diaspora refers to dispersed communities of a particular homeland. The Puerto Rican Diaspora represents a unique community of individuals migrating from Puerto Rico to not only the United States but other parts of the world. This exhibit primarily speaks to the Puerto Rican Diaspora that exists in the United States, where patterns of circular migration are prominent. The Puerto Rican Diaspora is fluid without the limitations of strict national borders. It is constantly evolving as Puerto Ricans create their own communities and spaces with Puerto Rican culture and history at their center. Boricua and Nuyorican are identity terms used among the Puerto Rican Diaspora. Boricua refers to individuals of Puerto Rican descent and derives from the Indigenous Taíno term Borinquen. Nuyorican describes the Puerto Rican Diaspora community of New York, where Pura Belpré lived for a great majority of her life.

Language is never static and is constantly changing. Term preference regarding the Latin American Diaspora may vary based on cultural and personal experiences. It is important to make space for all individuals within our communities and be open to change and learning.

Positionality Statement

I curated this exhibit in my position as a Puerto Rican woman who has lived most of her life in Florida. In many ways, this exhibit took a lot of emotional work. Pura Belpré’s work and activism were directed toward Puerto Ricans like me who didn’t see their identity, community, and stories represented in U.S. society. I am saddened that many of her children’s books and stories have been out of print or not published. I ask myself how my childhood would have been different if I had access to her writings as a young girl. Now, as an adult, I find myself playing catch-up and trying my best to consume and uplift works by Boricua creators. Reading Belpré’s stories has brought a lot of healing to my inner child.

While I identify with Belpré as a Puerto Rican woman who has worked in libraries for over six years, I recognize my racial privilege. As a non-Black Puerto Rican, I will never experience the anti-Blackness that Belpré faced and that many Black Puerto Ricans continue to endure. The struggles I have faced as a Puerto Rican woman allow me to empathize with many Black Puerto Ricans in my family and community, but it will never allow me to experience life through their eyes. It is, therefore, imperative for me and other non-Black Puerto Ricans to take the time to learn, read, and listen to Afro-Boricua voices.

Katiana Bagué, Curator

Bringing Boricua Stories to the Bookshelf

Studio Portrait Photo of Pura Belpré
n.d.
Pura Belpré Papers, 1897-1985, Puerto Rican Studies Library & Archives, Hunter College
https://centroca.hunter.cuny.edu/Detail/objects/9471

Pura Belpré viewed librarianship as a way to provide tools to resist assimilation, prejudice, and myths of cultural inferiority. One of the many tasks assigned to Belpré while working as a librarian was lighting the storyteller’s candle, a tradition across NYPL branches to signal the start of storytime for young patrons. While the children’s bookshelves lacked books that centered the Puerto Rican experience, Belpré filled in the gaps by performing Puerto Rican folktales, often with puppets that she would craft herself, and writing the tales for publication. In doing this, she instilled a strong cultural appreciation and pride among young Puerto Rican minds.

Pura Belpré, author (Puerto Rican, 1899-1982)
Christine Price, illustrator (British, 1928-1980)
Juan Bobo and the Queen’s Necklace: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale told by Pura Belpré
1962
Pura Belpré Papers, 1897-1985, Puerto Rican Studies Library & Archives, Hunter College
https://centroca.hunter.cuny.edu/Detail/objects/4950

Belpré’s folktales are allegorical and symbolize significant parts of Puerto Rican history. Although written primarily in English, Belpré includes Spanish throughout the text, paralleling the realities of bilingual children. Her tales also include African Diaspora orature traditions and Indigenous Taíno imagery.

Pura Belpré, author (Puerto Rican, 1899-1982)
Tomie de Paola, illustrator (American, 1943-2020)
The Tiger and the Rabbit, and Other Tales
1965
Lippincott
PZ8.1.B4127 Ti 1965
Education Library, George A. Smathers Libraries

Pura Belpré (Puerto Rican, 1899-1982)
Christine Price, illustrator (British, 1928-1980)
Once in Puerto Rico
1973
F. Warne
PZ8.1.B4127 On 1973
Education Library, George A. Smathers Libraries

Pura Belpré (Puerto Rican, 1899-1982)
Antonio Martorell (Puerto Rican, 1939-)
The Rainbow Colored Horse
1978
F.Warne
23h23554
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Pérez and Martina

Pura Belpré with Martina and Pérez puppets from Lisa Sànchez González’s The Stories I Read to the Children: The Life and Writing of Pura Belpré, the Legendary Storyteller, Children’s Author, and New York Public Librarian
2013
Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College

Pura Belpré wrote her first published book, Pérez and Martina, during a course she took at NYPL’s Library School. It was inspired by a story her grandmother told her as a young child in Puerto Rico.

