Dr. Antonia Pantoja (September 13, 1922-May 24, 2002), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico - educator, social worker, feminist, civil rights leader and founder of Aspira, the Puerto Rican Forum, Boricua College and Producir. September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Aspira is an enrichment program instituted in Florida high schools. ... Boricua College is a post-secondary educational institution located in New York City. ...

Dr. Antonia Pantoja

Pantoja began her primary studies in San Juan; she was later able to study at the University of Puerto Rico, thanks to the financial help given to her by her wealthy neighbors; here she obtained a teacher's certificate in 1942. In 1944 she moved to New York City where she found a job as a welder in a wartime factory. She subsequently won a scholarship to Hunter College in Manhattan, where she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in sociology in 1952. She then studied at Columbia University's New York School of Social Work, where she earned her Master's degree in 1954. Image File history File links Antonia_Pantojas. ... Image File history File links Antonia_Pantojas. ... The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the university system of Puerto Rico. ... Nickname: Big Apple; City that never Sleeps; Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Manhattan Queens Brooklyn Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Hunter College of The City University of New York See also: Hunter College High School Hunter College of The City University of New York (known more commonly as simply Hunter College) is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), located on Manhattans Upper East Side. ... The Borough of Manhattan, highlighted in yellow, lies between the East River and the Hudson River. ... Social interactions and their consequences are the subject of sociology. ... Columbia University is a private university whose main campus lies in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of the Borough of Manhattan in New York City. ...

In the late 1950s, Pantoja helped found the Hispanic American Youth Association (HAYA), which became the Puerto Rican Association for Community Affairs (PRACA). In 1957, Pantoja founded the Puerto Rican Forum, which served as an incubator for organizations and programs promoting economic self-sufficiency. This organization is now known as the National Puerto Rican Forum and is currently headquartered in The Bronx. The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York City. ...

In 1961, Pantoja also founded Aspira (Spanish for "to aspire"), a non-profit organization that promoted a positive self-image, commitment to community, and education as a value as part of the Aspira Process to Puerto Rican and other Latino youth in New York City. Aspira now has offices in six states, Puerto Rico and has its headquarters, the Aspira Association, in Washington, DC. It has provided approximately 50,000 Latino students with career and college counseling, financial aid and other assistance. In 1963 Dr. Pantoja directed a project of the Puerto Rican Forum that resulted in the establishment of the Puerto Rican Community Development Project (PRCDP), funded by the federal War on Poverty. This article deals with the use of the term Latino. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996

Among the Aspira of New York's prominent graduates (known as "Aspirantes") are: Presidential Medal of Freedom File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Presidential Medal of Freedom File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

• Fernando Ferrer, former Bronx president, who ran for NYC Mayor in 2001 and 2005 unsuccessfully;
• Angelo Falcón, prominent political scientist and President of the National Institute for Latino Policy (formerly the Institute for Puerto Rican Policy);
• Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union;
• Ninfa Segarra, former President of the Board of Education of New York, former Deputy Mayor under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and she is currently a lobbyist with Toñio Burgos & Associates and is President of the National Puerto Rican Coalition in Washington, DC;
• Aida Alvarez, former director of the Small Business Administration under President Bill Clinton;
• Nelson A. Diaz, first Puerto Rican Solicitor General in Philadelphia;
• Jimmy Smits, Puerto Rican actor.
• Luis Guzman, character actor
• Dr. Isaura Santiago Santiago (Ph. D., Fordham University), first tenured Puerto Rican woman at Columbia University and first Puerto Rican woman president of Hostos Community College of the City University of New York
• Digna Sanchez, who led such organizations as the Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP), MADRE and Learning Leaders in New York City; she also worked at the Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund, the United Way of New York City, and the Children's Television Workshop.

In 1964, Dr. Pantoja shifted her emphasis from self-help programs to the reformation of the educational system and in 1967 she served on a mayoral committee, convened by the then Mayor of New York City, John Lindsay, that recommended the decentralization of the school system. Fernando Ferrer Fernando James Freddy Ferrer (born April 30, 1950 in the Bronx, New York) was the Borough President of The Bronx from 1987 to 2001, and was a candidate for Mayor of New York in 2001 and the Democratic Party nominee for Mayor in 2005. ... Angelo Falcón at age 54 Angelo Falcón (dob June 23, 1951 as Angel Manuel Falcón), is a political scientist best known for starting the Institute for Puerto Rican Policy (IPR) in New York City in the early 1980s and his studies of Puerto Rican and Latino politics... NiLP Offices in SEIU Local 32BJ Building in Manhattans SoHo neighborhood The National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP) was established in 1982 as the Institute for Puerto Rican Policy (IPR) in New York City as a nonprofit and nonpartisan policy center focusing on critical Latino policy issues. ... Anthony D. Romero is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. ... The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a major American non-profit organization with headquarters in New York City, whose stated mission is to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.[1] It... Ninfa Segarra is the last President of the New York City Board of Education. ... Rudolph William Louis Rudy Giuliani III, KBE (born May 28, 1944) served as the Mayor of New York City from January 1, 1994 through December 31, 2001. ... Aida Alvarez (born 1950 in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico) is the first Hispanic woman and Puerto Rican to hold a position in a Presidents Cabinet. ... The Small Business Administration, or SBA, is a United States Government agency that provides support to small businesses. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the City That Loves You Back, the Quaker City, The Birthplace of America Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D... Jimmy Smits as President Matt Santos on The West Wing. ... Luis Guzmán is a Puerto Rican actor. ... Fordham University is a private, coeducational research university[2] located in and around New York City. ... The City University of New York (CUNY; acronym: IPA pronunciation: ), is the public university system of New York City. ... The United Way of America is a coalition of charitable organizations that have traditionally pooled efforts in fundraising. ... Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Childrens Television Workshop (or CTW), is a non-profit organization behind the production of several educational childrens programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world (including PBS in the United States), as well as Noggin, a joint venture with Viacom... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... John Vliet Lindsay (November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician who served as a Congressman (1959-1965) and mayor of New York City (1966-1973). ...

