Jesus Colon: A Writer Who Changed our World

Written by Carmen I. Mercado, Hunter College

School of Education

Questions to Think About

How do Jesus Colon’s writings reflect the times in which he lived?

What writers share Jesus Colon’s interests and ways with

words?

How can you use this information to motivate student learning?

Take double entry notes

Fold a paper in half.

Jot down facts of interest in one column and questions or comments in the other.

Review your notes and circle important ideas at the end.

A Childhood Filled with Words

Jesus Colon was born into a working class family in Puerto Rico on

January 20, 1901. He was born in Cayey, a tobacco growing area,

three years after the Spanish American War. Puerto Rico went from being a Spanish colony to

being a colony of the United States.

As a young boy, Jesus was mesmerized by the oratory of

readers hired by cigar makers. The resonant voices of skilled

performers entertained and informed workers as they engaged

in the tedious work of rolling cigars.

The words of Jesus’ first teachers made their way

through the windows of the Colon home and ignited a life-

long passion for the written word.

Becoming a Man of Letters

As a student , injustices called Jesus Colon to action and his use of words proved powerful in fighting all kinds

of injustices.

Whether writing or speaking, Jesus Colon’s

simple, compelling prose won admiration from

peers and respect from teachers.

It came as no surprise that he was named director of the school newspaper and president of the school’s

literary society.

The Journey North

After Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917, many arrived on the south Brooklyn waterfront

aboard commercial steamers.

Among them were some of the best artists and

composers of the island.

Jesus Colon made the five day journey aboard the

S.S. Carolina, working all the way to New York.

When he arrived, Jesus went to live with his brother

Joaquin, not far from the Brooklyn waterfront where the S.S. Carolina docked.

Jesus and Joaquin

It was here that the first Puerto Rican community in

New York City was established and where Jesus

established his home.

Letters to Concha

Jesus wrote frequently to his sweetheart in Puerto Rico.

Written conversations between lovers give insights into their

relationship and family gossip.

The letters also provide a glimpse into what life was

like in New York City at the beginning of the 20th

century.

Today, these letters are part of the historical record of how small town

people from the tropics adjusted to a large northern city, with an

unfamiliar language and a different way of life.

Letters from Home

Hard Jobs, Poor Wages

During the Great Depression jobs were hard to come by and wages

low. This was also a time of intense racial discrimination and violence.

Jesus Colon worked at many menial and dangerous jobs while attending

night school at Boys High.

Jesus Colon learned about the dangers workers faced in the city.

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“Easy Job, Good Wages”

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Making Time to Write

“It is always more interesting to live

than to write,” said Jesus Colon’s friend, and Colon did both with

passion. He never earned a living as a journalist but Colon wrote for

several Spanish language papers in New York and Puerto Rico at the

same time.

By 1950, Colon had regular columns in English, in labor

and community newspapers. He wrote articles and news commentaries as well as poetry, short stories and

anecdotes.

However, Jesus Colon was masterful in the use of the

cronica of chronical to relate important events to the

community in an engaging and affecting manner.

Translating a Way of Life

Jesus Colon was bilingual by circumstances of birth. However, he

worked hard to develop his bi-literacy. This special skill allowed

him to chronicle how Puerto Ricans shaped and were shaped by the history of New York City from his

unique vantage point.

“A Puerto Rican in New York and Other Sketches,”

published in 1961, is the first book written in English by a

Puerto Rican about the experiences of Puerto Ricans in

New York City.

“A Puerto Rican in New York and Other Sketches” is both a

collection of human interest stories and a social history of

New York.

The Internationalist

Jesus Colon was a life-long advocate for the rights of all workers, inspired by early

experiences with cigar makers in Puerto Rico.

He was drawn to internationally progressive movements,

especially in Latin America. He learned first hand that workers

in all parts of the world shared a common cause.

He also knew that political power was key to creating better

opportunities. Thus, he ran for numerous public offices, including comptroller, city councilman and

assemblyman.

Jesus Colon and Local Labor Leaders

The Nationalist

Colon wrote about many topics, but his constant concern was

the social and economic conditions of Puerto Ricans in

New York City and on the island.

Colon was keenly aware that the migrants quest for equality in the United States could not be separated from Puerto Rico’s ambiguous relationship to the

United States.

A Quiet Man with Strong Convictions

Like many writers of his time, including Langston Hughes,

Jesus Colon was called to testify in front of the House Un-

American Activities Committee during the McCarthy period.

His response was simple:

“I will not cooperate with this committee in its aim to destroy

the Bill of Rights and other constitutional rights of the

people.”

Affinities with Other Writers

Colon’s work is reminiscent of Walt Whitman and Zora Neale Hurston. But it was Langston

Hughes, also a light-skin mulatto, who had much in

common with Colon.

Langston Hughes and Jesus Colon…

1. Were active in New York’s Black and Latino communities.

2. Portrayed the lives of ordinary people

3. Wrote about racial injustices.

4. Wrote in English and Spanish.

The Jesus Colon Papers

Although he wrote more than 400 pieces in his lifetime, little has been written about Jesus

Colon . Unfortunately most of his writings are not accessible in

bounded form.

Fortunately, the Jesus Colon collection of the archives of El

Centro de Estudios Puertorriquenos at Hunter College makes accessible a collection of documents about the

life and times of this unassuming visionary.

Colon’s Inspiration

One hundred years after his birth, Jesus Colon’s legacy and

his contributions to America live on through his writings and his

speeches.

Colon’s legacy also lives on through the Neo-Rican writers’

movement he sparked as evident in the writings of Sandra Maria Esteves, Nicholasa Mohr,

and Piri Thomas.

In his time, Colon’s simple and incisive prose informed and

entertained the masses. Today, they give us a sense of historical

continuity, connecting our present to our past and our differences to a

common humanity.