Ana Roqué de Duprey, also known as "Flor del Valle" (Flower of the Valley) for her work in botany, (April 18, 1853 – 1933), was an educator,
suffragist
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...
and one of the founders of the
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and 5,3 ...
.
Early years
Roqué (birth name: Ana Roqué Geigel) was born in
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...
. She lived among books and had learned how to write by the age of three. Her mother died when she was only 4 years old and she was raised by her father, aunt, and grandmother, who were all educators. In 1860, when Roqué was seven years old, she was sent to a regular school, and two years later graduated. She continued her homeschooling and in 1864 at the age of eleven, became the youngest teacher's assistant in Puerto Rico. In 1866, at age 13, she founded a school in her house. She also wrote a
geography
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...
textbook for her students, which was later adopted by the Department of Education of Puerto Rico. She applied for her teacher's license and passed the examinations.
[Ana Roque](_blank)
First Puerto Rican woman to become a member of the Public Library
In 1872, she married
Luis Duprey, a well-to-do landowner who was involved in politics. At the time of their marriage, Duprey was a slaveowner, and one of Roqué's conditions to marriage was that she be able to educate the slaves.
She developed an interest in the politics of Puerto Rico. With Duprey, she had five children. Three survived to adulthood: Luis Enrique, Borinquen, and America.
The family moved to the capital of
San Juan, where she became the first woman to be permitted into the Puerto Rican Athenaeum and the first woman to become a member of the Public Library. During her spare time, she composed music. In 1880 her husband died, leaving her with young children to care for.
Author and publisher
In 1884, Roqué was offered a teacher's position in
Arecibo
Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, th ...
, which she accepted. She also enrolled at the Provincial Institute where she studied philosophy and science and earned her bachelor's degree. In 1899, Roque was appointed as the director of the Normal School of San Juan.
In 1898, Roqué founded La Mujer, the first "women's only" magazine in Puerto Rico. She also wrote articles for the following newspapers: ''El Buscapie'', ''
El Imparcial
''El Imparcial'', founded in 1918, was a newspaper in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Assoc ...
'' and ''
El Mundo''. She founded other women's publications and some of general interest: ''La Evolucion'' (1902), ''La Mujer del Siglo XX'' in (1907), ''Album Puertorriqueño'' (1918) and ''Heraldo de la Mujer'' (1920).
In addition to articles, Roqué wrote several books, both fiction and non-fiction. They include the following: ''Sara'', ''La Obrera'' and ''Luz y Sombra''. Her book ''Puerto Rican Flora'' received acclaim and an award from the Fourth Century Christian Civilization Organization. Roque, who also had a passion for
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
, was made an honorary member of the Paris Society of Astronomers.
In the early 1900s, Roqué also began work on the study ''Botánica Antillana,'' a study of Caribbean flora in which she documented over 6,000 species of plants with color illustrations as well as medicinal and agricultural properties.
Founder of University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez Campus
In 1902, Roqué founded a teachers' academy in her house. Roqué also taught and prepared students for their teacher's examination with the Department of Education. As a result of her growing interest in education, Roqué founded the
Liceo Ponceño (a girls' high school in Ponce) and the College of Mayagüez. (The latter developed as the
Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico). She also contributed to the founding of the
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and 5,3 ...
campus in San Juan.
Feminist
In 1917, Roqué and other professional women founded the
Puerto Rican Feminist League, the first feminist organization in Puerto Rico dedicated to the issues of women's rights. In 1921 it focused on voting rights as the
Suffragist Social League. By 1924, the women had divided over political differences, and Roque led followers to found the
Association of Women Suffragists. They fought for women's suffrage without restrictions (such as literacy or means tests). The first phase was approved in 1932 and in 1935, all women of voting age were allowed to vote.
Legacy and honors
In 1932, the
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and 5,3 ...
awarded Roque an honorary doctorate degree. She was also named honorary president of the
Puerto Rican Liberal Party
The Liberal Party of Puerto Rico () was a pro-independence political party. The Liberal Party was founded in 1932 as a formal disaffiliation between two political parties which composed the political coalition known as the '' Alianza'' (Alliance). ...
.
LOS 40 BORICUAS DEL SIGLO XX
/ref>
In 1933, Ana Roqué Géigel de Duprey died in Río Piedras
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
, and a memorial has been done to honor her life. A high school in Humacao, Puerto Rico
Humacao () is a city and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern coast of the island, north of Yabucoa; south of Naguabo; east of Las Piedras; and west of Vieques Passage. Humacao is spread over 12 barrios and Humacao Pueblo (the ...
and a street in San Juan are named for her. An elementary school in Chicago, Illinois, which has a large Puerto Rican population, is named after her.
Roque was posthumously named an honoree of the National Women's History Alliance in 2020.
See also
* List of Puerto Ricans
* French immigration to Puerto Rico
French immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of the economic and political situations which occurred in various places such as Louisiana (United States), Saint-Domingue (Haiti) and in Europe.
Other important factors which encouraged ...
* History of women in Puerto Rico
The recorded history of Puerto Rican women can trace its roots back to the era of the ''Taíno'', the indigenous people of the Caribbean, who inhabited the island that they called "Boriken" before the arrival of Spaniards. During the Spanish c ...
References
External links
Weekly World
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roque, Ana
1853 births
1933 deaths
Puerto Rican educators
Puerto Rican feminists
People from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican people of French descent
Puerto Rican activists
Puerto Rican suffragists