Nelson Antonio Denis is an American attorney, author, film director, and former representative to the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

. From 1997 through 2000, Denis represented

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

's 68th Assembly district, which includes the

East Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, or , is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the eas ...

and

Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, or , is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the east ...

neighborhoods, both highly populated by Latinos.Navarro, Mireya, (2003-5-6)
''Smile, You're on Candidate Camera: With an Insider's Eye, a Film Skewers Harlem Politics''
The New York Times As the editorial director for ''

El Diario La Prensa ''El Diario Nueva York'' is the largest and the oldest Spanish-language daily newspaper in the United States. Published by ImpreMedia, the paper covers local, national and international news with an emphasis on Latin America, as well as human-i ...

'', Denis published over 300 editorials and won the "Best Editorial Writing" award from the

National Association of Hispanic Journalists The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is a Washington, D.C.–based organization dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic and Latino journalists in the United States and Puerto Rico. It was established in 1984. NAHJ has appr ...

.Author Biography: Nelson Denis; ''Hachette Book Group''
/ref>Washington Times Book Review; ''Puerto Rico is a US Colony;'' May 10, 2015
/ref>Sofrito For Your Soul; ''War Against All Puerto Ricans by Nelson A. Denis,'' July 4, 2015
/ref> His most recent work is ''War Against All Puerto Ricans'', a non-fiction book, about the life of Puerto Rican independence leader

Pedro Albizu Campos Pedro Albizu Campos (June 29, 1893Luis Fortuño Janeiro. ''Album Histórico de Ponce (1692–1963).'' p. 290. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Imprenta Fortuño. 1963. – April 21, 1965) was a Puerto Rican attorney and politician, and a leading figure in ...

, and the treatment of Puerto Rican nationalists by agencies of the United States government.Sam Roberts, "The last Big Colony and the First Suburb," New York Times, August 23, 2015
/ref>Ray Monell, "Author Nelson Denis releases new book ''War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America's Colony''," New York Daily News, February 12, 2015
/ref>

Early life and education

Denis was born in New York City

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

of Manhattan to Antonio Denis Jordan, a native of Cuba of French descent, and Sarah Denis, originally from Puerto Rico. After his father was peremptorily deported back to his homeland, when Nelson was eight years old, he was raised by his mother and grandmother. Denis went on to graduate from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1977, where he earned a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in Government, and then received a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

(J.D.) from

Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...

in 1980. At Harvard, he acted in dramas, portraying lead roles including

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...

. He then went to work as an attorney with the New York law firm of Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine.Rising Stars Battle in East Harlem – New York Times
Nytimes.com (1996-08-19). Retrieved on 2012-02-04.Hicks, Jonathan, (2000-8-15

The New York Times

Journalism and writing

Denis's screenplays have won awards from the

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) serves to foster and advance the arts, culture, and creativity throughout New York State, according to its website. The goal of the council is to allow all New Yorkers to benefit from the contribution ...

, the

New York Foundation for the Arts The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is an independent 501(c)(3) charity, funded through government, foundation, corporate, and individual support, established in 1971. It is part of a network of national not-for-profit arts organizations ...

, and CineFestival.W.T. Whitney, Jr., "New Book Offers No Optimism for a Free Puerto Rico," ''People's World,'' Nov. 12, 2015.
/ref>''Visiting Author to Discuss Book on Puerto Rico,'' California State University Long Beach; September 15, 2015
/ref> He also wrote and directed the feature-length film ''Vote For Me!'' which premiered at the

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...

. Denis wrote the screenplay adaptation of his own book ''War Against All Puerto Ricans'' (Nation Books, 2015). According to The Daily News a feature film of ''War Against All Puerto Ricans'' was being planned from this screenplay and several actors, including Luís Guzmán, were interested in the project.''This War is Escalating,'' New York Daily News, June 10, 2016
/ref> For several years Denis was the editorial director of ''

'', the largest Spanish-language newspaper in New York City, where he published over 300 editorials and received the "Best Editorial Writing" award from the

. Denis also wrote editorials for the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

,Denis, Nelson, (9/25/17), ''The Jones Act: The law strangling Puerto Rico,'' New York Times
/ref>
/ref>

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

,
/ref>

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

,Denis, Nelson; "After a Century of US Citizenship, Puerto Ricans Have Little to Show for It";'' The Nation''; March 2, 2017
/ref>

Harvard Political Review The ''Harvard Political Review'' is a quarterly, nonpartisan American magazine and website on politics and public policy founded in 1969 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It covers domestic and international affairs and politica ...

