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

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, in partnership with the Taller Puertorriqueño, is delighted to host Juan González as its 200th Anniversary signature talk for the theme America’s Promise and Its Many Voices. Mr. González, a journalist, author, and activist, will explore the history of Puerto Rican migration from the island to Pennsylvania. This talk delves 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. 

• This event is being offered in a hybrid format. Both onsite and virtual tickets are available. 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 afterwards, and the exhibit HSP 200 + Taller 50: Uncovering and Preserving Puerto Rican Stories.
• We wish to provide complimentary tickets to current secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students. Please email us at programs@hsp.org and tell us where you are enrolled as a student and in what program.

Juan 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 Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) commemorates its 200th birthday in 2024! Since our founding, we have collected and preserved an astonishing array of documents that bring the people of the past into conversation with us today. We enter our third century eager to invite you to find yourself in history. To connect with the past and make meaningful discoveries about who you are and who we are together. Join us in this endeavor to explore our shared American history. Visit us at hsp.org/200.

Support for HSP’s 200th anniversary programming is generously provided by the Richard C. von Hess Foundation.

Taller Puertorriqueño, a community based cultural organization whose primary purpose is to preserve, develop, and promote Puerto Rican arts and culture, grounded in the conviction that embracing one’s cultural heritage is empowering. Taller is also committed to the representation and support of other Latino cultural expressions and our common roots.