Eugenio Maria de Hostos

[IDeJesus]

Eugenio María de Hostos y Bonilla

1839-1903

Biography

Born in Rio Cañas in Mayagüez, Hostos received his elementary schooling in San Juan and then went to Spain for both secondary studies and law school. While
there, he joined the Spanish republicans, only to become disillusioned when they abandoned their pledge to make Puerto Rico independent. Hostos moved to
New York City in 1869 where he became a member of the Cuban Revolutionary Junta. In 1870 he began a four-year trip throughout Latin America
propagandizing for his themes of the abolition of slavery and a federation of Antillean nations. His championing of maltreated Chinese laborers in Peru helped
change public opinion as did his hostility toward the Oruro railway project. His writings in Chile helped women gain admittance to professional schools and his
advocacy of a transandean railway in Argentina resulted in its first locomotive being named after him. From 1875 to 1888 he devoted his energies to reforming the
educational systems in both the Dominican Republic and in Chile.

He returned to New York City in 1898 and for the next two years pursued his advocacy of establishing the future status of Puerto Rico through popular vote
throughout the island. He was a member of a delegation that delivered such demands to U.S. President William McKinley. In 1900 he returned to the Dominican
Republic. Of his fifty books and countless essays, his most important was La Peregrinación de Bayoán, a seminal work promoting Cuban independence. He
was also known as a supporter of women's rights. He even wrote his own epitaph: "I wish that they will say: In that island [Puerto Rico] a man was born who
loved truth, desired justice, and worked for the good of men."

[IDeJesus]

Me parece increible que nadie tuviera algo que decir acerca de la vida de este hombre ilustre de PR.

[ConcienciaII]

DeJesus,

Estoy de acuerdo, Tiene mas informacion ? Me parace qiue los PR en esos tiempos estaban muy avanzados que toda Latino America por sus logros.

[tiggboriqua09]

gracias por compartir esta informacion me encanto leerla

[Ecuajey]

Thanks for the information. Much of Latin America owe a lot of Hostos, doesn't it?

[LatinoPR]

A true renaissance man. Tremendo Hombre ilustre de Puerto Rico. He was way ahead of his time. It is disheartening to know, that we lack men of the statue of Maria de Hostos. Eugenio Maria de Hostos, Educador de las Americas! In his honor, many books and essays have been written. The Mayaguez airport and La Facultad de Derecho in Mayaguez, PR are named after this great man, but more should be brought forth in Puerto Rico to honor this man of great thoughts, beliefs, and ideas. It is too bad that the old adage can be said on the memory of this great Puertorriqueño; No one is a prophet in his country.

[Camano]

When I attended the University of Santo Domingo the summer of 98 the University took us to the Panteon Nacional.
In this place important Spanish Haitians are buried there. The only paisano buried there is Eugenio. I left with tears in my eyes. Why is it that one of ours is buried in a diffrent nation and with such honors? I found out that
our philosopher had mentioned that when our beloved island becomes free to take his body to Puerto Rico.
During the early 80's the Social Democrat Party (Dominican Revolutionary Party) tried to take Eugenio's body to Puerto Rico with the help of the PIP. The former Dominican President Juan Bosch who is an apologist of Hostos stop
the process of removing Hostos because of his will. Our philosoher was not liked in our land because of people like Barbosa and "Uncle Sam". There are more names for Ferre than Hostos. What a shame! I think about it and tears fall!!!!!!