, Daily News,New York Daily News, "Puerto Rico Democracy at Risk," Nelson A. Denis, January 19, 2016
/ref>

New York Newsday ''New York Newsday'' was an American daily newspaper that primarily served New York City and was sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The paper, established in 1985, was a New York City-specific offshoot of ''Newsday'', a Long Island- ...

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...

Denis, Nelson, (9/22/2015) ''Sharks Are Circling Puerto Rico's Assets'', Orlando Sentinel
/ref> and

The New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative Online newspaper, news website and former newspaper based in Manhattan, Manhattan, New York. From 2009 to 2021, it operated as an (occasional and erratic) onlin ...

. He was also a cultural and political commentator on

WNYC WNYC is an audio service brand, under the control of New York Public Radio, a non-profit organization. Radio and other audio programming is primarily provided by a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations: WNYC (AM) and WNYC- ...

, WADO, and other radio outlets. From 2015 onward, Denis's journalism has focused on the economic crisis in Puerto Rico, and the historical and political underpinnings of this crisis. His editorials in this area have appeared in the New York Daily News,

, Orlando Sentinel, and

Truthout Truthout is an American Nonprofit organization, non-profit Progressivism in the United States, progressive news organization which describes itself as "dedicated to providing independent reporting and commentary on a diverse range of social just ...

. Denis has also appeared on ABC TV,

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...

, New York 1,

MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...

, Al Jazeera TV, and

Democracy Now! ''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long TV, radio, and Internet news program based in Manhattan and hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live ...

"War Against All Puerto Ricans: Inside the U.S. Crackdown on Pedro Albizu Campos & Nationalist Party," Democracy Now!, April 21, 2015
/ref>"PART 2: Nelson Denis on the U.S. Persecution of Puerto Rican Independence Leader Pedro Albizu Campos," Democracy Now!, April 21, 2015
/ref> to discuss the history and current fiscal crisis of Puerto Rico. Denis also gave radio interviews around the US to discuss conditions on the island: including the Brian Lehrer Show in New York,''When Puerto Rico Rebelled'', WNYC, April 15, 2015
/ref> WBEZ

Worldview A worldview (also world-view) or is said to be the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the whole of the individual's or society's knowledge, culture, and Perspective (cognitive), point of view. However, whe ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

,''History of US Intervention in Puerto Rico'', WBEZ, April 6, 2015
/ref>

WNPR Connecticut Public Radio, commonly known as WNPR, is a network of public radio stations in the state of Connecticut, western Massachusetts, and East End (Long Island), eastern Long Island, affiliated with NPR (National Public Radio). It is owned ...

Connecticut,''The Untold History Between the US and Puerto Rico,'' WNPR Connecticut, April 9, 2015
/ref>

WBAI WBAI (99.5 FM) is a non-commercial, listener-supported radio station licensed to New York, New York. Its programming is a mixture of political news, talk and opinion from a left-leaning, liberal or progressive viewpoint, and eclectic musi ...

/The Jordan Journal,''War Against All Puerto Ricans'', The Jordan Journal, Feb. 27, 2015
/ref> and WGBH/

The Takeaway ''The Takeaway'' was a weekday radio news program co-created and co-produced by Public Radio International and WNYC. Its editorial partner was GBH; at launch the BBC World Service and ''The New York Times'' were also editorial partners. In a ...

.''The Secret War for Puerto Rico'', WGBH/WNYC, April 13, 2015
/ref> He is a strong proponent of Puerto Rican independence because of the "rigged capitalism the United States has forced on its Caribbean colony." He has also written extensively about the Jones Act, and its economic impact on Puerto Rico. His article on the status of Latino publishing in the U.S. was the second most-read editorial in

for the year of 2017.

