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Oscar Garcia Rivera (November 6, 1900 - 1969) was a politician, lawyer and activist. Garcia Rivera was the first Puerto Rican to be elected to public office in the continental United States. He was also the first Puerto Rican to be nominated as the Republican candidate for Justice of the City Court.
Early years
It takes great pleasure and pride to include Oscar Garcia Rivera, the first Puerto Rican to hold elective office in the continental United State, as the first Inductee in the East Harlem.com Hall of Fame.
This writer learned about Oscar Garcia Rivera quite by accident. I happened upon the unveiling of a historic exhibition during Hispanic Heritage Month on September 14, 1987 on a day off while stationed in Albany, NY (U.S. Navy). I sat fascinated as the late assemblyman's life was told by those were close to him.
A small ten page booklet was handed out to those in attendance and this writer was lucky enough to get one. It was promptly carefully stored away. Throughout the years I have pulled the booklet out and marveled at the life that Assemblyman Rivera led. It seemed unfortunate that most of today's generation knows little about him. When the idea of having a Hall of Fame for East Harlem Online occurred to me, Oscar Garcia Rivera seemed like the right person to the first inducted.
East Harlem Online hopes you enjoy reading about the history of this truly extraordinary person (This history is totally taken from the small booklet handed out during the unveiling of a historic exhibition at the Empire State Plaza on Monday, September 14, 1987.)
State Assemblyman Oscar Garcia Rivera Oscar Garcia Rivera served in the New York State Assembly from 1937 to 1940. He was the first American of Puerto Rican heritage to be elected to public office in the continental United States.
Born November 6, 1900 in the City of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Garcia Rivera demonstrated at an early age exceptional scholarship and leadership qualities. These were evidenced by his selection as valedictorian at the Escuela Central Grammar (Junior High School) and his subsequent election as President of the High School of Mayaguez in 1925.
In 1917 an event occurred that had a profound effect on Garcia Rivera's life. President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Jones Act, granting United States citizenship to some 1,800,000 residents of Puerto Rico, This act also opened the doors for Puerto Ricans to hold public office in the United States mainland.
Soon after his graduation from the High School of Mayaguez, Garcia Rivera traveled to New York for the first time. While there he became concerned with the needs of the poor and working class of the city. Although the son of a wealthy family that owned a coffee plantation in Puerto Rico, Garcia Rivera left that life and returned to New York in 1926. This time he would stay, determined to fulfill his dream of becoming a lawyer and representative for the poor and working class.
In 1926 he held a part-time job at the Boerum and Pease Binder factory in Brooklyn, while waiting for the results of a Postal Clerk's examination. Scoring 98.4% on that test, Garcia Rivera immediately was appointed to the City Hall Post Office which was considered to be a prestigious assignment.
While there, he organized the Puerto Rican and Hispanic employees and encouraged them to become active in the Postal Clerks' Union of America. As this previously untold story unfolds, it will unveil his labor activities, which earned him the respect and support of the most prominent labor leaders in the country.
In 1930, Oscar Garcia Rivera became one of the pioneer law graduates from the St. John's University School of Law, which had been established three years earlier. Several decades later, that prestigious institution would become the Alma Mater of many prominent and influential lawyers, including the Honorable Mario M. Cuomo Governor of The State Of New York.
After his graduation from St. John's, Garcia Rivera practiced his legal profession before State and Federal courts. He established his own law firms at Wall Street, Mid Manhattan and in the Spanish Harlem section of the City. "Spanish Harlem" was the nickname for the upper east side of Manhattan County, where approximately 20,000 Spanish speaking Americans lived during the early 1900's At his law office in Spanish Harlem, he often offered pro-bono representation to the poor who could not afford to defend themselves in the courts.
During the Great Depression, employment opportunities were scarce across all of the United States, but in Spanish Harlem joblessness was devastating. The high rate of unemployment gave rise to a high crime rate. Frustration and resentment were increased by the fact that public service jobs created by Tammany Hall were not offered to the Puerto Rican community. Schools in Spanish Harlem were overcrowded, housing was severely limited, and the residents of the area were the objects of police brutality and discrimination by neighbors and government officials. To compound all of these problems, the language barrier made communication and representation a constant difficulty for residents of Spanish Harlem.
Hoping that he could eliminate these conditions, Oscar Garcia Rivera launched his candidacy for public office. His leadership qualities were demonstrated by the diverse and bipartisan support which he mustered for his campaign. (Fun fact; Oscar Garcia Rivera was a Republican).
The list of supporters included: New York City's Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, New York City District Attorney Thomas Dewey (later Governor of the State), and Union leaders like Michael J. Quill, TWU, George Meaney, AFL/CIO, Alex Rose and Benjamin MacLauren.