Pura Belpré, author (Puerto Rican, 1899-1982)
Carlos Sánchez, illustrator
Pérez and Martina
1932
F.Warne
23h23553
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

The love story between a cockroach and a mouse has tragic elements and is an allegory about the colonization of Puerto Rico. Pérez, a Spanish mouse, meets his death when he reaches for some arroz con dulce prepared by Martina, a Puerto Rican cockroach, while it is cooking on a hot stove. Pérez’s action symbolizes the colonizer’s greediness and lack of understanding of Puerto Rican traditions and customs.

Carmen Agra Deedy, author (Cuban, 1960-)
Michael Austin, illustrator (American, 1965-)
Martina, the Beautiful Cockroach: a Cuban Folktale
2007
Peachtree
39h13745
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Variations of Pérez and Martina exist throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, as seen in Cuban author Carmen Agra Deedy’s telling of the story.

Boricuas on the Island and the Diaspora

Pura Belpré (Puerto Rican, 1899-1982)
Firefly Summer
1996
Piñata Books
PZ7.B4196 Fi 1996
Library West, George A. Smathers Libraries

While many of Pura Belpré’s published works showcase Puerto Rican folktales, she also explored other forms of storytelling. Firefly Summer, for example, is a young adult novel that follows a young girl, Teresa, attending school in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and later visiting her family’s farm for the holidays. There, she regains her appreciation for the stories and customs of rural life on the island.

Pura Belpré, author (Puerto Rican, 1899-1982)
Symeon Shimin, illustrator (Russian-American, 1902-1984)
Santiago
1969
F. Warne
PZ7.B416 San 1969
Education Library, George A. Smathers Libraries

Santiago, on the other hand, centers on a young boy and his experiences adjusting to life in the U.S., having migrated from Puerto Rico. Both characters rely heavily on Puerto Rican cultural memory to overcome obstacles.

The Harlem Hub

Pura Belpré was not alone in enriching the lives of marginalized communities through writing and librarianship. She worked closely with other Black intellectuals from the Harlem Renaissance. While working at NYPL, she met Augusta Baker and Arturo Schomburg.

115th Street, story-telling group, African American children with Miss Pura Belpre
n.d
New York Public Library Archives
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-8237-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Like Belpré, Baker was a storyteller and children’s librarian. Baker focused on combating the negative Black stereotypes in children’s books. She began collecting children’s books that supported Black empowerment and founded the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of Children’s Books.

Librarian Augusta Baker showing a copy of Ellen Tarry’s “Janie Belle” to a young girl at the library
1941
New York Public Library Archives
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/9f95f610-b9dd-0136-b582-3db6e6c7d045

Augusta Baker (American, 1911-1998)
The Black Experience in Children’s Books
1971
New York Public Library
Z1361.N39 B2 1971
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Arturo Schomburg migrated to the U.S. from Puerto Rico in 1891 and became a curator collecting resources related to the Black Diaspora. His contributions toward the historical preservation of Black culture would eventually transform Harlem’s 135th Street Branch into the renowned Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Arthur Schomburg: a major builder of Afro-Caribbean and African American institutional life
1896
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47df-8851-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Carole Boston Weatherfod, author (American, 1956-)
Eric Velasquez, illustrator (Puerto Rican, 1961-)
Schomburg: the Man who Built a Library
2017
Candlewick Press
E185.97 .S36 W43 2017
Education Library, George A. Smathers Libraries

Closest in Belpré’s circle was composer and violinist Clarence Cameron White, who married Belpré in 1943. During their marriage, Belpré left her post with NYPL to join her husband on tour. It was during this time that Belpré focused on her writing, performed her stories across the U.S., and attended library conferences. She returned to NYPL after her husband’s death in 1962.

