From Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania: History, Challenges, and Amor Boricua

Join the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP), in partnership with the Taller Puertorriqueño, as they host Juan González, the 200th Anniversary signature speaker for the theme America’s Promise and Its Many Voices. In the talk, González explores the history of Puerto Rican migration from the island to Pennsylvania, delving into the economic, social, and political factors driving these migrations, highlighting personal stories and community impact, and examining Puerto Rico’s complex role within the United States and its effects on migration. González is an award-winning journalist and investigative reporter who spent 29 years as a columnist for the New York Daily News and 10 years with the Philadelphia Daily News. He is a two-time George Polk Award winner and co-host of Democracy Now! since 1996. An accomplished author, his works include Harvest of Empire and News for All the People. González also served as the Richard D. Heffner Professor at Rutgers University and is a founder of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Before journalism, he was a civil rights activist, co-founding the Young Lords Party in the late 1960s. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, he grew up in New York City.
The event is being offered in a hybrid format, with tickets available online and onsite. All ticket reservations will include a Zoom link, but only onsite tickets will be honored at the door. Onsite tickets include admission to the talk, a reception afterward, and the exhibit HSP 200 + Taller 50: Uncovering and Preserving Puerto Rican Stories. Complimentary tickets are available for current secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students. To access complimentary admission, please email HSP at [email protected] and indicate the school of enrollment and program/area of study.