María Luisa Arcelay: Difference between revisions

María Luisa Arcelay
María Luisa Arcelay
Occupation	educator, businesswoman and politician
Nationality	Puerto Rican

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María Luisa Arcelay (December 23, 1893-October 17, 1981), was an educator, businesswoman and politician who on November 1932, became the first woman in Puerto Rico and in all of Latin America to be elected to a government legislative body.^[1]^{[unreliable source?]}

Early years

Arcelay was one of five siblings born to Ricardo Arcelay and Isabel de la Rosa in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. There she received her primary and secondary education before moving to the then town of Rio Piedras where she earned her teachers certificate.^[1]^{[unreliable source?]}^[2]

Educator

Arcelay began her career as an educator when she was hired as an English language teacher at Theodore Roosevelt High School. Later she taught at the Jose de Diego High School, both schools located in the City of Mayagüez. During her spare time she worked as a book keeper for various commercial firms in the area.^[1]^{[unreliable source?]}^[2]

Businesswoman and politician

By 1920, Arcelay abandoned her career as an educator and together with Lorenza Carrero founded a needlework workshop which evolved into a needlework factory.^[2] Her company employed many of the local women who had no other means to sustain themselves economically. She was an activist who defended the island's needlework industry in various public hearings which were held in New York City and Washington, D.C..^[1]^{[unreliable source?]}^[2]

Arcelay was member of the Partido Coalicionista de Puerto Rico (The Puerto Rican Coalition Party) and in the elections of November 1932, she was elected to represent the district of Mayagüez in the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, thereby becoming the first Puerto Rican and for that matter the first woman in all of Latin America to be elected to a government legislative body.^[1]^{[unreliable source?]}^[3] She used her position as president of the Agriculture and Commerce Commission to continue her defense of the needlework industry before local and federal authorities and played an instrumental role in making the industry compatible with others which were already established in the United States market by going against any measure which would raise the salaries of the common worker in the industry.^[3] In August 1932, the needleworkers went on strike requesting higher salaries for their work. Police, who were called to protect employer properties, killed and wounded some strikers who stoned the workshop of Arcelay^[4] Puerto Rican musician Mon Rivera wrote a song titled "Quien Nama" (loosely translated as "Hello, Who' Calling?", sometimes referred to as "Que Sera") which describes the seamstress' strike and mentions Arcelay in the song.^[5] In 1934, she presented a Bill before the Puerto Rican legislature which established the Lottery of Puerto Rico. She was reelected in 1936, during which time she introduced the bills which established the an orphanage home for children and a Juvenile court. She also presented bills before the legislature to establish teachers a pension and a School of Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.^[2]

She was named president of the Prices and Rationing Board #49 of Mayagüez and was the director of the Victory bonds program in Puerto Rico during World War II.^[1]^{[unreliable source?]} During the decades of the 40s and 50s, under her leadership, Puerto Rico's needlework industry grew to become the island's second largest industry (Puerto Rico's largest industry was agriculture)

Legacy

Arcelay also participated in civic orientated organizations such as the Women's Civic and Cultural Club of Mayagüez and was the founder of the Altrusa Club of that same city. She served in the government until 1940 and in 1965 retired from her business career.^[1]^{[unreliable source?]}

She died on October 17, 1981, in her hometown Mayagüez and is buried in Mayagüez's Old Municipal Cemetery,.^[1]^{[unreliable source?]} The city named a school in her honor.^[6] There is a Portrait of Maria Luisa Arcelay at the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute.^[7] On August 22, 2005, the Camera of Representatives of Puerto Rico, by the act R.de la C. 2631, named one of the halls of Puerto Rico's Capital Building "Maria Luisa Arecelay" in her honor.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Biografia
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Camara de Representantes de Puerto Rico
^ ^a ^b "Latino thought"; By: Francisco Hernández Vázquez, Rodolfo D. Torres; page 182; ISBN-13: 9780847699414
^ "Home to work: motherhood and the politics of industrial homework in the ..."; By Eileen Boris; page 233; Publisher: Cambridge University Press; ISBN-13: 9780521455480
^ Mon Rivera
^ Maria Luisa Arcelay School
^ Harvard University Library

[BIO-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Biografia

[CRPR-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Camara de Representantes de Puerto Rico

[LT-3] "Latino thought"; By: Francisco Hernández Vázquez, Rodolfo D. Torres; page 182; ISBN-13: 9780847699414

[4] "Home to work: motherhood and the politics of industrial homework in the ..."; By Eileen Boris; page 233; Publisher: Cambridge University Press; ISBN-13: 9780521455480

