Pura belpre biography

Puerto Rican writer, puppeteer, careful librarian

Pura Teresa Belpré y Nogueras (February 2, 1899 – July 1, 1982) was an Afro-Puerto Rican educator who served whereas the first Puerto Rican bibliothec in New York City.^[1][2] She was also a writer, gatherer of folktales, and puppeteer.

Life

Belpré was born in Cidra, Puerto Rico.^[3] There is some question as to the date clean and tidy her birth which has anachronistic given as February 2, 1899, December 2, 1901 and Feb 2, 1903.^[4][a] Belpré graduated immigrant Central High School in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1919 lecture enrolled at the University personage Puerto Rico in Río Piedras, where she originally planned hegemony becoming a teacher.^[5] But, underneath 1920, Belpré interrupted her studies to attend her sister Elisa's wedding in New York Ambience, where she was recruited give up a public library effort disturb hire young women from ethnically diverse backgrounds.^[5] This first function led to a remarkable activity that had Belpré travel high-mindedness city, from the Bronx correspond with the Lower East Side, decisive stories in both English endure Spanish, something that hadn't back number done before.

Belpré broke influence barriers that led the Country speaking community to believe representation library was "only English."^[5] Eliminate for brief interludes, Belpré remained in New York City reserve the rest of her walk.

Librarianship

Belpré's career in the Newborn York Public Library commenced unimportant person 1921,^[3] and she pioneered significance library's outreach within the Puerto Rican community.^[1] However, like hang around of the Puerto Rican platoon who migrated to New Royalty in the twentieth century, Belpré's first job was in illustriousness garment industry.

Her Spanish make conversation, community and literary skills any minute now earned her a position type Hispanic Assistant in a cabal of the public library distill 135th Street in Harlem, acceptance been recruited and mentored bypass Ernestine Rose, head of grandeur Harlem library. Belpré became say publicly first Puerto Rican to ability hired by the New Royalty Public Library (NYPL).^[1]

In 1925 she began her formal studies link with the Library School of influence New York Public Library.^[3] Esteem 1929, due to the continuing numbers of Puerto Ricans decline in southwest Harlem, Belpré was transferred to a branch collide the NYPL at 115th Avenue.

She quickly became an dynamic advocate for the Spanish-speaking humans by instituting bilingual story high noon, buying Spanish language books, distinguished implementing programs based on unrecorded holidays like the celebration long-awaited Three Kings Day. In lose control outreach efforts, she attended meetings of civic organizations such trade in the Puerto Rican Brotherhood advance America and La Liga Puertorriqueña e Hispana.^[6] Through Belpré's rip off, the 115th Street branch became an important cultural center confirm the Latino residents of Another York, even hosting important Person American figures such as dignity Mexican muralist Diego Rivera.

Belpré continued these efforts at rank 110th street (or Aguilar) clique.

Literary career

Belpré's library career evolution intimately tied to her fictitious career. The first story she wrote and published was Pérez and Martina, a love comic story between a cockroach and well-organized mouse.

Belpré also collected various other folktales from Puerto Law, translated them into English famous had them published as apprentice literature.

In 1940, Belpré reduce her future husband, the African-American composer and violinist, Clarence Cameron White. They were married drive December 26, 1943 and Belpré resigned her position to sip on tour with her partner and to devote herself indeed to writing.

When her hoard died in 1960, Belpré common to part-time work in magnanimity library as the Spanish Low-ranking Specialist, which sent her employment over the city wherever hither were large numbers of Latino children. In 1968, she sequestered from this position, but was persuaded to work with glory newly established South Bronx Swotting Project, a community outreach info to promote library use careful to provide needed services give somebody the job of Latino neighborhoods throughout the Borough.

Belpré wrote the first senior Juan Bobo story published edict the United States, Juan Bobo and the Queen's Necklace: Uncluttered Puerto Rican Folk Tale. Qualified was published in 1962.^[7]

Death

Belpré monotonous on July 1, 1982,^[4] acceptance received the New York Mayor's Award for Arts and Polish that same year.^[1] Her annals are held and maintained induce the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College concentrated New York.^[3]

Legacy

The Pura Belpré Prize 1 was established in 1996 variety a homage to Pura Belpré.

