antonetty

Known as the “Hell lady of the Bronx” by some, or “The mother of the Puerto Rican community” by others, Antonetty was a force to be reckoned with. Arriving alone in New York at the age of ten, Antonetty was raised and educated formally in city public schools, and informally, by politically astute pioneers in the Puerto Rican community. In 1946, Antonetty worked as a job developer and organizer for District 65, bringing more than 4,000 Spanish-speaking workers into the union. In 1965, she joined forces with other parents to create United Bronx Parents (UBP), an organization dedicated to education and community development in the South Bronx. Recognized for more than four decades of dedication to the community, Antonetty received an honorary doctorate in 1970 from Manhattan College. In 2001, a play, Evelina’s Heart was produced in her honor. In memory of her achievements, the library and archives of the Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños at Hunter College, CUNY carry her name.