Barbosa Day (Puerto Rico)
Barbosa Day is observed on July 27 in Puerto Rico to honor the birth of statesman José Celso Barbosa, born in 1857 in Bayamon. This public holiday commemorates Barbosa's significant contributions to Puerto Rican politics and society, particularly his role in advocating for American annexation following the Spanish-American War. A man of mixed African descent, Barbosa overcame humble beginnings and limited educational opportunities to study medicine at the University of Michigan, where he graduated in 1880. After returning to Puerto Rico, he established a medical practice and actively participated in movements opposing Spanish rule. Barbosa is often regarded as the father of the Puerto Rican statehood movement, passionately promoting the idea of Puerto Rico becoming a coequal state within the United States. He also founded the Puerto Rican chapter of the Republican Party in 1900 and served in the Puerto Rican Senate until his death in 1921. Barbosa Day serves as a reflection of his enduring legacy and impact on Puerto Rican identity and politics.
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Barbosa Day (Puerto Rico)
Barbosa Day (Puerto Rico)
July 27 is commonly known as Barbosa Day in Puerto Rico, an island in the Caribbean which was once part of the Spanish Empire and is now affiliated with the United States, although not itself a state. Barbosa Day is a public holiday celebrating the birth of statesman José Celso Barbosa on this day in 1857.
Barbosa, born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, was a mulatto—that is, of mixed blood, being of partially African descent. He came from a humble background, but his family worked hard to provide him with an education. He was able to take advantage of the few opportunities for schooling available to persons of mixed blood and eventually went to the United States in order to study medicine at the University of Michigan's medical school. After graduating in 1880, he returned to Puerto Rico and opened his own practice as a doctor.
Barbosa joined various dissident movements against Spanish rule and was a prominent supporter of American annexation which came about after the Spanish-American War in the late 1890s, when Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States. He supported American rule, despite opposition from other Puerto Ricans with African ancestry, who objected to the racist nature of American society at the time. Barbosa is known as the father of the Puerto Rican statehood movement which has sought to have Puerto Rico admitted to the United States as a coequal state. Barbosa even established the Puerto Rican chapter of the Republican Party in 1900. He served in the Puerto Rican Senate until his death in 1921.