[5] Mon Rivera

[6] Maria Luisa Arcelay School

[7] Harvard University Library

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

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-'''María Luisa Arcelay''' (December 23, 1893-October 17, 1981), was an [[educator]], [[businesswoman]] and [[politician]] who on November 1932, became the first woman in Puerto Rico and in all of Latin America to be elected to a government legislative body.<ref name="BIO">[http://netdial.caribe.net/~josebru/biografia.htm Biografia]</ref>
+'''María Luisa Arcelay''' (December 23, 1893-October 17, 1981), was an [[educator]], [[businesswoman]] and [[politician]] who on November 1932, became the first woman in Puerto Rico and in all of Latin America to be elected to a government legislative body.<ref name="BIO">[http://netdial.caribe.net/~josebru/biografia.htm Biografia]</ref>{{unreliable source|date=December 2009}}
 ==Early years==
-Arcelay was one of five siblings born to Ricardo Arcelay and Isabel de la Rosa in [[Mayagüez, Puerto Rico]]. There she received her primary and secondary education before moving to the then town of [[Rio Piedras]] where she earned her teachers certificate.<ref name="BIO"/><ref name="CRPR">"[http://www.camaraderepresentantes.org/files/pdf/72012DINXP.pdf Camara de Representantes de Puerto Rico]</ref>
+Arcelay was one of five siblings born to Ricardo Arcelay and Isabel de la Rosa in [[Mayagüez, Puerto Rico]]. There she received her primary and secondary education before moving to the then town of [[Rio Piedras]] where she earned her teachers certificate.<ref name="BIO"/>{{unreliable source|date=December 2009}}<ref name="CRPR">"[http://www.camaraderepresentantes.org/files/pdf/72012DINXP.pdf Camara de Representantes de Puerto Rico]</ref>
 ==Educator==
-Arcelay began her career as an educator when she was hired as an [[English language]] teacher at [[Theodore Roosevelt]] High School. Later she taught at the [[Jose de Diego]] High School, both schools located in the City of Mayagüez. During her spare time she worked as a book keeper for various commercial firms in the area.<ref name="BIO"/><ref name="CRPR"/>
+Arcelay began her career as an educator when she was hired as an [[English language]] teacher at [[Theodore Roosevelt]] High School. Later she taught at the [[Jose de Diego]] High School, both schools located in the City of Mayagüez. During her spare time she worked as a book keeper for various commercial firms in the area.<ref name="BIO"/>{{unreliable source|date=December 2009}}<ref name="CRPR"/>
 ==Businesswoman and politician==
-By 1920, Arcelay abandoned her career as an educator and together with Lorenza Carrero founded a needlework workshop which evolved into a needlework factory.<ref name="CRPR"/> Her company employed many of the local women who had no other means to sustain themselves economically. She was an activist who defended the island's [[needlework]] industry in various public hearings which were held in [[New York City]] and [[Washington, D.C.]].<ref name="BIO"/><ref name="CRPR"/>
+By 1920, Arcelay abandoned her career as an educator and together with Lorenza Carrero founded a needlework workshop which evolved into a needlework factory.<ref name="CRPR"/> Her company employed many of the local women who had no other means to sustain themselves economically. She was an activist who defended the island's [[needlework]] industry in various public hearings which were held in [[New York City]] and [[Washington, D.C.]].<ref name="BIO"/>{{unreliable source|date=December 2009}}<ref name="CRPR"/>
-Arcelay was member of the ''Partido Coalicionista de Puerto Rico'' (The Puerto Rican Coalition Party) and in the elections of November 1932, she was elected to represent the district of Mayagüez in the [[House of Representatives of Puerto Rico]], thereby becoming the first Puerto Rican and for that matter the first woman in all of [[Latin America]] to be elected to a government legislative body.<ref name="BIO"/><ref name="LT">"Latino thought"; By: Francisco Hernández Vázquez, Rodolfo D. Torres; page 182; ISBN-13: 9780847699414</ref>  She used her position as president of the Agriculture and Commerce Commission to continue her defense of the needlework industry before local and federal authorities and played an instrumental role in making the industry compatible with others which were already established in the United States market by going against any measure which would raise the salaries of the common worker in the industry.<ref name="LT"/> In August 1932, the needleworkers went on strike requesting higher salaries for their work. Police, who were called to protect employer properties, killed and wounded some strikers who stoned the workshop of Arcelay<ref>"Home to work: motherhood and the politics of industrial homework in the ..."; By Eileen Boris; page 233; Publisher: Cambridge University Press; ISBN-13: 9780521455480</ref> Puerto Rican musician Mon Rivera wrote a song titled "Quien Nama" (loosely translated as "Hello, Who' Calling?", sometimes referred to as "Que Sera") which describes the seamstress' strike and mentions Arcelay  in the song.<ref>[http://www.nme.com/artists/mon-rivera Mon Rivera]</ref> In 1934, she presented a Bill before the Puerto Rican legislature which established the Lottery of Puerto Rico. She was reelected in 1936, during which time she introduced the bills which established the an orphanage home for children and a Juvenile court. She also presented bills before the legislature to establish teachers a pension and a School of Medicine at the [[University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez]].<ref name="CRPR"/>
