María Luisa Arcelay facts for kids

María Luisa Arcelay was a very important woman from Puerto Rico. She was born on December 23, 1898, and passed away on October 17, 1981. She worked as a teacher, ran her own business, and was a politician. In November 1932, she made history by becoming the first woman ever elected to a government law-making group in Puerto Rico. She was chosen to represent her hometown, Mayagüez, in the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico.

Growing Up in Puerto Rico

María Luisa Arcelay was one of five children. She was born to Ricardo Arcelay and Isabel de la Rosa in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. She went to school there for her early education. Later, she moved to Río Piedras to get her teaching certificate.

A Career in Education

Arcelay started her career as a teacher. She taught English language at Theodore Roosevelt High School. Later, she also taught at the Jose de Diego High School. Both of these schools were in Mayagüez. In her free time, she also worked as a bookkeeper for different businesses.

From Business to Politics

Around 1920, María Luisa Arcelay stopped teaching. She started a needlework workshop with Lorenza Carrero. This workshop grew into a factory. Her company gave jobs to many local women. These women often had no other way to earn money. Arcelay also spoke up for the island's needlework industry. She attended many public meetings in Puerto Rico, New York City, and Washington, D.C..

First Woman Elected to Government

Arcelay was a member of the Partido Coalicionista de Puerto Rico (The Puerto Rican Coalition Party). In the November 1932 elections, she was elected to represent the district of Mayagüez. This made her the first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to a government law-making body. She was also the first woman in all of Latin America to achieve this!

Helping the Needlework Industry

As president of the Agriculture and Commerce Commission, Arcelay continued to help the needlework industry. She spoke to local and federal officials. She also worked to make sure the industry's prices and products fit the United States market. She was against laws that would set a minimum wage for seamstresses and other workers.

In August 1932, needleworkers went on strike. They wanted higher salaries for their work. Police were called to protect businesses. Sadly, some strikers were killed or hurt. A Puerto Rican musician named Mon Rivera wrote a song about this. It was called Alo, Quien Llama? (Hello, Who's Calling?). The song mentions Arcelay and the seamstress strike.

New Laws and World War II Efforts

In 1934, Arcelay suggested a new law to the Puerto Rican legislature. This law created the Lottery of Puerto Rico. She was re-elected in 1936. During this time, she proposed laws to create an orphanage for children and a Juvenile court. She also suggested laws for a teachers' pension and a School of Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.

Arcelay was also named president of the Prices and Rationing Board #49 of Mayagüez. She directed the Victory bonds program in Puerto Rico during World War II. Because of her leadership, the needlework industry in Puerto Rico grew a lot in the 1940s and 1950s. It became the island's second-largest industry, right after agriculture.

Her Lasting Legacy

Arcelay was involved in many community groups. She was part of the Women's Civic and Cultural Club of Mayagüez. She also started the Altrusa Club in the same city. She worked in the government until 1940. In 1965, she retired from her business career.

María Luisa Arcelay passed away on October 17, 1981, in her hometown of Mayagüez. She is buried in Mayagüez's Old Municipal Cemetery. A school in the city was named in her honor. You can also find a portrait of her at the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America. This library is part of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

On August 22, 2005, the Chamber of Representatives of Puerto Rico honored her. They named a part of Puerto Rico's Capital Building the Maria Luisa Arecelay hall. On May 29, 2014, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico honored 12 important women. They placed plaques in the "La Plaza en Honor a la Mujer Puertorriqueña" (Plaza in Honor of Puerto Rican Women) in San Juan. María Luisa Arcelay was one of these honored women.

See also

In Spanish: María Luisa Arcelay para niños