Hispanismos: Eugenio María de Hostos

In collaboration with the Cuban Cultural Center of New York, the Instituto Cervantes proposes, on October 14, a talk on Eugenio María de Hostos by Dr. Orlando José Hernández, based on previously unpublished documents compiled in his book Liga de Patriotas Puertorriqueños fundada por Hostos—a key source for understanding a vital aspect of the work of this Puerto Rican educator and political thinker. The book includes an extensive introductory study by the author, which contextualizes the documents and discusses the work and actions of the Liga de Patriotas Puertorriqueños, founded by Hostos in New York shortly before his return to Puerto Rico. Through the Liga, Hostos sought to develop a broad educational and social program aimed at overcoming marginalization, poverty, and the lack of democracy. Orlando José Hernández examines Hostos’s role in founding the Liga, his efforts to organize it on the Island, the enthusiasm it generated, and the factors that led to its dissolution. He offers a lucid reflection on its pioneering nature as one of the earliest expressions of Puerto Rican civil society. These documents demonstrate that Hostos’s project and his various proposals are not only of historical value but also strikingly relevant to the discussion of the challenges facing Puerto Rico today. Puerto Rican writer and translator Orlando José Hernández is Professor Emeritus at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York. He has published numerous scholarly works on the legacy of Eugenio María de Hostos and is one of the coordinators of the National Commission for the Hostos 180 Commemoration. He is also the author of several books and essays on contemporary poets.