In 1937, Garcia Rivera was elected to the New York Assembly becoming the first Puerto Rican in history to be elected to public office in the continental United States. He was reelected in 1938 and continued to serve in the state Assembly until 1940.
LABOR SUPPORT A review of some of the historic correspondence from The Oscar Garcia Rivera files reveals the way in which his candidacy was held by labor and other significant organizations. We include some of the quotations of the day:
October 27, 1938
"We are extremely happy that you decided to become a candidate for reelection ... (our) ... endorsement comes with profound feeling that in your election, we shall have in Albany a true and tried representative of Labor"
Michael J. Quill
International President,
Transport Workers Union of America
September 29, 1938
"...after a careful analysis of the records of the candidates running for Member of The Assembly .. a favorable report on your record ... entitles you to Labor's support."
Thomas OLeary, Chairman
Central Trades and Labor Council-AFL
August 24, 1938
"(We) have the pleasure of informing you ... (that) by unanimous vote (we) ... extend (our) sincere appreciation and thanks...for your earnest and constant support of Labor legislation."
George Meany, President
New York State Federation of Labor
September 27, 1937
"I am delighted on behalf of the State Executive Committee to officially inform you of your nomination by the American Labor Par- public office.
(Our) active campaign in your behalf by our membership .. will result in your victory .. on November 2, 1937."
Alex Rose State Campaign Director American Labor Party
LABOR LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM Assemblyman Oscar Garcia Rivera was a tireless supporter of Child Labor and labor services and protective laws. On February 3, 1939 his Unemployment Insurance Bill was accepted by the Assembly. The provisions of the bill would:
1. Make all employers, instead of those employing four or more persons, liable for contributions to the unemployment insurance fund.
2. Provide for payment of full 16 weeks' insurance benefits to claimants qualified by 18 weeks employment in any one year.
3. Reduce the necessary unemployment period, after application for benefits, from five to two weeks.
4. Make benefits available to anyone earning less than $5.a week instead of $2 a week.
His other labor related bills, although not adopted at the time, provided for:
- Penalties for violators of the State's Labor Relations Act;
- Establishing minimum wages and minimum hours for men, women and children;
- Establishing a division of hours and wages (within the Labor Department) and
- The creation of a Wage Board.
- Bill calling for two days rest in seven for certain (Government) employees was also submitted by Assemblyman Oscar Garcia Rivera in January 17, 1939. Other labor related bills submitted by Garcia Rivera provided for:
- Certificates of Incorporation of Labor Organizations
- The right of employees to organize and negotiate on grievances, and
- An appropriation to The State Labor Department for its responsibilities of certifying private employment agencies.
Quite a small district, wasn't it.
The Assembly Chamber at the time Oscar Garcia Rivera served as East Harlem's representative. Click on the image to see a larger version of this map
The New York State Department of Labor and the Office of General Services, together with the Governor's Office for Hispanic Affairs, take great pride in presenting this publication in recognition of the late New York State Assemblyman Oscar Garcia Rivera.
His tireless and excellent work on behalf of the underprivileged and the working class is worthy of such recognition.
Upon his death in 1969 in his hometown of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Assemblyman Oscar Garcia Rivera left us with an enviable record of achievement for all of labor to emulate.
The information provide in this biography was written and compiled by Mr. Jose Angel Noriega, President, Committee to Commemorate Oscar Garcia Rivera, for the New York State Department of Labor, 1987. East Harlem Online would like to thank the family of Oscar Garcia Rivera and Mr. Noriega, for the information provided herein. We proud to have former Assemblyman, the late Oscar Garcia Rivera as our first inductee into the East Harlem Online Hall of Fame.
Editor's Note: On February 22, 2002 the East Harlem "Hellgate" post office was renamed the Oscar Garcia Rivera Post Office. Below are links to pictures of El Diario's newspaper coverage of the event. El Diario Picture Caption - March 6, 2002 El Diario Article Page - February 22, 2002
http://www.east-harlem.com/mt/archives/cat_people_news.html East Harlem News
Post Office Oscar Garcia Rivera Station (10029) Also known as Hell Gate Station.
http://www.citidex.com/1230.htm POST OFFICES IN NEW YORK CITY: A GUIDE
Creator: García Rivera, Oscar, 1900-1969
Title: Oscar Garcia Rivera Papers Dates: 1912-1988, (Bulk 1937-1950s) Abstract: Politician, lawyer, community activist. First Puerto Rican elected to public office in the U.S. An important source for study of early Puerto Rican political life in New York. Collection consists of correspondence, speeches, articles, photographs, subject file, and printed matter pertaining to the political career of Oscar García Rivera. Quantity: 3.0 Cubic Feet cubic feet (4 Boxes boxes) Call Phrase: 1998-09
Historical/Biographical Note Oscar García Rivera was the first Puerto Rican to be elected to public office in the continental United States. Serving in the New York State Assembly from 1937 to 1940, he represented the 17th Assembly District that included East (Spanish) Harlem and was a member of both the Republican and American Labor parties.
