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40-530: Puerto Rican migration to Chicago peaked in the 1950s and 60s, and the Puerto Rican population of Chicago jumped from 255 in 1950 to 32,371 in 1960. Puerto Ricans in Chicago worked low-paying jobs in the service industries or labored in factories. This was in part because of the recruitment efforts of Castle, Barton and Associates, an employment agency. They offered domestic and foundry work contracts, and paid

80-519: A cheap labor pool, educated in the English language and under a U.S. imposed curriculum; (3) proposed emigration of over a third of the island’s population, a security measure to insure the plan’s viability.” The US government in Puerto Rico enticed US companies by providing labor at costs below those on the mainland, access to US markets without import duties, and profits that could transfer to

120-567: A la Obra ) is the name given to a series of projects which transformed the economy of Puerto Rico into an industrial and developed one. The federal government of the United States together with what is known today as the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company set forth a series of ambitious economical projects that evolved Puerto Rico into an industrial high-income territory compared to

160-690: A perceived lack of self-control on the part of the working class Puerto Ricans. As of 2005 the continental United States remains Puerto Rico's major trading partner, received 86% of Puerto Rico's exports and providing 69% of its imports. Those able to secure a stable job as a result of Operation Bootstrap received higher wages than before, in fact, "The average real weekly salary in manufacturing increased from $ 18 for men and $ 12 for women in 1953 to $ 44 and $ 37 respectively in 1963." The increase in industrialization and manufacturing saw positive effects in other places, as new electric grids were built, new roads were paved in major cities, and major housing development

200-401: A place to worship and meet. According to Felix M. Padilla, the systematic oppression that Puerto Ricans experienced in Chicago in the 1960s created a psychological climate for riot. Puerto Ricans faced racial discrimination, class-related hardships, and lived on the margins of a city that only valued them for their cheap labor. Puerto Ricans in Chicago carried deep feelings of resentment towards

240-546: A share of the manufacturing market. At the time, modernization theory was the driving force behind American program development in the Cold War era. As a result, Operation Bootstrap focused on educational development to fuel economic development in Puerto Rico. In the 1950s, education was viewed as the cornerstone of Island development and was allocated more of the Islands budget than any other public sector. From 1932-1957

280-526: Is divided into executive and legislative branches. The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive, elected by general election for a term of four years, with no term limits. The mayor appoints commissioners and other officials who oversee the various departments. In addition to the mayor, Chicago's two other citywide elected officials are the City Clerk and the City Treasurer . The City Council

320-412: Is the legislative branch and is made up of 50 alderpersons, one elected from each ward in the city. The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions and approves the city budget. Government priorities and activities are established in a budget ordinance usually adopted each November. Generally speaking, the mayor and city departments comprise the executive branch of

360-779: Is the official publication of the acts of the City Council. The Municipal Code of Chicago is the codification of Chicago's local ordinances of a general and permanent nature. Chicago is also part of Cook County . The Government of Cook County is primarily composed of the Board of Commissioners , other elected officials such as the Sheriff , State's Attorney , Treasurer, Board of Review, Clerk, Assessor, Recorder, Circuit Court judges and Circuit Court Clerk, as well as numerous other officers and entities. Illinois State police also operate in Chicago. Other agencies that operate in

400-1124: The Spanish Action Committee of Chicago (SACC), the Latin American Defense Organization (LADO), the Bickerdike Revedelopment Corporation, the ASPIRA Association and the Young Lords (in 1968); cultural centers such as the Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center and the Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center; and a school, the Escuela Superior Puertorriqueña (which is now named Dr. Pedro Albizú Campos Puerto Rican High School). Developing from

440-402: The 1940s and to the 1960s, programs supported by the United States encouraged sterilization and birth control for the women on the island. These programs were birthed out of a perceived "overpopulation" problem on the island. Puerto Rican families averaged 5 to 6 people per family, and this was labeled as partly the reason for the unemployment and high poverty rates on the island. Luis Muñoz Marín

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480-605: The Crawford-Butler Act), Muñoz was elected the first governor of Puerto Rico while under U.S. control, paving the way for the full establishment of Operation Bootstrap across the island. According to Virginia Sanchez Korrol from the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Operation Bootstrap was based on 3 essential elements: “1) industrialization by invitation: the inducement of American corporations to relocate in Puerto Rico in exchange for lucrative tax benefits; (2) 

520-668: The Industrial Incentives Act eliminating all corporate taxes, to encourage U.S. investment in industry. The initiative granted private and foreign investment a ten year period of exemption from taxes on many of the expenses for businesses involved in the industrial economy. These exemptions included: This was proposed by Senator Luis Muñoz Marín of the Popular Democratic Party , and became known as Operation Bootstrap. Based on 1930s New Deal economic relief reforms and infrastructure provided by

