Celestina Cordero
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Celestina Cordero (April 6, 1787 – January 18, 1862), was an educator who in 1820 founded the first school for girls in
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
.


Early years

Cordero (birth name: Celestina Cordero y Molina ) was second of three children born in
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
to Lucas Cordero and Rita Molina. Her older sister was named Gregoria and her younger brother was Rafael Cordero. Cordero's father, a former slave, was a "Freeman." In 1789, the Spanish Crown issued the "Royal Decree of Graces of 1789," also known as ''El Código Negro'' (The Black Code). In accordance with ''El Código Negro'' a slave could buy their freedom and thus a former slave would become known as “freeman” or “freewoman.”(Spanish) ''El Codigo Negro'' (The Black Code). 1898 Sociedad de Amigos de la Historia de Puerto Rico. Retrieved July 20, 2007

/ref> Cordero's family moved to the town of San German. Her father was an experienced artisan who also worked in the tobacco fields. During his free time he taught his children and those in the neighborhood his artisan skills, while Cordero's mother taught her children the importance of obtaining an education. Cordero's parents taught her and her siblings how to read and write. Inspired by her mother's teachings, Cordero developed the love of teaching others. It was in San German where Cordero and her brother began their careers as educators.Biografia de Celestina Cordero Molina


Educator

During the Spanish colonization of the island, Puerto Rico, which depended on an agricultural economy, had an illiteracy rate of over 80% at the beginning of the 19th century. Most women were home educated. The first library in Puerto Rico was established in 1642 in the Convent of San Francisco, and access to its books was limited to those who belonged to the religious order.Kamellos, "Chronology of Hispanic American History", p.48 The only women who had access to the libraries and who could afford books, were the wives and daughters of Spanish government officials or wealthy landowners. Those who were poor had to resort to oral story-telling in what are traditionally known in Puerto Rico as ''Coplas'' and ''Decimas''. Cordero and her brother moved back to San Juan. Despite the fact that she was subject to racial discrimination because she was a black free woman, she continued to pursue her goal of teaching others regardless of their race and or social standing. In 1820, Cordero founded the first school for girls in San Juan, the first of its kind in Puerto Rico. Cordero also presented herself as a public speaker in favor of women's public education. After several years of struggle, the Spanish government officially gave her the title of teacher and accredited her school as an official educational institution.


Legacy

Cordero never married and died penniless in her home in San Juan on January 18, 1862. Puerto Rico recognized her brother Rafael as "The Father of
Public Education State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...
" in Puerto Rico. However, her contributions to the educational system of the island are seldom mentioned. On December 9, 2013,
Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
advanced the sainthood of her brother when he declared that he lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way and is venerable. In 2012, the library of the Dr. José Celso Barbosa Jr. High School dedicated its "Women Day" to Celestina Cordero.
Celestina Cordero Molina- pionera en el campo educativo social


Further reading

*''Remedios: Stories of Earth and Iron from the History of Puertorriquenas''; by Aurora Levins Morales; pub. South End Press;


See also

* List of Puerto Ricans *
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 ...
*
List of Puerto Ricans of African descent A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
African immigration to Puerto Rico African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordero, Celestina Puerto Rican educators People from San Juan, Puerto Rico 1787 births 1862 deaths