In 1972, Aspira of New York, under the direction of Dr. Mario Anglada and with the support of Dr. Pantoja, filed a civil rights lawsuit in the Federal court demanding that New York City provide classroom instruction in transitional Spanish for struggling Latino students. Aspira signed a consent decree with the NYC Board of Education in 1974, which is considered a major landmark in the history of bilingual education in the United States. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The term federal court, when used by itself, can refer to: Any court of the national government in a country that has a federal system such as that of the United States (United States federal courts) or Mexico In some countries, a particular court, for example, the Federal Court of... Bilingual education involves teaching all subjects in school through two different languages - in the United States, instruction occurs in English and a minority language, such as Spanish or Chinese, with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model. ...

In 1970, she established the Universidad Boricua, which is now known as Boricua College (with three campuses in NYC) and the Puerto Rican Research and Resources Center in Washington, D.C.. In 1973, she earned her Ph. D. from Union Graduate School in Ohio. She joined the faculty of the San Diego State University's School of Social Work in 1978, where she co-founded the Graduate School for Community Development. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Boricua College is a post-secondary educational institution located in New York City. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... San Diego State University athletics http://www. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

After 1984, Pantoja moved to Puerto Rico for health reasons, where she established Producir, an organization which provides economic assistance to small businesses, and Provivienda, which works to develop housing for the needy. In 1997 she returned to New York, concluding that she was clearly now a Nuyorican, given her negative personal experiences in Puerto Rico. Nuyorican is a blending of the phrases New York and Puerto Rican and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Rican diaspora located in or around New York City, or of their descendants (especially those raised or still living in the New York area). ...

Among Pantoja's numerous awards and recognitions are the following:

• Inducted into the Hunter College Hall of Fame
• The Hispanic Heritage Award
• The Julia de Burgos Award of la Casa Cultural of Yale University
• A Doctor of Letters Honorary degree from the University of Connecticut
• A Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Massachusetts
• A Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Puerto Rico
• The Hunter College Professional Achievement Award
• The Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York State Board of Regents

In 1996, President Bill Clinton presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the first Puerto Rican woman to receive such this honor. In 2002, Pantoja published her autobiography, Memoir of a Visionary: Antonia Pantoja (Houston: Arte Publico Press). In her memoirs she alluded to her lesbianism and discussed her decision not to go public before then with her sexual orientation. Hunter College of The City University of New York See also: Hunter College High School Hunter College of The City University of New York (known more commonly as simply Hunter College) is a senior college of the City University of New York (CUNY), located on Manhattans Upper East Side. ... Julia de Burgos (February 17, 1914 – July 6, 1953), born in Carolina, Puerto Rico has been considered by many as the greatest poet to have been born in Puerto Rico. ... Yale redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Torrey Life Science be merged into this article or section. ... This page is about the university system across Massachusetts. ... The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the university system of Puerto Rico. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States, considered the equivalent of the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. ...

Dr. Antonia Pantoja died of cancer in Manhattan, New York on May 24, 2002 at the age of 80 in Cabrini Hospice. She was survived by her longtime partner of thirty years, Dr. Wilhemina Perry, her brother Esteban Lopez, her sister Haydee Lopez and several nieces and nephews in Puerto Rico and Colorado. Filmmaker Lillian Jimenez of the Latino Educational Media Center in New York City is completing a documentary on the life of Dr. Pantoja (Ms. Jimenez can be reached at mailto:LEMCtr@aol.com). For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ...

For another biography of Pantoja, see Virginia Sanchez Korrol, "Antonia Pantoja and the Power of Community Action" in Latina Legacies: Identity, Biography, and Community, edited by Vicki L. Ruiz and Virginia Sanchez Korrol (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), pages 209-224,

Writings

Memoir of a Visionary: Antonia Pantoja, Houston: Arte Publico Press, 2002

"Puerto Ricans in New York: A Historical and Community Development Perspective," Centro: Journal, Vol. 2, No. 5, Spring 1989, pp. 21-31

"A Guide for Action in Intergroup Relations," Social Group work: Selected Ppaers from the National Conference on Social Welfare, 1961

with Wilhemina Perry, "A Third World Perspective: A New Paraidgm for Social Science Research," Research: A Third World Perspective, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, 1967, pp. 1-17

____________________, "Community Development and Restoration: A Perspective and Case Study," Ciommunity Organizing in a Diverse Society. Edited by John L. Erlich and Felix G. Rivera. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998., pp. 220-242

____________________, "Cultural Pluralism, A Goal to be Realized," Voices from the Battlefront: Achieving Cultural Equity. Edited by Marta Moreno Vega and Cheryll Greene. New Jersey: Africa World Press Inc., 1993, pp. 135-48

____________________, "Social Work in a Culturally Pluralistic Society: An Alternative Paradigm," Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Social Work Practice. Houston: University of Houston, 1976, pp.79-95

____________________, "The University: An Institution for Community Development," Coming Home: Community-based Education and the Development of Communities. Washington, DC: Clearing House for Community-based, Free-standing Educational Institutions, 1979, pp. 28-33

____________________, "Toward the Development of Theory: Cultural Pluralism Redefined," Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare IV, 1976, pp. 125-46

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans