National Women of Distinction Award
Esmeralda Santiago was honored along with Hillary Clinton, Katie Couric, Elizabeth Dole, Alma Powell and Vera Wang. Their personal achievements and successful careers were celebrated with short films about them as role models for young girls at the national gala celebration for Girl Scouts in Washington, DC.
March 12, 2002.
Peabody Award
Almost a Woman from the PBS Masterpiece Theatre’s “American Collection.” won a George Foster Peabody Award honoring the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television. Esmeralda Santiago wrote the memoir and screenplay for Almost a Woman and is the only living author in this film series featuring the work of James Agee, Willa Cather, Langston Hughes, Henry James and Eudora Welty.
June 21, 2002
Governor’s Tour of Puerto Rico
Governor Sila Calderón organized a two-day tour of Puerto Rico for governors’ wives from the United States. The VIP group was escorted by motorcade to experience the art, culture, and natural beauty of Puerto Rico. Esmeralda Santiago was chosen by Governor Calderón to represent “The Emerald Isle.”
April 15, 2005
Esmeralda Santiago Writing A Life
Documentary film about the power of words to transform lives. Esmeralda Santiago’s family life, work ethic, and creative process are revealed in this intimate film portrait. Writing a Life is one hour co-production with PBS Channel 6 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
May 17, 2008
Yale University teaching Curriculum
Truth and Identity in Autobiography: Teaching Esmeralda Santiago’s memoir When I was Puerto Rican was written by Lisa Galullo for the Yale National Initiative. When I was Puerto Rican is required reading for many colleges, universities, and high schools, and has been the subject of three doctoral thesis.
February 26, 2010
Esmeralda Santiago School
This fully renovated school in Chicago was named for Esmeralda Santiago to commemorate her literary work and legacy. The school serves over 300 students from kindergarten to eighth grade. Outside of every classroom is a quote from one of Esmeralda’s books. Esmeralda was introduced to the teachers and students and visited every classroom to express her heartfelt appreciation for being honored.
May 5, 2011
World Book Night
When I was Puerto Rican Chosen to be given free to thousands of people in the United States and Puerto Rico. Publishers voted on which book would be honored for distribution to a wide group of people with limited access to good literature. (Margaret Atwood, Maya Angelou, Barbara Kingsolver were previous honorees).
April 23, 2014
Finalist One Book One New York
One Book/One New York Is the largest community reading program in the nation, When I was Puerto Rican was a runner up finalist among the five books chosen.
May 3, 2018
Hostos Community College
An evening celebrating the acclaimed Puerto Rican author Esmeralda Santiago on the 25th Anniversary of her ground breaking memoir When I Was Puerto Rican. Colleagues were chosen to share stories and personal experiences about teaching and reading the book. Dramatic presentations, music, and dance celebrated the sustaining power of the book and paid tribute to its ongoing relevance and vitality.
November 14, 2018
92nd Street-Y Honoring Esmeralda Santiago
Latino USA teamed up with the Unterberg Poetry Center at the 92nd Street Y to create an event honoring the 25th anniversary of Esmeralda Santiago's coming of age classic When I Was Puerto Rican in conversation with producer Antonia Cereijido, Santiago talks about what it's like to live through a hurricane, the #metoo movement, and learning to not care about what other people think of you.
August 16, 2019
The National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture
NMPRAC honored legendary writer Esmeralda Santiago and Actor Jimmy Smits with the CEIBA Lifetime achievement Award. Their visionary work and humility reinforces how deserving these laureates are to receive this recognition. (José Feliciano and Lin-Manuel Miranda are previous winners).
September 19, 2019
Meet the Author
Queen City Magnet School has been teaching When I was Puerto Rican as part of their literature studies for the last ten years. They have developed a curriculum about When I was Puerto Rican and relate it to other inspiring books they teach: A Raisin in the Sun, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Night.
March 4, 2022
Literary Arts Program
Esmeralda Santiago engendered a grant for The National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture to design create and produce a literary arts program, help develop talent for emerging writers, provide public events for well known writers, create writing workshops and establish an ongoing mentorship program.
March 15, 2022
Spokesperson for Public Libraries
When I Was Puerto Rican has been chosen by library systems for city wide activities that unite communities by sharing experiences from reading the book and meeting the author. Events include radio and television interviews, school visits, and special library presentations for the public. Esmeralda Santiago was honored by multiple day library system events for:
Arlington Massachusetts | New Haven, Connecticut | Birmingham, Alabama | San Antonio, Texas | Bronx, New York | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hartford, Connecticut | Springfield, Massachusetts
In Hartford Connecticut and Birmingham Alabama, high school students took turns reading the full memoir When I Was Puerto Rican non-stop in the main branch of their library.
Events with public libraries are ongoing
Cultural Ambassador for the State Department
With educational assignments in: Argentina | Bolivia | Columbia | Dominican Republic | Germany | Iceland | India | Indonesia | Kazakhstan | Mexico | Russia | South Africa | Spain | Venezuela.
2000-2016