+Arcelay was member of the ''Partido Coalicionista de Puerto Rico'' (The Puerto Rican Coalition Party) and in the elections of November 1932, she was elected to represent the district of Mayagüez in the [[House of Representatives of Puerto Rico]], thereby becoming the first Puerto Rican and for that matter the first woman in all of [[Latin America]] to be elected to a government legislative body.<ref name="BIO"/>{{unreliable source|date=December 2009}}<ref name="LT">"Latino thought"; By: Francisco Hernández Vázquez, Rodolfo D. Torres; page 182; ISBN-13: 9780847699414</ref>  She used her position as president of the Agriculture and Commerce Commission to continue her defense of the needlework industry before local and federal authorities and played an instrumental role in making the industry compatible with others which were already established in the United States market by going against any measure which would raise the salaries of the common worker in the industry.<ref name="LT"/> In August 1932, the needleworkers went on strike requesting higher salaries for their work. Police, who were called to protect employer properties, killed and wounded some strikers who stoned the workshop of Arcelay<ref>"Home to work: motherhood and the politics of industrial homework in the ..."; By Eileen Boris; page 233; Publisher: Cambridge University Press; ISBN-13: 9780521455480</ref> Puerto Rican musician Mon Rivera wrote a song titled "Quien Nama" (loosely translated as "Hello, Who' Calling?", sometimes referred to as "Que Sera") which describes the seamstress' strike and mentions Arcelay  in the song.<ref>[http://www.nme.com/artists/mon-rivera Mon Rivera]</ref> In 1934, she presented a Bill before the Puerto Rican legislature which established the Lottery of Puerto Rico. She was reelected in 1936, during which time she introduced the bills which established the an orphanage home for children and a Juvenile court. She also presented bills before the legislature to establish teachers a pension and a School of Medicine at the [[University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez]].<ref name="CRPR"/>
-She was named president of the Prices and Rationing Board #49 of Mayagüez and was the director of the [[War bond|Victory bonds]] program in Puerto Rico during [[World War II]].<ref name="BIO"/> During the decades of the 40s and 50s, under her leadership, Puerto Rico's needlework industry grew to become the island's second largest industry (Puerto Rico's largest industry was agriculture)
+She was named president of the Prices and Rationing Board #49 of Mayagüez and was the director of the [[War bond|Victory bonds]] program in Puerto Rico during [[World War II]].<ref name="BIO"/>{{unreliable source|date=December 2009}} During the decades of the 40s and 50s, under her leadership, Puerto Rico's needlework industry grew to become the island's second largest industry (Puerto Rico's largest industry was agriculture)
 ==Legacy==
-Arcelay also participated in civic orientated organizations such as the Women's Civic and Cultural Club of Mayagüez and was the founder of the Altrusa Club of that same city. She served in the government until 1940 and in 1965 retired from her business career.<ref name="BIO"/>
+Arcelay also participated in civic orientated organizations such as the Women's Civic and Cultural Club of Mayagüez and was the founder of the Altrusa Club of that same city. She served in the government until 1940 and in 1965 retired from her business career.<ref name="BIO"/>{{unreliable source|date=December 2009}}
-She died on October 17, 1981, in her hometown Mayagüez and is buried in Mayagüez's Old Municipal Cemetery,.<ref name="BIO"/> The city named a school in her honor.<ref>[http://puerto-rico.schooltree.org/public/Maria-Luisa-Arcelay-098623.html Maria Luisa Arcelay School]</ref> There is a Portrait of Maria Luisa Arcelay at the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute.<ref>[http://via.lib.harvard.edu/via/deliver/deepcontent?recordId=olvwork20012498 Harvard University Library]</ref> On August 22, 2005, the Camera of Representatives of Puerto Rico, by the act  R.de la C. 2631, named one of the halls of Puerto Rico's Capital Building "Maria Luisa Arecelay" in her honor.<ref name="CRPR"/>
+She died on October 17, 1981, in her hometown Mayagüez and is buried in Mayagüez's Old Municipal Cemetery,.<ref name="BIO"/>{{unreliable source|date=December 2009}} The city named a school in her honor.<ref>[http://puerto-rico.schooltree.org/public/Maria-Luisa-Arcelay-098623.html Maria Luisa Arcelay School]</ref> There is a Portrait of Maria Luisa Arcelay at the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute.<ref>[http://via.lib.harvard.edu/via/deliver/deepcontent?recordId=olvwork20012498 Harvard University Library]</ref> On August 22, 2005, the Camera of Representatives of Puerto Rico, by the act  R.de la C. 2631, named one of the halls of Puerto Rico's Capital Building "Maria Luisa Arecelay" in her honor.<ref name="CRPR"/>
 ==Further reading==