560-537: The U.S. to address the worsening situation, influenced by journalists like John Gunther who described the island in 1941 as such: "I saw, in short, misery, disease, squalor, filth. It would be lamentable enough to see this anywhere...to see it on American territory...is a paralyzing jolt to anyone who believes in American standards of progress and civilization." In May 1947, the Puerto Rican legislature passed

600-470: The United States for better financial opportunities and higher wages. In the 1950s (the peak of Puerto Rican emigration from the island), as ~470,000 Puerto Ricans emigrated from their country, they went to cities like New York City (where 85% of which people settled), Philadelphia, and others along the East Coast. Through the 60's and 70's, emigration from Puerto Rico declined dramatically. Throughout

640-699: The United States. As of 2012 most cabinet officers and constitutional officers of the Government of Illinois conduct a majority of their business in Chicago, with offices at the James R. Thompson Center . In 2012, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Pat Gauen argued that "in the reality of Illinois politics, [Springfield] shares de facto capital status with Chicago." According to Gauen, "Everybody who's anybody in Illinois government has an office in Chicago." University of Illinois researcher and former member of

680-520: The airfare for Puerto Ricans coming to Chicago. Another factor behind Puerto Rican migration to Chicago was the unemployment and harsh economic conditions created by Operation Bootstrap . Some of the new Puerto Rican arrivals settled in Chicago's north side, specifically in Lincoln Park. But by the late 1960s, gentrification took hold in Lincoln Park, and working class Puerto Ricans were displaced by high property taxes and expensive housing. Around

720-557: The city government's negligence and police brutality . A month after the riot, the Chicago Commission on Human Relations held open hearings, which provided a forum for Puerto Rican and other Spanish-speaking residents of Chicago to discuss problems facing these communities. They discussed the displacement and discrimination in housing, discriminatory practices by the police and fire departments , and poor educational opportunities. The hearings lasted for two days. During

760-425: The city government, and the city council comprises the legislative branch . However, the mayor does have some formal legislative functions such as being the presiding officer of the council and being able to break tie votes, and informally has dominated legislative activity since the late 19th century. On the other hand, the council has oversight authority over city departments. The city treasurer and city clerk are

800-690: The city of Chicago include the Chicago Transit Authority and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority , both of which were created by the state government of Illinois . The United States Postal Service operates post offices in Chicago. The main Chicago Post Office is located at 433 West Harrison Street in the Near West Side community area. The post office is the only 24-hour post office in

840-530: The city, some Puerto Ricans faced housing discrimination based on their skin color and ethnicity. Many moved west, settling near Division Street in West Town , Bucktown , and Wicker Park. The Chicago Catholic Church did not offer the Puerto Rican community their own parish, so devout Puerto Ricans had to try to attend existing parishes. In the 1950s and 60s, some white parishes did not accept Puerto Rican parishioners, so Puerto Ricans were displaced, looking for

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880-489: The crowd of 3,000 Puerto Ricans to end the violence. The police department also ordered officers to de-escalate the conflict. However, after the rally, rioters threw bricks and rocks at police officers, and the riot continued. Rioters targeted white-owned businesses as they looted and burned property in the neighborhood. On the third night, 500 police officers patrolled the Division Street area, attempting to suppress

920-463: The culmination of this week, and their first ethnic parade in downtown Chicago, held on June 11. In the evening, on Division Street in West Town and Humboldt Park, an altercation began between police and revelers near Damen Avenue and Division Street. Police alleged that Arcelis Cruz, a young Puerto Rican man, was armed and involved in a street fight. A white police officer, Thomas Munyon, shot Cruz in

960-459: The economy of Puerto Rico Pre-World War II. Also, while U.S. businesses sought Puerto Ricans for labor, these businesses were still very willing to continue to seek new, and even cheaper forms of labor. High volatility in employment for those on the island was a direct result. This led to mass unemployment across the island, with the countryside seeing the largest effect. Residents were forced to either move to bigger cities like San Juan or immigrate to

1000-509: The hearings, Puerto Ricans cited a lack of jobs, poor housing and education, little political power, union discrimination, inadequate city services, and police brutality. As a result of these meetings, the Puerto Rican community proposed specific policy recommendations. With support from Community Action Agencies in the Division Street Area, the riots inspired the creation of Puerto Rican community organizations . These include

1040-498: The leg. A large crowd gathered, and bystanders became involved. Some gathered to try to help Cruz, others to demonstrate against police violence. More police were called, with canine units. A police officer let a police dog bite a Puerto Rican man on the leg. The crowd of over 4,000 Puerto Ricans attacked the police with rocks, bottles, and cans, and smashed windows on police cars. The crowd overturned some police cars, and set fire to others. More police and canine units were called in, but