García Rivera was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico on November 6, 1900 to a relatively prosperous family who owned a coffee farm (Some documents cite his date of birth as February 26, 1902). There he attended the Escuela Central Grammar (Junior High School), where he was valedictorian of his graduating class in 1921, and graduated from Mayagüez High School, as Class President, in 1925. Traveling to New York shortly after his graduation, García Rivera eventually moved to the city in 1926 where he initially held a part-time job at the Boerum and Pease Binder factory in Brooklyn. Upon successfully passing his Postal Clerk examinations, he was appointed to a position in the City Hall Postal Office. Here, García Rivera became active in the Postal Clerks' Union of America and helped encourage other Puerto Rican and Hispanic employees to participate in the union and advocate for higher wages and better working conditions.
In 1930, García Rivera was among the first graduates of the newly inaugurated St. John's University School of Law. Admitted to the Bar in April of 1935, he established a law practice in his apartment on West 110th Street and would later relocate to 113th Street and Fifth Avenue. In the latter location, he provided pro-bono representation and legal advice to mainly working-class and poor Puerto Rican and Latino clients. García Rivera would later move his practice to Wall Street. Motivated by the ongoing racism and apathy towards issues concerning the Puerto Rican community by the political machine at Tammany Hall, García Rivera ran for public office as a Republican in 1937 with the support of a coalition of Independent Democrats, leftists, fusionists, labor unions, and Republicans. Successfully attaining office that same year, he was re-elected to successive terms in 1938 and 1939, serving a total of three years in the New York State Assembly; the latter of which he served under the auspices of the American Labor Party. During his terms in office, García Rivera emphasized issues of child labor, protective laws for workers, labor services, and anti-discrimination legislation. In 1939, the Assembly passed his "Unemployment Insurance Bill." Subsequent bills sought to establish minimum hours and wages for working people, the creation of a Wage Board within the Labor Department, and the right of employees to organize and negotiate grievances.
Towards the end of his terms in office, García Rivera continued to be politically active and served as a delegate to the National Republican convention in Philadelphia in 1940. He also served as Executive Secretary of the New York Puerto Rican Republican Association. In 1956, he committed another first by becoming the first Puerto Rican to be nominated as the Republican candidate for Justice of the City Court. Since his admittance to the Bar, García Rivera was an active member of the legal community and served as President and Board Member of the Puerto Rican Bar Association of New York.
In 1930, García Rivera married Eloísa Rivera also of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and a distant cousin. They had one son, Oscar García Rivera, Jr., who also practiced law and was involved in the creation of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and served as its Executive Director from 1974-1977.
Oscar García Rivera died in 1969 in his hometown of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The papers in this collection attest to his significance as a pioneering political presence in New York and help document early efforts at political organizing and involvement by the Puerto Rican community. They also provide an example of the ongoing accomplishments of Puerto Ricans in the legal realm in New York City. In tandem with the Felipe N. Torres Papers, the Oscar García Rivera Papers can aid researchers in the search for communal history that pre-dates the "Great Migration" of the 1950's and that witnesses the important contributions of the pioneros to New York history and civic life. Moreover, along with the Frank Torres Papers, the above mentioned collections can help in the research and documentation of Puerto Rican participation in the judiciary and track the trajectory of the community's elected officials.
Scope and Content Note The Oscar García Rivera Papers are an important source for the study of early Puerto Rican political life and of the existent conditions of the East (Spanish) Harlem community in the first part of the twentieth century. In addition, it provides a viewfinder into labor politics and the political and social alliances created amongst emerging ethnic communities in New York City.
The materials in the collection span the years from 1921 to 1987 with a concentration on the late 1930's and early 1940's. They consist of some personal documents, correspondence, photographs, politically related handbills, flyers, and other ephemera, clippings, and artifacts related to García Rivera's political campaigns. The folders are arranged alphabetically and the documents are arranged chronologically. There are both Spanish and English documents.
http://www.centropr.org/faids/riverab.html Guide to the Oscar García Rivera Papers 1912-1988
Dedication of Oscar Garcia Rivera Post Office Dedication of Oscar Garcia Rivera Post Office. February 26, 2002
Oscar Garcia Rivera and Puerto Rico
Oscar Garcia Rivera was one of the most well known Pueto Rican learnders the 20th centry . Born in 1900 in Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), he was the first Puerto Rican to be elected to public office in the United States. He served in New York State assembly from 1937 to 1940. Throughout his whole life, Oscar Garcia Rivera spared no effort to improve the condition of the Puerto Rican working class in the continental United States.
