Edward Rivera
Edward Rivera, born around 1939 in Puerto Rico, is a significant figure in literature, particularly known for his contributions to understanding the immigrant experience. He immigrated to the United States as a child, settling in New York City, where he later pursued his education at City College of New York and Columbia University, earning his M.F.A. degree. Rivera dedicated over thirty years to teaching English at City College, during which he mentored notable writers like Abraham Rodriguez, Jr. and Junot Diaz.
His seminal work, *Family Installments: Memories of Growing Up Hispanic*, was published in 1982 after a decade of writing. This semiautobiographical novel follows a young graffiti artist in Spanish Harlem, chronicling his family's journey from Puerto Rico to New York and their efforts to assimilate into American culture. The narrative addresses the complexities of cultural identity, the challenges of immigration, and the realities of racial dynamics in the United States, particularly through the protagonist's interactions with peers from different backgrounds. Rivera's writing has been praised for its humorous yet sensitive exploration of personal and collective experiences, contributing to a deeper understanding of Hispanic-American narratives. In addition to his novel, Rivera authored numerous short stories and essays, further enriching the discourse on cultural identity and diversity.
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Subject Terms
Edward Rivera
Author
- Born: August 25, 1939
- Birthplace: Orocovis, Puerto Rico
- Died: September 1, 2001
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Edward Rivera was born in Puerto Rico around 1939. His family immigrated to the United States when he was a small child and settled in New York City. Rivera attended the City College of New York and later went to Columbia University, where he earned his M.F.A. degree. In 1969, Rivera joined the faculty of the City College of New York as an assistant professor of English, a position he held for more than thirty years. He also worked in the school’s Center for Worker Education and served as a mentor to writers such as Abraham Rodriguez, Jr., and Junot Diaz.
Rivera spent ten years writing his first and only book, the semiautobiograpical novel Family Installments: Memories of Growing Up Hispanic. Published in 1982, the book tells the story of a young graffiti artist in Spanish Harlem who becomes a writer. The book explores the cultural journey of the boy’s family as they immigrate from Puerto Rico to New York City and begin to assimilate American culture and values. Rivera begins the book with a description of the protagonist’s Puerto Rican ancestors. This description resembles a myth, according to Elena Brunet, a reviewer for The Nation.
The clash between the Puerto Rican culture and the American culture becomes evident when Santos, the narrator, and his friends, who are also immigrants from Puerto Rico, are asked to read Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare as an assignment in their English class. In an article in International Fiction Review, Udo Nattermann wrote that the Puerto Rican students perceive the play as an offense to their values. Santos and his friends are insulted by the Roman characters’ behavior, which they regard as sexually perverse, and by the Elizabethan language, which they feel is a sign of the superiority of one class of people over another. Nattermann further noted that the Puerto Rican characters learn the hard lesson of racial segregation when they are confronted by African American boys while playing in Central Park. When the African Americans demand that Santos and Pannas, his friend, declare their racial affiliation, the Puerto Rican boys become aware of the racial struggles within the United States.
Critics praised the novel for its sensitive and often humorous treatment of such issues as personal and cultural identity, family relations, and racism. Aside from his critically acclaimed novel, Rivera also published a number of short stories and essays in a variety of publications, including the New American Review, the Bilingual Review, and New York Magazine.