Advocacy and New York State Assembly

Before and during his years as an assemblyman, Denis conducted a neighborhood legal clinic that provided advocacy, advice, and free legal services to the residents of

. Denis majored in Government at Harvard, and was involved in

State government for fourteen years. In 1995, as deputy director of Yucahu Inc., an East Harlem community group, Denis opposed the merger of

Chemical Bank Chemical Bank, headquartered in New York City, was the principal operating subsidiary of Chemical Banking Corporation, a bank holding company. In 1996, it acquired Chase Bank, adopted the Chase name, and became the largest bank in the United Stat ...

and Chase Manhattan due to inadequate service to the community.Lavan, Rosemary Metzler, (1995-11-17
''Chase/Chem Face Music at Hearing''
New York Daily NewsHarrigan, Susan (1995-11-17) ''Minority Lending at Issue in Chemical-Chase Merger'', New York Newsday Denis was a member of the East Harlem Community Board (C.B. 11), the Area Policy Board, and the director of strategic planning for the

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

Community Development Corporation. In 1996 Denis won a seat in the

, where he served as a Democrat from 1997 to 2000, and developed a reputation as a reformer. He was also a New York State Democratic District Leader from 1995 to 2001. The press noted that his mother, Sarah Denis, worked 12-hour days on the campaign trail and that Denis was himself an untiring campaigner who was "often seen throughout the neighborhood campaigning on the back of a blue bus."THE 1994 CAMPAIGN: EAST HARLEM; Legislative Candidate Turns to Gang for Help – New York Times
Nytimes.com (1994-09-13). Retrieved on 4 February 2012.

Latin Kings controversy

In 1994, Denis entered into a controversial relationship with the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation. While jogging along the

FDR Drive Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive, commonly known as the FDR Drive, is a controlled-access parkway on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It starts near South and Broad Streets, just north of the Battery Park Underpas ...

, he ran into a group of 500

Latin Kings The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN, ALKN, or LKN, also known as simply Latin Kings) is a gang active primarily in the United States. The gang was founded by Puerto Ricans in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954. The Latin Kings are one of t ...

and recruited them into his campaign for the State Assembly. Denis and the Latin Kings cleaned up several parks in East Harlem, and attended community board meetings together. Denis also pledged that, if he won, he would help the Latin Kings to create a community non-profit corporation, a leadership training course, and a construction apprenticeship program to rehabilitate roughly 800 abandoned buildings in East Harlem. Denis maintained that "the Kings are the product of 20 years of neglect. These are the youth that Reagan forgot." However, others did not agree. His opponent, the incumbent Assemblyman Angelo Del Toro, said "they're gangsters and a threat." Another early skeptic was Denis's mother. She laid down rules that included no beepers or babies in the office, but she gradually learned to work with them. Despite this controversy, the ''New York Times'' endorsed Denis for the State Assembly that year.New York City Primary Choices – New York Times
Nytimes.com (1994-09-13). Retrieved on 2012-02-04.

Works

''Vote For Me!''

Prior to serving in the New York State Assembly, Denis directed TV commercials and several short films, and wrote eight screenplays.Navarro, Mireya, (2003-5-6)
''Smile, You're on Candidate Camera: With an Insider's Eye, a Film Skewers Harlem Politics''
The New York Times His screenplays won awards from the

, the

, and CineFestival. Denis also wrote and directed the feature film ''Vote For Me!'' which premiered at the

. It also won the Best Picture Award at the 2009

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

Film Festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theater, cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent ...

, and a Feature Film Award at the 2009

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

. Starring Malik Yoba (

New York Undercover ''New York Undercover'' is an American police drama that aired on the Fox television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torre ...

Soul Food Soul food is the ethnic cuisine of African Americans. Originating in the Southern United States, American South from the cuisines of Slavery in the United States, enslaved Africans transported from Africa through the Atlantic slave trade, sou ...

Cool Runnings ''Cool Runnings'' is a 1993 American sports comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Lynn Siefert, Tommy Swerdlow, and Michael Goldberg, and a story by Siefert and Michael Ritchie. It is loosely based on the debut of the J ...

); Chi Chi Salazar (

Scarface (1983 film) ''Scarface'' is a 1983 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino. It is a remake of the 1932 film, in turn based on the novel first published in 1930 by Armitage Trail. It tells ...