1080-457: The mainland free from federal taxation. The Administration of Economic Development invited investment of external capital, importing the raw materials , and exporting the finished products to the mainland. To entice participation, tax exemptions and differential rental rates were offered for industrial facilities. As a result, Puerto Rico's economy shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing and tourism . The manufacturing sector has shifted from

1120-535: The misgivings of the sugarcane industry and the monoculture economy in general. By the middle of the twentieth century it remained one of the poorest in the Caribbean. After possession of the island was transferred to the United States in 1898 after the Spanish-American War, it remained mostly neglected. Conditions in Puerto Rico worsened during the world wars, after years of neglect. Pressure grew in

1160-472: The number of students enrolled in vocational education went from 5,700 to 110,000. The rise in vocational education was designed to prepare Puerto Rican's for work in factories newly developed by the Bootstrap program. Mass emigration from Puerto Rico was a result of Operation Bootstrap. The growth of the industrial sector could not match the rapid decline of monocultural plantation jobs that characterized

1200-637: The only other directly elected positions in the city government, and are independent from the mayor's office and the council. The below city departments and agencies operate as part of the executive branch, under the Office of the Mayor: Other city-level government bodies include: Chicago is a special charter municipality. The Journal of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Chicago

1240-406: The original labor-intensive industries, such as the manufacturing of food, tobacco, leather, and apparel products, to more capital-intensive industries, such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, machinery, and electronics. Through this project, a rural agricultural society was transformed into an industrial working class. Although initially touted as an economic miracle, by the 1960s, Operation Bootstrap

Division Street riots - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-460: The police. Puerto Ricans associated the police with poor service of the community and brutal, rude interactions. Despite these tense conditions, police superintendent Orlando W. Wilson reported that the police report on racial tensions he ordered on June 7 showed no signs of unrest in the Puerto Rican community. In 1966, Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley declared the first week of June to be "Puerto Rican Week." On June 12, 1966, Puerto Ricans celebrated

1320-600: The programs such as the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration , Operation Bootstrap intended to move Puerto Rico away from its agrarian system and into an industrial economy. The government's Administration of Economic Development — today known as the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) — encouraged the establishment of factories. Following the Elective Governor Act of 1947 (also known as

1360-408: The region. Bootstrap is still considered the economic model of Puerto Rico as the island has still not been able to evolve into a knowledge economy . The island's traditional economy was based around sugarcane plantations ; of the 516,730 jobs on the island in 1940, almost half of them were agriculture-based, with 124,076 of these based on sugar-cane farms. However, Esteban Bird described in detail

1400-430: The rioting continued for three days. As the riot began, a local Spanish-language radio personality, Carlos Agrelot , was broadcasting live, describing the scene on Division Street. His coverage of the violence and protest attracted more people to the streets, even people from other neighborhoods. On the second day of the riot, community organization leaders and clergymen organized a rally. At this rally, organizers urged

1440-571: The riots, these organizations' members were younger and more militant than earlier organizations such as the Caballeros de San Juan, Damas de María and the Puerto Rican Congress. They worked to get community concerns such as education , housing , health , and employment addressed by the city and to assert a Puerto Rican presence in city politics. Operation Bootstrap Operation Bootstrap ( Spanish : Operación Manos

1480-423: The uprising. Over the course of the three nights of the riot, 16 people were injured, 49 were arrested, and 50 buildings were critically damaged. Following the riot, community leaders organized several peace rallies at Humboldt Park . There were also marches and demonstrations, including a march on June 28, 1966, at which over 200 Puerto Ricans from the Division Street area marched five miles to City Hall to protest

1520-444: Was concerned that the perceived overpopulation problem could derail Operation Bootstrap, so his administration was in support. Across the island, the sterilization procedure was referred to as 'la operación." According to Antonia Darder, "By 1969, 35% of all Puerto Rican women of child-bearing age had undergone la operación." Chicago Commission on Human Relations The government of the City of Chicago, Illinois , United States

1560-547: Was increasingly hampered by a growing unemployment problem. As living standards and wages in Puerto Rico rose, manpower-intensive industries faced competition from outside the United States. It also faced criticism from civil rights groups and the Catholic Church , who perceived the government promoting birth control, and engaging in non-consensual surgical sterilization . American industrialists influenced by eugenicists policies were concerned with "overpopulation" and

1600-500: Was underway. As a result, life expectancy in Puerto Rico jumped almost 23 years. Manufacturing jobs also led to a shift in the job market as it pertains to gender. In 1940, women represented half of the total population of Puerto Rico, but represented less than 25% of the labor force. Women in Operation Bootstrap were targeted as an important labor force, especially for the garment and apparel industry, which represented

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