Antonia Pantoja

A recent lecture by the Museum of the City of New York highlighted a Puerto Rican American unsung hero.  Antonia Pantoja was born in 1921 and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico.   Her family struggled financially and had to save up money to allow her to attend high school.  After high school graduation her family saved enough money for Antonia to attend college in America.  In 1944 she migrated to New York City but life was not what she expected.  Most teaching jobs were not available to her.   Young Puerto Ricans were not treated equally.  The inequities triggered her to become an advocate for change. She formed the Hispanic Young Adults Association (HYAA) to improve access to education, health care and stable incomes.  While managing this association she graduated from Columbia University in 1954.  In 1962, she founded ASPIRA, an organization that offered tutoring, Puerto Rican history, culture classes and leadership training.  She dedicated her life to social justice.  She never stopped working to improve the community she represented.  ASPIRA continues to be an important advocate for Puerto Rican youth to this day.