Carlos Manuel Rosario (1922 – February 1, 1987) was a Puerto Rican activist who served as the executive director of the Spanish Community Advisory Committee. He was a founder of the

Latino Festival in Washington, DC In 2016 the Latino community made up nine percent of Washington, D.C.'s population, and 44.9 percent of non-English-speaking households spoke Spanish. The district’s Latino population has been increasing steadily since the 1980s as its total po ...

and founded the Program of English Instruction for Latin Americans (PEILA).

Biography

Carlos Manuel Rosario was born in

Ciales, Puerto Rico Ciales (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico, located on the Central Mountain Range, northwest of Orocovis; south of Florida and Manatí; east of Utuado and Jayuya; and west of Morovis. Ciales is spread over eight barrios and Ciales ...

, and many in his family were teachers. He attended 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 ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

touring in

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France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. After WWII Rosario returned to Puerto Rico where he worked as an X-Ray technician. In the1950s he moved to Montana and joined the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He was later transferred to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

where he worked as an X-Ray technician until 1957. Then he worked at the

National Tuberculosis Association National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

until 1967 and for the Washington D.C. Health Department from 1967 to 1969. In 1970, Mayor Walter E. Washington hired Rosario to head the newly formed Spanish Community Advisory Committee which was later named the Office of Latino Affairs. In 1980 he served as the Assistant Director of the D.C. Office on Aging, until he retired in 1984.

Family

Carlos Rosario married Carmin Maria Rosario of Washington and had three sons: Carlos M. Rosario Jr., Jose Rosario, and Reinaldo Rosario; and two daughters, Leticia Rosario and Vilma Tirado.

Activism

Carlos Rosario created various programs that allow Hispanic Americans and Hispanic immigrants to integrate into American society, such as: * Spanish Community Advisory Committee that established the

Office of Latino Affairs of the District of Columbia The Office on Latino Affairs of the District of Columbia (OLA) was created by the passage of DC Law 1-86 by the city council on September 29, 1976, and was made part of the Executive office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia. The original bi ...

* The District of Columbia Public Schools’ Bilingual Education Program * Funding for Manpower Programs *

* The Educational Organization for United Latin Americans (EOFULA) * The Upper Cardozo Health Clinic * Committee for the Aid and Development of Americans in the Nation's Capital (CADOLANCA)Creating a Latino Identity in the Nation's Capital: The Latino Festival (Latino Communities: Emerging Voices - Political, Social, Cultural and Legal Issues) by Olivia Cadaval * Carlos Rosario helped establish the bilingual program in the D.C. public schools in 1968 and the Program of English Instruction for Latin Americans (PEILA) at the Gordon Adult Education Center in 1969 that was later renamed the Carlos Rosario Center. Carlos Rosario stated that people referred to him as "The Godfather" because he was the builder of the Latino community in Washington D.C.

Career

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Death

Carlos Rosario suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

on February 1, 1987 while vacationing in Puerto Rico and died in a hospital in

Dorado, Puerto Rico Dorado () is a town and municipality in the northern coast of Puerto Rico, west of San Juan and is located in the northern region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Toa Alta, east of Vega Alta, and west of Toa Baja. Dorado ...

at the age of 65.

Legacy

Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School is a charter school for adults in Washington D.C. History The Carlos Rosario Adult Education Center was started in the 1930s at Gordon Junior High, 35th and T Streets NW in Burleith, Washington ...

(former Carlos Rosario Center) was named after him.

References

External links

Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosario, Carlos Manuel 1922 births 1987 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II Community organizing Activists for Hispanic and Latino American civil rights People from Ciales, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican activists United States Army soldiers