Revolution Around the Corner: Voices from the Puerto Rican Socialist Party in the U.S.

413 Pages·2020·7.349 MB·English

by  Jose E. Velazquez (editor), Carmen V. Rivera (editor), Andres Torres (editor)

Revolution Around the Corner

Edited by
José E. Velázquez,
Carmen V. Rivera, and
Andrés Torres
Revolution Around
the Corner
Voices from the Puerto Rican Socialist Party
in the United States
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Philadelphia • Rome • Tokyo
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122
tupress.temple.edu
Copyright © 2021 by Temple University—Of The Commonwealth System
of Higher Education
All rights reserved
Published 2021
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Velázquez, José E. (José Emiliano), 1952– editor. | Rivera, Carmen V.
(Carmen Vivian), 1949– editor. | Torres, Andrés, 1947– editor.
Title: Revolution around the corner : voices from the Puerto Rican Socialist Party in the
United States / José E. Velázquez, Carmen V. Rivera, and Andrés Torres.
Description: Philadelphia : Temple University Press, 2021. | Includes bibliographical
references and index. | Summary: “Revolution Around the Corner is the story of the
Puerto Rican Socialist Party-U.S. Branch from the late 1960s through the mid-1990s.
It combines historical accounts, personal stories, interviews, and retrospective
analysis to describe mass campaigns, the inner workings of a revolutionary
organization, and key ideological tensions over time”— Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020019230 (print) | LCCN 2020019231 (ebook) | ISBN 9781439920541
(cloth) | ISBN 9781439920558 (paperback) | ISBN 9781439920565 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Partido Socialista Puertorriqueño. Seccional de Estados Unidos—
History—20th century. | Socialism—United States—History—20th century. |
Puerto Ricans—Political activity—United States. | Puerto Rico—History—
Autonomy and independence movements.
Classification: LCC JL1059.A57 R48 2021 (print) | LCC JL1059.A57 (ebook) |
DDC 324.27295/074—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020019230
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020019231
The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48- 1992
Printed in the United States of America
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For our children:
Gabriel, Javier, Talisa, Rachel, and Orlando
For our grandchildren:
Isabella, Ava, Emma, Jaclyn, David,
Jonathan, Abigail, and Omar
For all former members of the MPI- PSP,
including those no longer with us

Contents
List of Figures ix
Acknowledgments xi
PART I HISTORIES
Introduction / José E. Velázquez, Carmen V. Rivera,
and Andrés Torres 3
1 A Brief History of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party
in the United States / Andrés Torres 22
2 Milestones: Reflections on a Life-Journey of Activism
and the PSP in New York / José E. Velázquez 100
3 The PSP in the Windy City / José E. Velázquez,
América Sorrentini, and Pablo Medina Cruz 117
PART II TESTIMONIES
4 My Nation Is the Struggle / Maritza Arrastía 139
5 The Personal Is Political: Children of the Puerto Rican
Socialist Party Speak / Teresa Basilio Gaztambide
and Carmen V. Rivera 153
6 Hostos Community College: Battle of the Seventies /
Ramón J. Jiménez 170
viii / Contents
7 Journalism, Organizing, and Revolution / Alfredo López 185
8 A Pamper Rojo Boricua Baby of the Puerto Rican
Socialist Party / Lenina Nadal 201
9 ¡Puerto Rico Libre y Socialista! A Philarican in the Struggle /
José- Manuel Navarro 213
10 From El Barrio to the United Nations /
Olga Iris Sanabria Dávila 234
11 Mi Camino / Digna Sánchez 254
12 What the Puerto Rican Socialist Party Nurtured in Me /
Zoilo Torres 270
PART III COALITIONS AND ALLIANCES
13 Building Solidarity for Puerto Rican Independence /
Rosa Borenstein 293
14 Independentista Politics, Independent Politics: My Years
Working with the Puerto Rican Socialist Party / Ted Glick 315
15 From March to Movement? The Bicentennial Without
Colonies and the Peoples Alliance / Alyssa Ribeiro 340
PART IV CONCLUSION
Conclusion / José E. Velázquez, Carmen V. Rivera,
and Andrés Torres 357

Interviews 371
Bibliography 373
Contributors 379
Index 381
List of Figures
1.1. Misión Vito Marcantonio MPI, New York City, 1967 24
1.2. PSP U.S. Branch First Congress, Manhattan Center,
New York City, April 8, 1973 36
1.3. First Congress Political Commission, 1973 37
1.4 and 1.5. PSP Núcleos and Affiliates 38–39
1.6. National Day of Solidarity with Puerto Rico,
Madison Square Garden, New York City, October 27, 1974 44
1.7. Selling Claridad in Hartford, Connecticut 56
1.8. U.S. Branch Second Congress at Washington Irving
High School, New York City, 1978 68
1.9. Second Congress Political Commission and PSP
national leaders 68
1.10. Puerto Rican Day Parade, PSP contingent, Hoboken,
New Jersey 72
1.11. Campaign to free the Nationalist political prisoners 76
1.12. U.S. Branch Third Congress and new leadership 88
2.1. MPI rally, Brooklyn, New York 103
2.2. Bronx nucleus members meet with Seccional leaders 107