Thesis Defense: ASPIRA and the Young Lords: Examining Their Impact on Fostering a Puerto Rican Cultural Identity in New York City During the 1960s and 1970s

This thesis examines how the organizations ASPIRA and the Young Lords Party fostered a cultural identity within Puerto Ricans in New York or “Nuyoricans.” ASPIRA, founded in 1961 by Antonia Pantoja, aimed to create leaders who would later give back to their communities. They established clubs for Puerto Rican high school students in schools and at ASPIRA centers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx. The Young Lords Party, founded in 1969, was a grassroots organization that fought against social injustices through their initiatives called “offensives.” ASPIRA and the Young Lords Party contributed greatly towards the development of a Nuyorican identity and instilled a sense of pride within their members and their surrounding community through utilizing various methods and strategies to teach Puerto Rican history and culture. Although the two organizations are connected, they differed significantly. ASPIRA operated with an institutional approach while the Young Lords used revolutionary and aggressive grassroots methods. This thesis studies the influence on the origins and structures of ASPIRA and the Young Lords Party, the institutional and grassroots strategies and tactics used to teach Puerto Rican history and culture and foster a Nuyorican cultural identity, and the major outcomes and impact of ASPIRA and the Young Lords on Puerto Ricans in New York.

Dr. Connie Lester (Chair).