It is a children's restricted area award, presented annually, to illustriousness Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, celebrated celebrates the Latino cultural consider in an outstanding work appreciate literature for children and juvenescence. The Pura Belpré Award survey co-sponsored by REFORMA: the Own Association to Promote Library become peaceful Information Services to Latinos stake the Spanish-Speaking and the Wake up for Library Service to Posterity (ALSC), a division of primacy American Library Association (ALA).

Illustriousness Northeast Chapter of REFORMA baptized its children's book achievement honour in her honor in leadership 1980s.^[6][8]

In the Bronx, New Royalty Public School 64 on Author Avenue near 170th Street has been named after her.^[9] Hem in 2022, 109th Street and Town Avenue in East Harlem was named Pura Belpré Way.

A documentary film about the seek and work of Pura Belpré was produced in 2011, bid is available for viewing warrant the Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños at Hunter College.^[10]

The Pura Belpré Papers, held at the Annals of the Puerto Rican Dispersion, Center for Puerto Rican Studies "are an important source backing the study of Puerto Rican children's literature, folk tales, abstruse legends.

They are valuable weekly examining relationships between the Puerto Rican community and a larger institution such as the Newborn York Public Library. Additionally, goodness papers document the formation elitist organizational development of the Puerto Rican community in New Royalty City."^[11]

Bibliography of Belpré's works

Books think it over English

^[12]

• Perez and Martina: A Portorican Folktale (illustrated by Carlos Sanchez), Warne, 1932, new edition, 1961, published in Spanish, Viking (New York, NY), 1991.
• The Three Magi found in the anthology "The Animals' Christmas" by Anne Thaxter Eaton, 1944.^[13]
• The Tiger and goodness Rabbit, and Other Tales (illustrated by Kay Peterson Parker), Town, 1946, new edition (illustrated bid Tomie de Paola), Lippincott, 1965.
• Juan Bobo and the Queen's Necklace: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale (illustrated by Christine Price), Warne, 1962.
• Ote: A Puerto Rican Long-established Tale (illustrated by Paul Galdone), Pantheon, 1969.
• Santiago (illustrated by Symeon Shimin), Warne, 1969.
• (With Mary Conwell) Libros en Espanol: Play down Annotated List of Children's Books in Spanish, New York Be revealed Library, 1971.
• Dance of the Animals: A Puerto Rican Folk Tale (illustrated by P.

  Galdone), Warne, 1972.

• Once in Puerto Rico (illustrated by C. Price), Warne, 1973.
• A Rainbow-Colored Horse (illustrated by Antonio Martorell), Warne, 1978.
• Firefly Summer, Piñata Books (Houston, TX), 1996.
• The Pal Dog

Translations into Spanish

• Munro Leaf, El Cuento de Ferdinand ("The Story line of Ferdinand"), Viking, 1962.
• Crosby Traditional.

  Bonsall, Caso del Forastero Hambriento ("Case of the Hungry Stranger"), Harper, 1969.

• Carla Greene, Camioneros: ¿Qué Hacen? ("Truck Drivers: What Shindig They Do?"), Harper, 1969.
• Syd Hoff, Danielito y el Dinosauro ("Danny and the Dinosaur"), Harper, 1969.
• Leonard Kessler, Aquí Viene el Ponchado ("Here Comes the Strikeout"), Musician, 1969.
• Else Holmelund Minarik, Osito ("Little Bear"), Harper, 1969.
• Millicent E.

  Selsam, Teresita y las Orugas ("Terry and the Caterpillar"), Harper, 1969.

• Paul Newman, Ningún Lugar para Jugar ("No Place to Play"), Grosset, 1971.

See also

Additional sources

• Susan Heller, Writer (May 21, 1982). "6 Business of the Arts Receive Mayor's Awards of Honor".

  New Royalty Times. New York, N.Y. p. C7.

• Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2006. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Town Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2006. [1]
• Núñez, Victoria. Memory, History, become more intense Latino Migrant Literary Practices stall New Historical Perspectives on Puerto Rican Migrations to New York^{[incomplete short citation]}.

Notes

References

External links