Colonialism, Citizenship, and Crisis in Puerto Rico

Lorrin Thomas, Professor of History
Rutgers University, Camden

In 2017, Puerto Ricans marked one hundred years as U.S. citizens. It was an anniversary complicated not just by two historic hurricanes but also by the burdens of a century of colonial rule. Thomas, whose research explores rights and equality in the 20th century Americas, will discuss the human costs and political impact of constraints on Puerto Rico’s sovereignty.

She is the author of Puerto Rican Citizen: History and Political Identity in Twentieth Century New York City and Rethinking the Struggle for Puerto Rican Rights, co-authored with Aldo Lauria Santiago.