by Clarisa López Ramos
Photos by Christian M Rosado
On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the book White, Black, Brown: Becoming Puerto Rican in Chicago, by Dr. Michael Staudenmaier, was presented at the Library of the Beatriz Lassalle Graduate School of Social Work, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.
The book was introduced by Dr. Mikael Rosa-Rosa, Professor and Coordinator of the Institute of Social Policy at the Beatriz Lassalle Graduate School of Social Work, together with the author, Dr. Michael Staudenmaier. Dr. Elithet Silva Martínez, Director of the Graduate School of Social Work, welcomed all those in attendance to the presentation.
José E. López, Executive Director of the Juan Antonio Corretjer Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago, addressed the audience to thank the Graduate School of Social Work for its support of this event. He also acknowledged the presence of Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, Rosa Emmanuelli, Gonzalo Mazza, and Dr. Wilfred Labiosa, among others.
Dr. Rosa-Rosa engaged in a dialogue with the author about his work, sharing reflections on the historical and political experiences of Puerto Rican communities in Chicago, as well as on the processes of identity, racialization, and community organizing that have shaped their trajectory.