Clarence Cameron White, composer (American, 1880-1960)
Forty Negro Spirituals
1927
T. Presser Co.
M1670 .W551 1927
Architecture and Fine Arts Library, George A. Smathers Libraries

Nuyorican Literature

New York has historically been a significant site for Puerto Rican migration. Even though Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917 with the Jones-Shafroth Act, they are still subject to racism, discrimination, and socioeconomic inequalities. They are also subjected to second-class citizenship due to the fact that Puerto Rico, to this day, is an unincorporated territory or modern-day colony of the United States.

Throughout her librarian career, Pura Belpré worked at several NYPL branches in predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhoods. There she empowered her community through her writing and librarianship. She also participated in organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Puerto Rican People and the Archivo de Documentación Puertorriqueña. Additionally, she helped develop children’s programs for the nearby Museo del Barrio.

Pura Belpré’s activism and influence paved the way for other Puerto Rican creators to make their mark in U.S. society. Nuyorican writers use storytelling to expose the complex and harsh realities that their communities face due to racism and socioeconomic inequalities but also to celebrate their identities and heritage. This is seen through Pedro Pietri’s iconic poetry book Puerto Rican Obituary.

Pedro Pietri (Puerto Rican, 1944-2004)
Puerto Rican Obituary
1974
Monthly Review Press
PS3566.I424 P8
Rare Books Collection, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Another influential poet, writer, and member of the Nuyorican movement, Piri Thomas, wrote Down These Mean Streets to document his experiences growing up as a Black Puerto Rican-Cuban in Spanish Harlem. Belpré positively impacted Thomas during his lifetime as he recalled how he would visit the library and check out more books than was allowed. Belpré never reprimanded his sneaking of books. Instead, she encouraged and nourished his love of literature.

Piri Thomas (Puerto Rican, 1928-2011)
Down These Mean Streets
1997
Vintage Books
F128.9.P85 T48 1997
Library West, George A. Smathers Libraries

Nicholasa Mohr (Puerto Rican, 1938-)
Nilda
2011
Piñata Books/Arte Público Press
Item on Loan from Katiana Bagué

Other renowned semi-autobiographical Nuyorcian novels include Nicholasa’s Mohr’s Nilda, which also documents the experiences living in Spanish Harlem through the eyes of a young Puerto Rican girl, and Esmerelda Santiago’s Cuando era puertorriqueña, which centers the author’s coming of age living in Puerto Rico and later migrating to New York.

Esmerelda Santiago (Puerto Rican, 1948-)
Cuando era puertorriqueña
1994
Vintage Books
F128.9.P85 S2718 1994
Library West, George A. Smathers Libraries

Recovering Belpré and her Unpublished Works

Lisa Sànchez González (Puerto Rican, 1963-)
The Stories I Read to the Children: The Life and Writing of Pura Belpré, the Legendary Storyteller, Children’s Author, and New York Public Librarian
2013
Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College
Item on Loan from Katiana Bagué

Pura Belpré published eight children’s books during her lifetime. However, many of her other writings and stories remain unpublished. They are currently housed among her archival papers at the Center For Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College. In 2013, her biographer Lisa Sánchez González included these unpublished stories in her book The Stories I Read to the Children. She notes that several of Belpré’s unpublished stories center on young Puerto Rican female characters and relate to themes of female empowerment, autonomy, and kinships.

Lisa Sànchez González (Puerto Rican, 1963-)
Boricua Literature: A Literary History of the Puerto Rican Diaspora
2001
New York University Press
PS 153 .P83 S18 2001
Library West, George A. Smathers Libraries

Sànchez González also dedicates a chapter to Pura Belpré in her book Boricua Literature: A Literary History of the Puerto Rican Diaspora.

The Pura Belpré Award

The Pura Belpré Award was established in 1996 by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an affiliate of ALA. Beginning with the 2021 award cycle, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of ALA, joined the partnership.

The award highlights children’s and young adult books that best exemplify and represent the Latinx experience in the U.S. It has been extremely monumental for the exposure of Latinx children’s and young adult books. Some titles that have been honored through the award include Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, a coming-of-age LGBTQ young adult novel by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, and The First Rule of Punk by librarian and University of Florida alum Celia C. Pérez.