After his brilliant career in high school in his home town, Garcia Rivera moved to New York in 1926 where he held a part-time job at Boerum and Pease Binder factory in Brooklyn. Then, he passed his postal clerk examination. He was appointed to a position in the City Hall Postal Office. Because he was eager to help his fellow Puerto Ricans and the Hispanic community, he encouraged them to participate in the Postal Clerks’ Union. Indeed, he advocated for higher wages and better working conditions. In 1930, Garcia Rivera graduated from St. John’s University School of Law. His admission to the bar in 1935 gave him the chance to work closely and provide significant support to the working class and the poor Puerto Ricans. Motivated by the ongoing racism and apathy toward the issues concerning the Puerto Rican community, he ran for public office in 1937 as a Republican. Until 1940, Garcia Rivera collected a series of success. Not only was he re-elected, but Oscar Garcia Rivera emphasized issues of child labor, protective laws for workers, labor services and anti- discrimination legislation. Until his
Bane2
death in 1969, Oscar Rivera spared no effort to serve and improve the Puerto Ricans’ condition and their integration in the American society.
The year Oscar Rivera was born; the Foraker Act established a civilian government in Puerto Rico and makes all U.S federal laws effective on the island. From 1917, the year that the Jones Act made Puerto Ricans U.S citizens, through the 1970s Puerto Ricans struggled to adapt and integrate in U.S, mainland society. However, this did not happen easily. It is the fruit of a legal fight that people like Oscar Garcia Rivera had done. The 1930s great depression disabled the employment in the U.S, but joblessness was devastating in Spanish Harlem. Frustration and resentment were increased by the fact that public service jobs created by Tammany Hall were not offered to the Puerto Rican community. Schools in Spanish Harlem were overcrowded and housing was severely limited, discrimination and exclusion hit the Puerto Rican community. These were the motive of Mr. Garcia Rivera’s candidacy for public office as a republican.
“In 1937, Garcia Rivera was elected to the New York Assembly, becoming the first Puerto Rican in history to be elected to public office in the continental United States. He was re-elected in 1938 and continued to serve in the New York state Assembly until in 1940.” (East Harlem, Archives published in 1987 on the Hispanic heritage). Towards the end of his terms in office, Garcia Rivera Continued to be, politically active and he served as a delegate to the National Republican convention in Philadelphia in 1940. According to the Alex Rose, State Campaign Director, American Labor Party,
“Assemblyman Oscar Garcia Rivera was a tireless supporter of child labor and labor services and protective laws. On February 3, 1939 his Unemployment Insurance Bill was accepted by the Assembly.” This explained clearly that Mr. Rivera had done crucial work toward the poor working class. For instance, in 1939, the Assembly passed his "Unemployment Insurance Bill." Subsequent bills sought to establish minimum hours and wages for working people, the creation of a Wage Board within the Labor Department, and the right of employees to organize and negotiate grievances. (East Harlem Archive published in 1987)
In 1956, he committed another first by becoming the first Puerto Rican to be nominated as the Republican candidate for Justice of the City Court. Since his admittance to the Bar, Garcia Rivera was an active member of the legal community and served as President and Board Member of the Puerto Rican Bar Association of New York. Although Rivera was from a rich family, he dedicated all his life to the cause of poor Puerto Ricans. Before Oscar Garcia Rivera died in 1969 in his hometown of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, he had opened a tremendous door of equity and rights for the future Puerto Rican generations in the Mainland. That is the reason why Puerto Ricans are increasingly successful with respect to education, high status jobs in the Mainland.
books http://www.bibliopolis.com/main/books/bolerium_105079
El primer legislador puertorriqueño en Nueva York: Oscar García Rivera; introdu by Torres Delgado, René Publisher: Colección Hipatia
43p., Inscribed by Torres Delgado, wraps. (Archivo histoicolierario II)
Book Id: bolerium_105079
Pioneros By Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, Pedro Hernández; Pioneros: Puerto Ricans in New York City 1896-1948
By Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, Pedro Hernández
Published by Arcadia Publishing, 2001
ISBN 0738505064, 9780738505060
128 pages
http://latinola.com/story.php?story=3891 Puerto Rican Pioneers in New York City
Forging an Urban Path
By John P. Schmal
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