Marcus Garvey and Pedro Albizu Campos.

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Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
1996
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Charles R. Venator Santiago
University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Venator Santiago, Charles R., "The other nationalists : Marcus Garvey and Pedro Albizu Campos." (1996).
Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. 2540.
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THE OTHER
NATIONALISTS: MARCUS GARVEY AND PEDRO ALBIZU
CAMPOS
A
Thesis Presented
by
CHARLES R. VENATOR SANTIAGO
Submitted to the Graduate School ofthe
University ofMassachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment
ofthe requirements for the degree of
MasterofArts
May 1996
Department ofPolitical Science
©
Copyright by Charles R. Venator Santiago 1996
All Rights Reserved
THEOTHER NATIONALISTS: MARCUS GARVEY AND PEDRO ALBIZU
CAMPOS
A
Thesis Presented
by
CHARLES R. VENATOR SANTIAGO
Approved as to style and content by:
Dean Robinson, Chair
—
Roberto Alejandro, Member
Eric Einhom, Department Head
Political Science Department
dedication
This text is dedicated to a lotofpeople who have become partofmy communal
support network. It is dedicated to dte Nuance Social Interest Residential Education
Program, including Theresa, Kelly, Dolly, Gamal and aU ofthe special folks thatgive
me
additional headache.
It is especially dedtcated to dte Latin American Cultural Center
staff, Mercedez, Heman, Yinan,Celi, Malwtn, Nonna, and Walter. It is also dedicated
to the Brown and Gold Breathen ofIota Phi Them, with special love forSelwin and
BA. I also want to dedicated to the Brotherhood ofMlinzi Wa Warn, who have slowed
me down in more ways Utan I care to admit I want to furdterdedicate this beast to the
Science Enrichment Program Staffwho have been through
it all.
I need to also recognize the unconditional support ofthe Residence Life Staff,
inclusive ofDarius, Hiza, Morongoe, Khandi, Dawn, Abed , Mary, and the A/RD
Selection Committee, as well as the Southwest-South Area Staff, which have given me
support in my recent trials and tribulations. Special thanks to Ade and all ofthose who
have been there overthe years. I need to dedicate this to Sid and the CVSA for their
traditional welcomings, as well as my one faithful brother Kaleb.
And ofcourse this is dedicated to Katia, Lily, and Michelle, Titi, Olguita, Abuela,
Daisy, Daisita and Rosario, my most important communal network.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Aside from mycommittee, who have unconditionally put up with me and my
issues,
I want ,0 acknowledge the briefdiscussions that I have had with the incredible faculty
and staffofthe DepartmentofPolitical Science at UMass, especially James DerDerian,
John Brigham, Nick Xenos, Carlene Edie, Jerome Milleur, and ofcourse, Donna.
I
need to further acknowledge the multiple sources ofmy ideas, particularly Brett
Gadsden, Bill Rose, Collin Cavel, Martin Courchaine, and Shan. Also must thank Lie.
Josd Enrique Ayoroa Santaliz, who built my library withouteven knowing me. I don’t
want to forget Prof. Ernest Aden’s histrical insights and his willingness to share his
research with me. I need to thank J.R. Fernandez who has unconditionally supported
my
sister, and by extension oureducation. Finally I need toacknowledge and thank Ric
Townes forfinancing the earlieryears ofmy education, along with thatofmany other
students ofcolor in this University.
v
TABLE OFCONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
v
Chapter
I. INTRODUCTION AND THESIS OUTLINE
1
Introduction
™
1
II. EMPOSER AMER,CANNATIONALISTS: GARVEY AND ALBIZU
Introduction
Marcus Garvey, 1887-1940......."'
Pedro Albizu Campos, 1891-1965
III. MARCUS GARVEY AND THE IDEAL NATION
Introduction
Symbols and Invented Traditions 37
What 38
is a Nation?
Nationhood as Independence 53
Conclusion 61
69
IV. PEDRO ALBIZU CAMPOS AND THE NATIONAL PERSON
Introduction
77
Invented Traditions and Symbols..