, Carlito's Way); Ricardo Barber ( The Feast of the Goat); ''Vote For Me!'' was a comedy about a 75-year-old Puerto Rican super who runs for the United States Congress. The film was based on Denis's own experiences in East Harlem. Many East Harlem residents, musicians, and even local politicians appeared in the film, which "blurred the line between reality and fiction to capture the spectacle of New York City politics." ''Vote For Me!'' screened in over a dozen film festivals in New York and

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, and was well received by the press. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' declared it "reminiscent of Spike Lee's ''Do the Right Thing'', but with a lighter touch." ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' found it "ebullient...politically charged...mixes quirkiness and cultural poignancy." ''Vote For Me!'' also received national coverage from

Fox News Channel The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City, U.S. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ow ...

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...

Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...

, WSKQ FM, MEGA FM, WADO-AM,

, VIVA Magazine,

, El Nuevo Dia, Siempre, Hoy, and other news outlets.Waddell, Robert, (2003-04-22)
''Vote For Me!''
Siempre, 22 April – 5 May 2003

''Make America Great Again''

Denis wrote, produced and directed the feature film ''Make America Great Again'', a dark comedy about the immigrant experience in America, which premiered at the Chelsea Film Festival in New York City. According to ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'', "The film traces the adventures of Rogelio Yola, a dreamer from the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

who comes to America in search of a job, gets falsely accused of terrorism, and is chased by ICE agents for nearly half the movie. Aside from one of the most outrageous chase sequences in recent cinema history, the film offers an intelligent, ironic and politically astute vision of US immigration policy."

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Media Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's various operations r ...

noted that "''Make America Great Again'' was shot in the diverse neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City. Denis intentionally incorporated local landmarks like the United Palace Theater, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the Audubon Ballroom (where

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...

was shot), and the

George Washington Bridge The George Washington Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting Fort Lee in Bergen County, New Jersey, with the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is named after George W ...

into the film, to make his characters' surroundings part of their story." Long Island Weekly reported that, "With the daily political narrative being defined within a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction framework, filmmaker Nelson Denis has taken a satirical crack at addressing these strange times we currently live in. The former

New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

Assemblyman and acclaimed author of ''War Against All Puerto Ricans'' recently shot ''Make America Great Again'', a feature film that takes a look at the trials and travails of an undocumented immigrant from the Dominican Republic, played by Angel "Chi Chi" Salazar (

." In New York City, the film received additional newspaper and radio coverage from the Latino press, and was invited to the Chelsea Film Festival, for a world premiere on October 20, 2018. In Spring 2019, ''Make America Great Again'' was commercially distributed in

. While playing in movie theatres throughout the island, the film received major coverage from the island's largest newspapers.

''War Against All Puerto Ricans''

Denis is the author of ''War Against All Puerto Ricans'', which was published on April 7, 2015. The book is based on recently declassified

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

files, congressional testimony, oral histories, personal interviews and eyewitness accounts. It covers the

Puerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolts of the 1950s The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party insurgency was a series of coordinated insurrections for the secession of Puerto Rico led by the president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Don Pedro Albizu Campos, against the United States governmen ...

, a series of coordinated armed protests for the independence of Puerto Rico led by the president of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Don

.Kirkus Reviews; War Against All Puerto Ricans; 1/22/15
/ref>NY Daily News, "Author Nelson Denis releases new book ''War Against All Puerto Ricans''," 2/12/15
/ref> The book also documents how the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

arrested 3,000 Puerto Ricans, deployed thousands of troops and bombarded two towns in order to stop the uprising - the only time in history that the U.S. government intentionally bombed its own citizens. The US Government also dropped incendiary bombs from bi-planes during the Tulsa massacre of African Americans in 1921, as recorded by Buck Colbert Franklin, a noted Oklahoma attorney in Smithsonian Magazine, December 12, 2018. On My 13, 1985, Philadelphia Police commissioner, Gregore J. Sambor, ordered a helicopter to drop two one-pound bombs on the roof of MOVE activists. The explosion caused a massive fire destroying an entire city block and the death of 11 inhabitants, mostly children. As described in the May 27, 1985 issue of Time Magazine. Amongst the reviews for the book, the

wrote: "Scathing insights into Washington's response to Albizu Campos's nationalist party and its violent revolution in 1950 that still has broad implications...his perspective of largely overlooked history could not be more timely." Nelson Antonio Denis at a rally

