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This ready reference guide to more than 500 years of political, social, economic, and cultural development in Puerto Rico fills a conspicuous information gap. It rectifies what has been to date a lack of easily accessible, accurate, and relevant information in English about Puerto Rico and its 3.6 million inhabitants. From African roots to El Yunque (Puerto Rico's tropical rain forest), this encyclopedia offers nearly 300 substantive entries on important people, places, events, social and political issues, legislation, movements and organizations, and terms and concepts. Entries underscore the history, achievements, and creations of the Puerto Rican people. Each entry concludes with a short list of suggested reading for further information. A selection of photos enhances the text.

Included are biographical entries on historical figures and political leaders, as well as poets, novelists, painters, musicians, and artists who have contributed to Puerto Rican culture. Entries on events crucial to the development of Puerto Rico and its relationship to the United States over the last one hundred years, including its political status, will help the reader to understand the complex nature of the ties that bind the United States and Puerto Rico. Also included are entries devoted to individuals or events that have heretofore received little attention in Puerto Rican history, such as the feminism movement. The authors, faculty members at the Center for Caribbean Studies at Central Connecticut State University, are specialists in the history and culture of Puerto Rico. The encyclopedia belongs on the shelves of every school and public library that has ever fielded a question on Puerto Rico.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Preface
• Introduction
• List of Illustrations
• The Encyclopedia Conceptual
• Chart of Topics
• Index

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

The number of almanacs, encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries of US-Latino issues has increased in the last decade, but this encyclopedia is the only recent and noteworthy English-language reference resource to focus solely on Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans comprise the second largest group of Latinos living in the US, yet relatively few reference sources provide current and authoritative information on this population and on the history, culture, and politics of the island. This scholarly encyclopedia covers a broad range of topics--e.g., the history and legacy of the Taino Indians, descriptions of national symbols such as the coqui and the cuatro, and contemporary gay activism on the island. Entries vary in length from one paragraph to several pages, and select bibliographies accompany each entry. Biographical information on prominent figures is included. Since the book focuses exclusively on the island of Puerto Rico, there is no coverage of Puerto Ricans in New York or other parts of the US. Although there are many minor spelling mistakes, especially in Spanish, this valuable publication is highly recommended for academic and large public libraries, and for all libraries serving Puerto Rican and other Latino populations. S. A. Vega Garcia; Iowa State University

Booklist Review

The purpose of this book is to remedy "a conspicuous lack of easily accessible, accurate, relevant and important knowledge about Puerto Rico." The authors are faculty members at the Center for Caribbean Studies at Central Connecticut State University. They attempt to present a broad overview, covering more than 500 years, but with emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, of the politics, economics, and culture of an island that has been part of the U.S. for 98 years. Designed for a U.S. audience, the encyclopedia provides nearly 300 alphabetically arranged entries ranging from abortion and African roots to Zeno, Manuel Gandia (one of the founders of the Puerto Rican Union Party in 1904). Because of space limitations, there are no entries that deal with Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. The volume begins with a historical introduction followed by a chronology of important events in Puerto Rican history. Entries range in length from a paragraph to several pages for feminism and language. Interspersed throughout are photographs of those people covered in the biographical entries. Cross-references lead the reader to variant head words and related entries. There is a list of suggested readings, primarily in English but including some Spanish-language resources, at the end of each entry. Many of these resources, such as Latin American Writers (Scribner, 1989) and Notable Hispanic Women (Gale, 1993), are readily available. As the authors intended, this book provides good ready-reference information and will fill a gap in high-school, public, and undergraduate reference collections.

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

RONALD FERNANDEZ is Professor of Sociology at Central Connecticut State University. He is author of a number of books, including Prisoners of Colonialism: The Struggle for Justice in Puerto Rico (1994), Cruising the Caribbean: U.S. Influence and Intervention in the Twentieth Century (1994), and Los Macheteros: The Violent Struggle for Puerto Rican Independence (1988).

SERAFÍN MÉNDEZ MÉNDEZ is Associate Professor of Communication at Central Connecticut State University. His research interests lie in the area of health communication, particularly HIV/AIDS in Puerto Rico, and in the ways in which American and Puerto Rican cultures interact. His work in the area of Puerto Rican culture is based on the assumption that culture is dynamic and, regardless of the efforts of Puerto Ricans to defend and maintain what they consider to be native culture, bound to change. His contributions to this encyclopedia are the entries on literature, arts, popular culture, and media. A native of Puerto Rico, he has lived and worked in the U.S. for 14 years.

GAIL CUETO is Assistant Professor of Education at Central Connecticut State University. She has worked in the field of teacher education for many years, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses. Her research interests include language learning and bilingual education, as well as curriculum. Her research agenda includes identifying the best means for training teachers who work with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. She has developed a cross-disciplinary project combining classroom instruction and field visits focusing on Puerto Rican culture. Her contributions to this encyclopedia include entries on women who have contributed to Puerto Rican history and culture, language, education, and feminism.