• The materials in the link below provide writings by Eugenio Maria de Hostos in Spanish, English, and other sources that have translated his works to English. These writings are great resources for Spanish language arts and ELA classes taught in RCSD. 

    History of Hostos Abroad and in New York

    Hostos

    BACKGROUND

    Patriot, educator, sociologist, philosopher, essayist, and novelist.  He was born in the municipality of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, on January 11, 1839. 

    He did his first studies in Mayagüez and later went to Spain (Bilbao) for his secondary education.  Following his father’s desires, he went to Madrid to study law, but his constant activism in support of the political rights for Puerto Rico and the Spanish republican movement prevented him from pursuing his law degree. In Spain, he associated with liberal, anti-monarchic political groups.

    From Spain, he went to New York, where he spent almost a year and fought alongside the Cubans in their struggle for independence. Later, he undertook a journey throughout South America for more than three years to plead for the Cuban cause.  Wherever he went, he was regarded as a man of integrity, devoted to the service of humanity.

    In Perú, he denounced the exploitation of the numerous Chinese laborers who had immigrated to that country.

    In Chile, he advocated for the right of women to obtain a scientific education.  He was a member of the Academy of Letters of Santiago de Chile and published various writings, among them: a historical report on Puerto Rico; an essay on Hamlet, by English playwright William Shakespeare (considered one of the best on this work in Spanish); and a critical biography of Plácido, the Cuban poet.

    In Argentina, he campaigned for the construction of the first railway route across the Andes, and the first train that crossed that mountain range bore the name Eugenio María de Hostos.

    He established his residence in Santo Domingo in 1879. There he founded the first teachers' school in 1880.  During the following nine years, he undertook an intense program of educational reforms in that country.  After the United States invasion of Puerto Rico in 1898, he returned to the island.  He wanted to stir the spirit of his compatriots so that they could demand their rights; he founded the League of Puerto Rican Patriots and headed the first commission that went to Washington to seek recognition for the rights of Puerto Rico.  Nevertheless, all these efforts failed in the face of the firm decision by the North American government to retain the island as a colony and the lack of support from his compatriots.

    It could be said that although Hostos published treatises, essays, two novels, and numerous journalistic articles that were successful, his best work was his extraordinary life, clean, just, humanitarian, and patriotic, which has placed him high among the great men of Latin America. Eugenio María de Hostos died in 1903 in Santo Domingo, where he is buried.

    Biographical Data of Eugenio María de Hostos is adapted from the Institute of Hostosian Studies – University of Puerto Rico

    You will find some resources below in addition to Hostos and his contributions and one source providing information on how to differentiate fiction and nonfiction text. ELA 11 teachers will at some point in the year teach Hamlet. Teachers can now access excerpts from the document titled, "Background and Translated Works" an essay by Eugenio Maria de Hostos on Shakespeare's play, Hamlet (pgs. 203-269). Students can have an opportunity to learn from a Puerto Rican scholar's insights on Shakespearean literature. When coming across difficult texts with cultural and historical significance, teachers can benefit from creative ways to differentiate difficult texts. Teachers will find links to digital literacies that engage students in the "Differentiating Texts" article. The authors showcase apps and web tools they have used in developing learners’ literacy. Most of the recommended apps are free and suggestions are included as to how teachers might use these tools with students when differentiating texts.