The New York Young Lords and the Struggle for Liberation

by Darrel Wanzer-Serrano

The Young Lords was a multi-ethnic, though primarily Nuyorican, liberation organization that formed in El Barrio (Spanish Harlem) in July of 1969. Responding to oppressive approaches to the health, educational, and political needs of the Puerto Rican community, the movement’s revolutionary activism included organized protests and sit-ins targeting such concerns as trash pickups and lead paint hazards. The Young Lords advanced a thirteen-point political program that demanded community control of their institutions and land and challenged the exercise of power by the state and outsider-run institutions.
 
In The New York Young Lords and the Struggle for Liberation, Darrel Wanzer-Serrano details the numerous community initiatives that advanced decolonial sensibilities in El Barrio and beyond. Using archival research and interviews, he crafts an engaging account of the Young Lords’ discourse and activism. He rescues the organization from historical obscurity and makes an argument for its continued relevance, enriching and informing contemporary discussions about Latino/a politics.  

Genres: History, Social Movements, Politics, Nonfiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2015

Reviews

[Brent Saindon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent books that treats the early work of the New York Young Lord's as a site of rhetorical invention, and as a touchstone for theorizing a language for de-colonial struggle. I was hoping for a little more richness in historical detail in some of the praxis chapters, but I understand the author has a slightly different agenda. This is very much a work of communication theory, much more so than a history of the movement.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Academia is where revolutionary politics go to die.

This book has great sources, it’s not a bad place to start when learning about the NYYL but it dilutes their politics in every analysis sections. The author labels the community control a “trope” because he views the struggle through the lense of academia.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that really highlighted how the Young Lords formed, rose to power, and then faded out. It's a very informational book with a lot of stories about the organization itself, and the big names involved. The part that I struggled with was the fact that this book is extremely academic. This is not to say anything about the book or the author. I just didn't realize it was going to be presented through such an academic lens. It was dissertation-like and I got lost in quite a bit of the theory that was presented. So, overall...a really good book...too academic for me!

[Fred Rosario · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning more about the Young Lords and their movement and what led to them organizing. I was highly disappointed with the heavily academia-focused structure which took away from the book tone. Felt like I was back in my Masters program researching for my thesis.

[James Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books like this have the very difficult task of living in two worlds. On one hand, they need to be useful to the social movements that birthed their subjects--in this case the street corner politics of the Young Lords. On the other hand, they also have to jump through academic hoops just to find a publisher. Wanzer-Serrano accomplishes this mission with grace and style. This book will also be very instructive as issues of migration, colonialism and race take center stage again in activist concerns. Well done.