Trina de Moya (January 13, 1863 – March 13, 1941), also known by Trinidad de Moya, Trina de Moya de Vásquez, and Doña Trina, was a Dominican poet and writer. She served as the
First Lady of the Dominican Republic
The First Lady of the Dominican Republic the title referring to the wife, or designee, of the president of the Dominican Republic. The official government Office of the First Lady was created by Decree 741-00 on September 10, 2000.
The position o ...
as the wife of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Horacio Vásquez
Felipe Horacio Vásquez Lajara (October 22, 1860 – March 25, 1936) was a Dominican general and political figure. He served as the president of the Provisional Government Junta of the Dominican Republic in 1899, and again between 1902 and 1903. ...
for three nonconsecutive terms. De Moya was the first Dominican presidential wife to be called "
first lady", a title which came into widespread public usage during her third tenure from 1924 to 1930.
Trina de Moya's best known literary works include the Dominican version of , a Latin American
hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...
dedicated to mothers, which premiered on May 30, 1926.
She often published her poetry and other writings under the literary pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
s "T. Colombina" and "Angela".[
]
Biography
Trina de Moya was born María de los Ángeles Trinidad de Moya Pérez in La Vega, Dominican Republic
La Vega, is the fourth largest city and municipality of the Dominican Republic. It is in La Vega Province. The city is known as the Carnaval epicenter of the Dominican Republic for its tradition and culture, its large agricultural production metho ...
, on January 13, 1863.[ Her parents, Román Martín de Moya Portes and Antonia Mauricia Pérez, had eight children, including herself.][ De Moya and her family were relatives of ]Emilio Portes Gil
Emilio Cándido Portes Gil (; 3 October 1890 – 10 December 1978) was President of Mexico from 1928 to 1930, one of three to serve out the six-year term of President-elect General Álvaro Obregón, who had been assassinated in 1928. Since th ...
, who became president of Mexico
The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Co ...
from 1928 to 1930.[
De Moya became interested in poetry and literature at during her childhood and adolescence.][ She wrote many poems during her early life, but later destroyed most of these works, which she saw as mediocre.][
In 1888, she married General ]Horacio Vásquez
Felipe Horacio Vásquez Lajara (October 22, 1860 – March 25, 1936) was a Dominican general and political figure. He served as the president of the Provisional Government Junta of the Dominican Republic in 1899, and again between 1902 and 1903. ...
when she was 26-years old.[ Vásquez served as ]President of the Dominican Republic
The president of the Dominican Republic ( es, Presidente de la República Dominicana) is both the head of state and head of government of the Dominican Republic. The presidential system was established in 1844, following the proclamation of th ...
for different terms, including as provisional president from September 1899 to November 1899 and from 1902 to 1903. He later served as the democratically-elected president from 1924 until he was ousted in a 1930 coup led by Rafael Trujillo. Following their wedding, Vásquez and de Moya lived in Tamboril, Dominican Republic, for several years before relocating to the city of Moca.[ De Moya never had any children,][ though the ''El Carib'' newspaper does mention one adoptive daughter, Edilia Antonia "Toñita" De Moya.][
Trina de Moya became a successful poet and writer while living in Moca.][ Using the ]pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
T. Colombina, de Moya penned a poem called "El estudio" (''The Study''), which was first published in the ''Ilustrada No.16'' literary magazine on March 15, 1899.[ She also released her "El Campo" poem using the same T. Colombina moniker.][ De Moya founded both the Women's Club of Moca and the Women's Club of ]Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
in 1906.[ She headed both organizations and oversaw their cultural and social initiatives.][ De Noya won an award at the 1915 Juegos Florales de La Vega (''Floral Games of La Vega'') for her composition, "Patria y La Mujer Dominicana".][ She won first place with her poem, "Soneto a María", at the feast day coronation of in 1922.][ Other noted works include "Añoranzas", a book of ]prose
Prose is a form of written or spoken language that follows the natural flow of speech, uses a language's ordinary grammatical structures, or follows the conventions of formal academic writing. It differs from most traditional poetry, where the ...
.[
De Moya had briefly served as first lady in 1899 and again from 1902 to 1903 during her husband's provisional presidencies.][ She returned to the role from 1924 to 1930 during ]Horacio Vásquez
Felipe Horacio Vásquez Lajara (October 22, 1860 – March 25, 1936) was a Dominican general and political figure. He served as the president of the Provisional Government Junta of the Dominican Republic in 1899, and again between 1902 and 1903. ...
's third tenure in office. Trina de Moya was the first presidential wife to be called "first lady" by Dominicans.[ The term "first lady" had originated in the United States in the late 1800s, before gaining popularity in the Dominican Republic during the 1920s.][ De Moya focused on children right's, culture, education, and humanitarian issues during her time as first lady.][ She hosted literary events and evenings at the ]National Palace Buildings called National Palace include:
* National Palace (Dominican Republic), in Santo Domingo
*National Palace (El Salvador), in San Salvador
*National Palace (Ethiopia), in Addis Ababa; also known as the Jubilee Palace
* National Palace (Guate ...
