Diana Caballero Papers
Scope and Contents
These papers are important for the information they provide and the insight they offer concerning the right to equal educational opportunities in the Puerto Rican and Latino community of New York City. Advocacy for bilingual education, community efforts to get Latino representation on the Board of Education of the City of New York, and the reform of district boards are all highlighted here. The collection also provides a history of the Puerto Rican/Latino Education Roundtable and perspective on the role Diana Caballero played in civil rights organizations such as the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights.
The types of materials contained include administrative files such as financial documents, minutes, news clippings, reports and press releases. The folders are organized alphabetically and the documents in chronological order.
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1980-1999
- 1967-1999
Creator
- Caballero, Diana (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers. Some restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright held by Centro.
Biographical / Historical
Diana Caballero is an educator, community organizer and activist. She has dedicated much of her life to developing civil rights and educational reform organizations. She was a member of the Young Lords Party (1970s), President of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights (1983-1987) and Director of the Puerto Rican/Latino Education Roundtable (1984-1997).
Caballero was born and raised in the South Bronx area of New York and went to public schools. After receiving an Associate Degree from the Borough of Manhattan Community College in Secretarial Studies (1967) she went on to complete a BA in elementary education at City College of the City University of New York (1970). In 1978 she graduated suma cum laude with a Masters Degree in Elementary and Bilingual Education from Long Island University and obtained both an MA and Ed. D in Educational Administration and Bilingual Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1996. From Hofstra University, she received a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration.
In 1972 Caballero successfully coordinated the efforts of a coalition formed to pressure WNET, channel 13, to produce and fund “Realidades,” the first bilingual television series transmitted in the United States. Later as a member of the project team, she helped develop program philosophy and content. From 1972-1984, Caballero worked in different settings, but always as an advocate for bilingual education. She was, for example, an elementary school teacher, and as a trainer and resource specialist gave workshops for teachers, administrators and parents.
As the Director of the Puerto Rican/Latino Education Roundtable based at the Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños, Hunter College, she was an effective advocate for educational reform and the needs of Latino students throughout the public school system. As a strong proponent of the right to bilingual education, she served as coordinator of the Bilingual Education Task Force of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights and the New York Coalition for Bilingual Education. Caballero participated in numerous boards, committees and commissions concerned with public education such as the Manhattan Borough President’s Task Force on Education and Decentralization, Chancellor Fernández’ Multi-Cultural Advisory Board, and the City-Wide Community School Board Elections Committee. She also served on Education Commissioner Sobol’s Task Force on Minorities: Equity and Excellence that published the controversial report “Curriculum of Inclusion” which was highly critical of the exclusionary school curriculum in effect throughout the system. Her activism went beyond educational advocacy, as is demonstrated by her work with the Committee Against Fort Apache (1980-1981) (formed to counter media racism and oppose the film “Fort Apache: The Bronx”) and the Black and Latino Coalition Against Police Brutality (1979-1980).
Caballero has been widely recognized for her educational advocacy, her organizational leadership and her dedication to upholding the democratic and civil rights of Puerto Ricans and other Latinos. In 1990, she received an award from the Women for Racial and Economic Equality and in 1989 from the Parents Coalition for Education of New York City. She was also the recipient of the Charles Bannerman Memorial Fellowship Award in 1988.
Caballero is currently an Assistant Professor in the Bilingual Education Program of the Department of Childhood Education at the City College of New York.
Extent
19.72 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Spanish; Castilian
Abstract
Educator, community organizer and activist. Developed civil rights and educational reform organizations. Collection documents the right to equal educational opportunities in the Puerto Rican and Latino community of New York City, advocacy for bilingual education, community efforts to get Latino representation on the Board of Education of the City of New York, and the reform of district boards. Also provides history of the Puerto Rican/Latino Education Roundtable and the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights. Consists of administrative files, financial documents, minutes, news clippings, reports, proposals and press releases.
Arrangement
The collection is divided into the following series:
I. Biographical and Personal Information
II. Correspondence
III. Writings
IV. Puerto Rican/ Latino Education Roundtable
V. National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights
VI. Organizations
VII. Subject Files
VIII. Photographs
IX. Audiovisual Materials
X. Artifacts
XI. Electronic Records
Other Finding Aids
English / Spanish bilingual finding aid available, see External Documents.
- Black and Latino Coalition Against Police Brutality
- Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Committee Against Fort Apache
- Community and school -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Dinkins, David N.
- Education Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Education -- New York (State) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Education -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Education, Bilingual -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Green, Richard
- Hispanic Americans -- Education -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Hispanic Americans -- Education -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Hispanic Americans -- New York Region Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Human rights Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Koch, Ed, 1924-2013
- Language and Culture Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Language and education Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Language policy Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Multicultural education -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Multiculturalism -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- National Congress of Puerto Rican Rights
- New York (N.Y.). Board of Education
- Organizations and Leaders Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Police brutality -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Public schools -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Publications Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Puerto Rican / Latino Education Roundtable
- Puerto Ricans -- Education -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Puerto Ricans -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Puerto Ricans -- New York (State) -- Social conditions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Quiñones, Nathan
- School integration -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Schools -- Decentralization -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Segregation in education -- New York (State) -- New York Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Serrano, José E. (José Enrique), 1943-
- Social Reform Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Velázquez, Nydia
- Wagner, Robert F. (Robert Ferdinand), 1910-1991
- Title
- Diana Caballero Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Ismael García with the assistance of Izzy De Moya, Damary González, Myrna Tinoco and Noelia Urbano.
- Date
- March 2003
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Processed with a grant from The National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Funding was also provided by a congressional directed initiative sponsored by Congressman José Serrano and administered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
Revision Statements
- 2005: Guide was revised in 2005 by Pedro Juan Hernández and Nélida Pérez.
Repository Details
Part of the Archives of the Puerto Rican Diaspora Repository
Silberman Building, Hunter College
2180 Third Ave. Rm. 122
New York New York 10065
centro.library@hunter.cuny.edu