Benjamin Alire Sáenz (1954-)
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
2012
Simon & Schuster
23h53396
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Celia C. Pérez (Mexican-Cuban-American, 1972-)
The First Rule of Punk
2017
Viking
23h56217
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Yamile Saied Méndez (Argentinian-American)
Furia
2020
Algonquin
Item on Loan from Katiana Bagué

More recent recipients of the Pura Belpré Award include Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez and the science-fiction dystopian middle-grade novel The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera. The Last Cuentista is considered the first book to win both the Pura Belpré Award and the Newbery Award for the most distinguished American book of the year.

Donna Barba Higuera
The Last Cuentista
2021
Levine Querido
23h56212
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Titles such as An Island like you: Stories of the Barrio and Juan Bobo Goes to Work: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale by Puerto Rican authors are reminiscent of Pura Belpré’s own children’s books and work to continue instilling cultural pride among Puerto Ricans of the Diaspora.

Judith Ortiz Cofer (Puerto Rican, 1952-2016)
An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio
1995
Orchard Books
23h8531
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Marisa Montes, author (Puerto Rican, 1951-)
Joe Cepeda, illustrator
Juan Bobo Goes to Work: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale
2000
Harper Collins
39h6794
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

While celebrating the award’s significance, it is also important to challenge what types of Latinx representation are celebrated and which are silenced or underrepresented. During the more than 25 years of the award’s existence, only a handful of Afro-Latinx authors and illustrators have been recognized. These include Eric Velasquez for his children’s book Grandma’s Gift and Elizabeth Acevedo for her young adult novel The Poet X. Latinidad is not a monolith, and to fully honor Pura Belpré’s legacy, one must acknowledge the diverse experiences and identities that exist within the Latinx community. It is also imperative to combat the anti-Blackness that exists within Latinidad.

Eric Velasquez (Puerto Rican, 1961-)
Grandma’s Gift
2010
Walker
39h15194
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Elizabeth Acevedo (Dominican-American, 1988-)
The Poet X
2018
Haper Collins
23h55836
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Introducing Belpré to Young Minds

In recent years, interest in Pura Belpré’s work and activism in enriching the lives of Puerto Rican and BIPOC communities has increased. Her significance has even been introduced in children’s books that celebrate the contributions of Latinx historical figures. The book ¡Bravo! Poemas sobre hispanos extraordinarios includes a poem in Spanish about Belpré by Margarita Engle and a portrait by Rafael López, both recipients of the Pura Belpré Award. Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers includes a short biography and illustration of Belpré by Juliet Menéndez.

Margarita Engle, author (Cuban-American, 1951-)
Rafael López, illustrator (Mexican-American, 1961-)
¡Bravo! Poemas sobre hispanos extraordinarios
2017
Henry Holt and Company
E184 .S75 E71518 2017
Education Library, George A. Smathers Libraries

Juliet Menéndez (Guatemalan-American)
Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers
2021
Godwin Books
23h56211
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Honoring Belpré’s Legacy

Latinx authors honor Pura Belpré’s legacy through children’s books and illustrated biographies. In the same way that Belpré wrote her tales to empower young Puerto Rican and BIPOC children to cherish their history and identities, these authors ignite that same self-love through her life’s story and activism.

Anika Denise, author (Puerto Rican-Italian)
Paola Escobar, illustrator (Colombian)
Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
2019
Harper
39h16901
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries

Lucia M. Gonzalez, author (Cuban-American, 1957-)
Lulu Delacre, illustrator (Puerto Rican-Argentinian, 1957-)
The Storyteller’s Candle
2008
Children’s Book Press
39h14025
Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature, Special & Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries
Purchased through the Louise Seaman Bechtel Endowment

Patty Rodriguez, author (Mexican-American) Ariana Stein, author
Citlali Reyes, illustrator (Mexican)
The Life of, La vida de Pura
2022
Little Libros
Item on loan from Dr. Ramona Caponegro

Annette Bay Pimentel, author
Magaly Morales, illustrator (Mexican)
Pura’s Cuentos: How Pura Belpré Reshaped Libraries with Her Stories
2021
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Item on loan from Dr. Ramona Caponegro

Curated by Katiana Bagué with assistance from Lourdes Santamaría-Wheeler & Dr. Ramona Caponegro | Designed by Katiana Bagué

This online exhibit is based on the exhibit of the same name on display at the George A. Smathers Library Gallery from January 23, 2023, to May 8, 2023.

To learn more, access the exhibit resource guide

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