Puerto Rico

""A much-needed primer on the history of Puerto Rico, showcasing how its people have long cultivated a tradition of resilience and resistance. . . . [Meléndez-Badillo] offers readers a critical understanding of how the island came to exist as it does today and how its future may yet unfold. [He] succeeds in not just recounting historical events from a distance as other historians might but in using the stories of real people—both from history and from the present, including his own—to spark something deeper in the reader. I found it impossible to read this book and not be overwhelmed with emotion at times, not just feeling like I learned something new but that I also wanted to do something more. ""---Jazmine Gonzalez, Porchlight  ""a panoramic introduction to the island’s colonial history and contemporary political movements...a history attentive to marginalized groups: queer, Black and the working class that have shaped the idea of Puerto Rico as a nation and a diaspora""---Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times ""[Meléndez-Badillo] explores the history of . . . his native Puerto Rico in a thorough, accessible exposition. Beginning with the archipelago’s Indigenous Taíno people, back when Puerto Rico was called Borikén, the book traces a history of imperialism as the land was colonized by the Spanish and then by the United States."" * Library Journal * ""[Puerto Rico] has a nuanced political history of conquest and struggles for freedom from imperial rule. Puerto Rico: A National History covers this history with clarity, honesty, and compassion. . . . A great choice for . . . anyone looking to learn more about modern-day imperialism.""---Alyssa Parssinen, Shelf Awareness ""Meléndez-Badillo's fresh perspective illuminates the context and the ongoing challenges that the colony faces at this critical moment. Framing the narrative with his own family's story adds compelling insights into the island's history and the reasons for the inhabitants' to-ing and fro-ing throughout the years since the fateful encounter of 1492. Meticulously referenced with notes, an annotated bibliography, and a comprehensive index, this much needed and clarifying overview is rich in maps, illustrations, and images that add depth and texture. Meléndez-Badillo finds hope for a brighter future in Puerto Ricans themselves, especially in emerging leaders from a younger generation inspired by the 'collective rage' in Bad Bunny's song, 'El Apagon.'""---Sara Martinez, Booklist ""a stunning account of Puerto Rico’s history that invites readers to understand how Puerto Ricans negotiate, resist, and construct their identities within and in defiance of their colonial position. Consulting an exhaustive breadth of interdisciplinary scholarship within Puerto Rican studies...Meléndez-Badillo captures the attention of the reader with clear storytelling, historical rigor, and emotional care of the subject matter... Handled with care, [the book] asks readers to consider how the multiple visions of Puerto Rico within the context of colonialism inspires future struggles for a better tomorrow.""---Manuel A. Grajales, H-Caribbean Reviews ""As an academic with roots in Puerto Rico, Meléndez-Badillo delves deeply into the island's national history, providing a nuanced perspective on its unique, complex, and evolving national identity. His expert analysis sheds light on the intricate interplay between cultural, political, and social forces that have shaped Puerto Rico over the centuries. Meléndez-Badillo's work stands out for its depth of insight and its honest examination of both the challenges and opportunities in Puerto Rico's past and future.""---Jwahr Alotaibi, H-Ethnic Reviews ""The changing figuration of the nation that Meléndez-Badillo writes about has been nothing more than a precise response to the challenges imposed by the arbitrary gaze of those who introduced the place we call Puerto Rico into the European-Western cultural and material circuits.... The nation is an impulse that responds to the challenges of those diverse modernities to which communities are introduced: it is an act of resistance…. The “history of a nation” that [Meléndez-Badillo] claims as his own is something more than a mere academic exercise. It is true that the nation is formulated through “history,” but it is also a lived experience. Puerto Rico...is a work that deserves numerous readings. I hope mine will help stimulate a broader discussion on the subject.""---Mario Cancel Sepúlveda, Siglo 22 ""At the heart of Puerto’s Rico’s many problems...is the relationship between a corrupt, entitled and all-but transnational elite and their imperial masters. This makes Meléndez-Badillo’s history of Puerto Rico refreshing, focusing as he does on the travails and travels of its working-class emigrants who over time have been the main losers of a colonial political process built upon corruption""---Gavin O'Toole, Latin American Review of Books