Manuel Zeno Gandía facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manuel Zeno Gandía
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Manuel Zeno Gandía
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| Born | January 10, 1855 Arecibo, Puerto Rico |
| Died | January 30, 1930 (aged 75) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
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| Nationality | Puerto Rican |
| Notable works | La Charca |
| Relatives | Eduardo Neumann Gandia (cousin) |
Manuel Zeno Gandía (born January 10, 1855, died January 30, 1930) was a very talented Puerto Rican person. He was a doctor, a poet, a novelist, a journalist, and a politician! He is most famous for writing a book called La Charca, which means The Pond. Many people think this was the very first novel written in Puerto Rico.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Manuel Zeno Gandía was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. His parents owned a lot of land and were quite wealthy. He went to school in his hometown first.
Later, he traveled to Spain to study medicine. He attended the University of Barcelona's medical school. He earned degrees as a Doctor in Medicine and a Surgeon. While in Spain, he also became very interested in political literature. This interest made him want to speak up for Puerto Rico's independence. His cousin was Eduardo Neumann Gandia.
A Doctor and Famous Writer
After finishing his studies, Zeno Gandía returned to Puerto Rico. He started his medical practice in the city of Ponce. He even worked as a medical director at the Port of Ponce until 1895.
During this time, he wrote his most famous book, La Charca. He published it in 1894. People often call it the greatest Puerto Rican novel of the 1800s. The story in La Charca shows the tough lives of poor farm workers. They lived in the remote, mountainous coffee regions of Puerto Rico. The book also talks about the unfair treatment these workers received from rich landowners.
La Charca is a classic book in Puerto Rico. It is one of four novels in a series called Las Crónicas de un Mundo enfermo. This means Chronicles of a Sick World. The other three books are Garduña, El Negocio (The Business), and Redentores (The Redeemers). Zeno Gandía wrote these novels while working as a doctor in Barrio Playa, Ponce. El Negocio was published in 1922. In the 1960s, La Charca was translated into English. It is still available today as The Pond. Before writing novels, Zeno Gandía also published many poems. Some of his poems were La Señora Duquesa and Abismo.
Working as a Journalist
While living in Ponce, Zeno Gandía was very active in politics. Like many others at that time, he used newspapers to share his political ideas. In 1896, he started a newspaper called El Estudio in Ponce with Amy Braschi.
Around 1900, he also started another newspaper called La Opinion. He worked as its editor. Then, in 1902, he bought La Correspondencia and managed it until 1914. To help his growing journalism business, he brought the first monotype press to Puerto Rico. He also brought the island's first Rotary printing press.
A Politician and Independence Supporter
Manuel Zeno Gandía was the first Puerto Rican to suggest creating a political party for independence. After the United States took over Puerto Rico in 1898 during the Spanish–American War, Zeno Gandía traveled to Washington, D.C.. There, he and Eugenio María de Hostos proposed that Puerto Rico should be independent.
They were disappointed when the U.S. government rejected their idea. Instead, Puerto Rico became a territory of the United States. Zeno Gandía returned to the island. He continued to write and stay involved in politics. As a member of the Puerto Rico Union Party, he wanted voters to have choices beyond being a colony. These choices included becoming a U.S. state, an independent country protected by another, or having more self-rule.
Under the American government in Puerto Rico, Zeno Gandía served in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 1900 and 1907. In 1912, he joined the Independence Party. This new party was founded by Rosendo Matienzo Cintrón. It worked to make Puerto Rico an independent country. That same year, Zeno Gandía, Matienzo Cintrón, and Luis Lloréns Torres wrote an important statement. It said that it was time for Puerto Rico to be independent. Their Independence Party was the first party in Puerto Rico's history to ask for independence. It set an example for other groups with similar goals.
Legacy and Recognition
Manuel Zeno Gandía passed away in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in 1930. He was buried at the Puerto Rico Memorial in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
To honor his memory, a school and several avenues were named after him. In his hometown of Arecibo, a credit union and an industrial park also carry his name.
On March 27, 2007, an 11-foot-high statue of him was revealed. It stands on the grounds of Puerto Rico's Capitol building. Senate President Kenneth McClintock unveiled the statue. Zeno Gandía's grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren were there. Zeno Gandía is also recognized at Ponce's Tricentennial Park for his important contributions to literature.
See also
In Spanish: Manuel Zeno Gandía para niños
- List of Puerto Rican writers
- List of Puerto Ricans
- Puerto Rican literature