The

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

wrote: "The book gives a meticulous and riveting account of the decades-long clash between the Puerto Rican independence movement...prepare to be outraged...a timely, eye-opening must-read." ''Latino Rebels'' wrote "''War Against All Puerto Ricans'' earns 'instant classic' status…anyone who wants to understand U.S. imperial history from the time of

Manifest Destiny Manifest destiny was the belief in the 19th century in the United States, 19th-century United States that American pioneer, American settlers were destined to expand westward across North America, and that this belief was both obvious ("''m ...

needs to read this book." Mother Jones called the book "The lost history of Puerto Rico's independence movement."''The Lost History of Puerto Rico's Independence Movement,'' by AJ Vicens, Mother Jones, April 21, 2015
/ref>

VIBE Magazine ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down production ...

wrote that "''War Against All Puerto Ricans'', in obvious wake of the island's economic turmoil, is relevant in understanding, full circle, why Puerto Rico is where it is today."

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

described the book as "a scathing examination of American colonial policy in Puerto Rico...a pointed, relentless chronicle of a despicable part of past American foreign policy." In ''La Respuesta,'' the reviewer praised "the book's historical value...a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about Puerto Rico." ''Gozamos'' reported that "Nelson Denis doesn't just give us history. He gives us history on fire…a thoroughly researched indictment of over a

century A century is a period of 100 years or 10 decades. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. ...

of U.S. policy toward one small island…a full-throated eulogy of brave heroes, men and women of conviction, who devoted every drop of their blood to a people and a principle." ''War Against All Puerto Ricans'' was featured on national and local television, including

and New York 1. Denis also appeared in radio broadcasts around the US, including the Brian Lehrer Show in New York, WBEZ

Connecticut,

/The Jordan Journal, and WGBH/

. Extensive author interviews were also conducted in

, Mother Jones, and the largest newspaper in Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Dia. The

noted that the Independence Party of Puerto Rico scheduled an eight-town tour for the book on the island of Puerto Rico.''War Book is Escalating,'' by Ray Monell, New York Daily News, June 11, 2015
/ref> The Daily News also reported that the book "has become the subject of political water-cooler talk, national TV and newspaper coverage - including a three-part series of articles in El Nuevo Dia - and a letter from Puerto Rico's governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla, to the book's domestic distributor recognizing its significance." A year after its publication, Rain Taxi reported that "Denis's book is a work of history, essential history...an indictment and a call to action." The book has stirred some controversy. One historian questioned Denis' writing style and "resourceful imagination." Another stated that it contained "extraordinary and incredible assertions" and that Chapter 14 should have "more references." Denis responded to these concerns with a detailed article in the

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...

newspaper, ''Diálogo UPR''. Denis also wrote the screenplay adaptation of his book ''War Against All Puerto Ricans''. According to The Daily News a feature film of ''War Against All Puerto Ricans'' was being planned from this screenplay and several actors, including Luís Guzmán, were strongly interested in the project. In March 2016, '' El Nuevo Dia,'' the largest newspaper in Puerto Rico, reported on the 25 best-selling books in Puerto Rico over the past year (2015-2016). ''War Against All Puerto Ricans'' topped the entire list.Rosalina Marrero Rodríguez,"Lo que se está leyendo en Puerto Rico," ''El Nuevo Dia,'' March 2, 2016
Retrieved 2015-5-13.

References

External links

Twitter feedVote For Me! (movie)Make America Great Again! (movie)
*
''New York Times'' (Nelson Denis articles)WNYC Radio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Denis, Nelson Antonio Journalists from New York City Film directors from New York City Screenwriters from New York (state) Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Yale Law School alumni Harvard College alumni Taft School alumni Writers from Manhattan New York (state) lawyers Activists from New York (state) American male journalists American editors Puerto Rican non-fiction writers Puerto Rican nationalists American politicians of Puerto Rican descent American people of Cuban descent American people of French descent People from East Harlem Living people 1955 births 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century American journalists 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century American male writers 21st-century members of the New York State Legislature 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature