Notes from the Community: Aquí me sembré : UConn Puerto Rican Studies Initiative Oral Histories Project

Abstract: The University of Connecticut’s Puerto Rican Studies Initiative for Civic Engagement and Public Policy (UConnPRSI) was founded in the summer and fall of 2022 with support from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This is one of three academic centers for Puerto Rican studies in the United States, next to CENTRO, the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, at Hunter College, CUNY, and the Puerto Rico Research Hub, at the University of Central Florida. The UConnPRSI is a research initiative seeking to document and support Puerto Ricans’ vital economic, intellectual, and cultural contributions to Connecticut and provide research-based support for the development of public policies addressing the needs of Puerto Ricans in the state of Connecticut. This initiative provides support to elected officials, government agencies, community organizations, and community leaders who are interested in addressing the inequalities that Puerto Ricans experience in Connecticut and elsewhere.