Pura Belpré

Cristina Rhodes (Shippensburg University)

Ed. by Dainy Bernstein, University of Pennsylvania
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.7: Chicano/Latino Writing and Culture of the United States.
Vol. editors: Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Nuala Finnegan (University College Cork), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Lori Oxford (Western Carolina University)

Dates

Born 2 Feb 1899
Died 1 Jul 1982
Activity 1920-1978

Places

Born in Puerto Rico
Active in United States

Cultural Identities

Latino/a US-American

Activities

Primary

Librarian

Other

Children's/Young Adult writer

Resources

Belpré's Works

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Pura Belpré, born Pura Teresa Belpré Nogueras in Cidra, Puerto Rico, was an Afro-Boricua librarian and writer of children’s books in the early to mid-twentieth century. Notably, Belpré is often regarded as the first Puerto Rican (and Afro-Latina) librarian in the United States, and she devoted her life to serving Spanish-speaking patrons of the New York Public Library.

Belpré’s childhood is relatively unknown, and conflicting reports exist about her date of birth and her parents’ origins. Her officially registered birth certificate, copied to her upon her request in 1972, lists her birthday as 2 February 1899, but her baptismal records list 21 April 1899. Belpré rarely spoke of her childhood and scholars speculate that this is due to her parents’ possible involvement in the

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2513 words

Citation: Rhodes, Cristina. "Pura Belpré". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 April 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=15014, accessed 26 November 2024.]