A 78
Three Dimensional Nation
92
Independence as Economic Justice 96
Conclusion
100
V. CONCLUSION
Introduction
110
Issues
110
Limitations of This Thesis
114
BIBLIOGRAPHY
116
CHAPTER
I
INTRODUCTION AND
THESIS OUTLINE
Introduction
In a recent discussion ofthe religious heterodoxy and the nationalist tradition ofthe
Nation ofIslam (NOI), perhaps one ofthe more controversial African-American
organizations at present, Professor Ernest Allen Jr. asserts that:
Garvey s Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), a mass-based
Pan-Africanist organization which peaked in the mid 1920s, paved the way for a
complex assortment ofnationalist groups which followed - including the NOI.1
This is not to say that Marcus Garvey plants the seed ofmass-based nationalisms which
are to follow, but rather it is the recognition ofthe importance ofhis particularrole in the
longer genealogy ofBlack/African-American nationalisms. By contrast, in his
discussion ofLos Macheteros, Puerto Rico’s perhaps mostradical contemporary
nationalist urban guerrilla, Prof. Ronald Fernandez asserts that:
Albizu is the spiritual father ofLos Macheteros, and no matter how strongly they
may reject ideas ofhis like the concept ofrace,” all nationalists remember the
history ofthe 1930s and teach it to theirchildren.2
To be sure, Don Pedro Albizu Campos, a contemporary ofMarcus Garvey, has played
a similar and significant foundationalist role in the articulation ofa mass-based
nationalisms in Puerto Rico.
It is within this context, namely a historical quest for foundational moments in the
histories of both Puerto Rican and African-American nationalisms, thatI am interested
'Ernest Allen, Jr., “Religious Heterodoxy and NationalistTradition: The
Continuing Evolution ofthe Nation ofIslam,” in New Movements and Trends in the
World of Islam, ed. Peter B. Clarke (London: Curzon Press, 1996), p. 8.
2Ronald Fernandez, Los Macheteros: The Wells Fargo Robbery and the Violent
Struggle for Puerto Rican Independence. (New York: Prentice Hall, 1987), p. 146.
1
in engaging on acritique ofboth MarcusGarvey and Pedro Albizu Campos’
theoretical
reflections on the idea ofthe nation. Moreespecially I am concerned with the meaning
ofindependence and the relationship oftraditions and symbols to the articulation of
these two historical nationalistideologies. Stated differently, I am interested in
understanding and problematizing both Garvey’s and Albizu Campos’ theories by
engaging in a critical discussion ofthe nation, legitimated by invented traditions and
appropriated symbols, as well as resulting from a struggle forindependence.
Moreover, while not making any particularclaims to originality, I do want to expand
the honzons oftraditional mainstream nationalist theorists. By this I mean to suggest
that while Marcus Garvey and Albizu Campos have been the object ofmultiple studies
and critiques, “mainstream” nationalist theorists have virtually ignored these two
nationalists. To be sure, taking as an example the canonical work ofBenedict
Anderson, Imagined Communities, we can note that although he claims that European
popular nationalist movements embrace the American bom nationalisms ofthe
nineteenth century, he makes no mention ofPuerto Rico nor the subsequent pan-
Africanist ideologies which Garvey later embraced.3 This is not to say thatGarvey’s or
Albizu’s theories are not part of the general discussion ofnationalism, for they
themselves espoused quite Eurocentric civilizing programs, but rather that their
interpretations ofthe nation, independence, as well as symbols and traditions can
provide us with some interesting readings ofmass-based ideologies. Ifanything I feel
that students ofnationalism can learn from that ofGarvey and Campos.
Thus, I would like to structure this text into five chapters each addressing different
areas ofcontention. This firstchapter is intended to offer a general introduction and
outline. The second chapter focuses on a historical contextualization ofboth Marcus
Garvey and Pedro Albizu Campos through a biographical recapitulation ofsome
3Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and
Spread ofNationalism. 2d ed., (New York: Verso, 1991).
2