.[ She also accompanied President Vásquez on official domestic and international trips. Trina de Moya continued to write and publish while serving as first lady in the 1920s.
First Lady de Moya and Dominican educator Ercilia Pepín were among the first to promote ]Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in th ...
as a new national holiday beginning in 1926. The Vásquez government created the holiday by passing Law Number 370 of 1926, which set Mother's Day as the last Sunday in May.[ Trina de Moya wrote the Dominican version of ', a popular Latin American ]hymn
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...
dedicated to mothers.[ To mark the first official Mother's Day, ''Himno a la Madre'' premiered in a ]choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
performance at the in Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional)
, webs ...
on 30 May 1926, with accompanying music composed by Father Manuel de Jesús González.[
In 1929, First Lady de Moya published a book of verse poetry titled ''Patria y Hogar''. The poetry book included a ]prologue
A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...
written by Dominican poet Fabio Fiallo.[
President ]Horacio Vásquez
Felipe Horacio Vásquez Lajara (October 22, 1860 – March 25, 1936) was a Dominican general and political figure. He served as the president of the Provisional Government Junta of the Dominican Republic in 1899, and again between 1902 and 1903. ...
was overthrown in a 1930 coup led by Rafael Trujillo, the dictator who would rule the Dominican Republic for the next thirty years. Vásquez and de Moya were sent into exile 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 Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
, but were allowed to return. He and his wife lived in internal exile at their home at 97 Calle Real in Tamboril until his death. Horacio Vásquez died on March 25, 1936, and was buried at the San Rafael Catholic Church in Tamboril, Dominican Republic
Tamboril is a municipality (''municipio'') of the Santiago province in the Dominican Republic. Tamboril is situated in the northeast part of the province, at the foot of the Cordillera Septentrional mountains, at 230 meters above sea level. The m ...
.
Trina de Moya died of throat cancer on May 13, 1941, in Santurce, 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 Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
, where she had travelled for medical treatment.[ She was buried next to her husband at the San Rafael Catholic Church in Tamboril.][ In 1989, President ]Joaquín Balaguer
Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo (1 September 1906 – 14 July 2002) was a Dominican politician, scholar, writer, and lawyer. He was President of the Dominican Republic serving three non-consecutive terms for that office from 1960 to 196 ...
ordered de Moya's remains to be reburied in the National Pantheon of the Dominican Republic
The National Pantheon was built from 1714 to 1746 by the Spaniard Geronimo Quezada y Garçon and was originally a Jesuit church. The structure was constructed in the neoclassic-renaissance style. Today, the structure stands as a national symbo ...
in Santo Domingo, but her body was not relocated.
Legacy
Trina de Moya was a devotee of Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes (french: Notre-Dame de Lourdes) is a title of the Virgin Mary. She is venerated under this title by the Roman Catholic church due to her apparitions that occurred in Lourdes, France. The first apparition of 11 February 1858, ...
.[ She ordered a painting of Our Lady of Lourdes from ]France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and donated the image to the San Rafael Catholic Church in Tamboril.[
The small municipality of Villa Trina in ]Espaillat Province
Espaillat () is one of the 32 provinces of the Dominican Republic. It is divided into 5 municipalities and its capital city is Moca. Located in north-central Dominican Republic (Cibao), it is bordered by the provinces of La Vega to the south, S ...
is named for the poet and former first lady.[
Trina de Moya's adopted daughter, Edilia Antonia "Toñita" De Moya, donated her parents' home at 97 Calle Real in Tamboril to the ]Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de los Caballeros
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santiago de los Caballeros ( la, Archidioecesis Sancti Iacobi Equitum) is a Latin rite Metropolitan Archdiocese in the Dominican Republic.
History
* Established on 25 September 1953 as the Diocese of Santiago de ...
on 23 May 1989.[ The Catholic Church, in turn, leased the house to the Horacio Vásquez Foundation for a period of 50 years beginning in 2019.][ The foundation announced plans to restore the residence and turn it into a museum dedicated to Horacio Vásquez and Trina de Moya.][
The Trina de Moya de Vasquez metro station, which opened on Line 2B of the ]Santo Domingo Metro
The Santo Domingo Metro ( es, Metro de Santo Domingo) is a rapid transit system in Greater Santo Domingo. Serving the capital of the Dominican Republic, it is the most extensive metro system in the insular Caribbean and Central American region by ...
in August 2018, is named in her honor. Three other new Line 2B metro stations were also named for noted Dominican women: educator Ercilia Pepín and pro-independence activists Concepción Bona and Rosa Duarte.
A park and cultural center
A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run.
Asia
* Cen ...
in Tamboril were also named for the late poet and first lady.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moya, Trina de
1863 births
1941 deaths
Dominican Republic poets
Dominican Republic women poets
Dominican Republic women writers
First Ladies of the Dominican Republic
19th-century Dominican Republic poets
20th-century Dominican Republic poets
Dominican Republic Roman Catholics
Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent
People from La Vega, Dominican Republic
People from Moca, Dominican Republic
People from Santiago Province (Dominican Republic)
20th-century pseudonymous writers
Pseudonymous women writers