About PRSA

What is PRSA?

Puerto Rican Studies Association Mission and Vision Statement

 

Established in 1992, the Puerto Rican Studies Association (PRSA) is an interdisciplinary academic organization that promotes the development and circulation of knowledge about Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans from the Puerto Rican islands and its broad diasporas.

Part of the larger struggle for ethnic studies in the United States, the field of Puerto Rican studies was born in the midst of the national and global decolonial uprisings of the 1960s and 1970s when students, community activists, and allies came together to fight for accessible, quality educational opportunities that reflected their experiences and concerns. The PRSA aims to honor this legacy by centering historically marginalized Black, diasporic, feminist, and queer voices and perspectives. Members of the association include educators, staff, scholars, students, journalists, artists, curators, and community organizers dedicated to the study of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican experiences from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, historical contexts, and geographical locations.

What the PRSA does:

  • Organize a biennial conference that features research and artistic interventions related to Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans.

  • Organize a biennial symposium, in alternating years with the conference, to showcase cutting-edge research within the field of Puerto Rican studies and focus on creating mentorship and professionalization opportunities for graduate student members.

  • Provide resources related to the study of Puerto Rican cultures, histories, and geographies.

    • Recognize the high-caliber research produced by our members through the Frank Bonilla Book Award and the Virginia Sanchez Korrol Dissertation Award.

    • Create spaces for connection and exchange beyond the biennial meetings by maintaining a robust digital presence and by collaborating with community organizations and allied academic associations.

  • Advocate for the teaching of Puerto Rican studies, and ethnic studies more generally, within academia and the public sphere.

Approved by the PRSA Executive Committee, October 2020