Revolution around the corner : voices from the Puerto Rican Socialist Party in the United States

Active from the late 1960s until the mid-1990s, the U.S. branch of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP) worked simultaneously to build support for Puerto Rican independence and to engage in radical social change within the United States. Revolution Around the Corner chronicles this unique social movement, describing various mass campaigns and the inner workings of the organization. The editors and contributors—all former members, leaders, and supporters of the PSP—offer a range of views and interpretations of their experience. Combining historical accounts, personal stories, interviews, and retrospective analysis, Revolution Around the Corner examines specific actions such as the National Day of Solidarity ( El Acto Nacional ), the Bicentennial without Colonies, the Save Hostos struggle, and the Vieques campaign. Testimonies recount the pros and cons of membership diversity, as well as issues of loyalty and compañerismo . In addition, essays describe the PSP’s participation in coalitions and alliances with Left and progressive movements. The book concludes with the editors’ reflections on the PSP’s achievements, mistakes, and contributions. Contents 8 List of Figures 10 Acknowledgments 12 Part I: Histories 16 Introduction | José E. Velázquez, Carmen V. Rivera, and Andrés Torres 18 1. A Brief History of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party in the United States | Andrés Torres 37 2. Milestones: Reflections on a Life-Journey of Activism and the PSP in New York | José E. Velázquez 115 3. The PSP in the Windy City | José E. Velázquez, América Sorrentini, and Pablo Medina Cruz 132 Part II: Testimonies 152 4. My Nation Is the Struggle | Maritza Arrastía 154 5. The Personal Is Political: Children of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party Speak | Teresa Basilio Gaztambide and Carmen V. Rivera 168 6. Hostos Community College: Battle of the Seventies | Ramón J. Jiménez 185 7. Journalism, Organizing, and Revolution | Alfredo López 200 8. A Pamper Rojo Boricua Baby of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party | Lenina Nadal 216 9. ¡Puerto Rico Libre y Socialista! A Philarican in the Struggle | José-Manuel Navarro 228 10. From El Barrio to the United Nations | Olga Iris Sanabria Dávila 249 11. Mi Camino | Digna Sánchez 269 12. What the Puerto Rican Socialist Party Nurtured in Me | Zoilo Torres 285 Part III: Coalitions and Alliances 306 13. Building Solidarity for Puerto Rican Independence | Rosa Borenstein 308 14. Independentista Politics, Independent Politics: My Years Working with the Puerto Rican Socialist Party | Ted Glick 330 15. From March to Movement? The Bicentennial Without Colonies and the Peoples Alliance | Alyssa Ribeiro 355 Part IV: Conclusion 370 Conclusion | José E. Velázquez, Carmen V. Rivera, and Andrés Torres 372 Interviews 386 Bibliography 388 Contributors 394 Index 396 Active from the late 1960s until the mid-1990s, the U.S. branch of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP) worked simultaneously to build support for Puerto Rican independence and to engage in radical social change within the United States. Combining historical accounts, personal stories, interviews, and retrospective analysis, __Revolution Around the Corner__ examines specific actions such as the National Day of Solidarity (__El Acto Nacional__), the Bicentennial without Colonies, the Save Hostos struggle, and the Vieques campaign. Testimonies recount the pros and cons of membership diversity, as well as issues of loyalty and __compañerismo__. In addition, essays describe the PSP’s participation in coalitions and alliances with Left and progressive movements. The book concludes with the editors’ reflections on the PSP’s achievements, mistakes, and contributions. "Revolution Around the Corner is the story of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party-U.S. Branch from the late 1960s through the mid-1990s. It combines historical accounts, personal stories, interviews, and retrospective analysis to describe mass campaigns, the inner workings of a revolutionary organization, and key ideological tensions over time"-- Provided by publisher