During the early 1970's, Puerto Rican grassroots activism in U.S. communities reached its height on the heels of the civil rights movement and after widespread migration to the U.S. from Puerto Rico. By 1980, many of these groups became financially insolvent or their volunteer base shrank drastically due to decreasing public funds and widespread demographic changes within Puerto Rican communities. This dissertation asks the following questions: how did these groups negotiate citizenship rights in terms of identity, place, and institutional proximity? What role do factors such as race, gender, local politics, philanthropic support, and congressional representation play in these organizations' bids for success? This study analyzes two case study groups from the Puerto Rican civil rights era in New York City, The United Bronx Parents and Aspira, through original fieldwork consisting of extensive archival content analysis of organizational records and correspondence as well as oral interviews with organizational staff and leadership past and present.

The overarching goal of these inquiries is to explain the consequences and strategies that have come out of non-profit corporate and philanthropic modeling among Puerto Rican organizations since 1980 and the implications of these changes on political identity and the process of expanding civil rights in American politics. The project also investigates the intricacies of the El Nuevo Despertar, or late era of the Puerto Rican movement; most notably the strong presence of female leadership among grassroots organizations. This study documents the significant shift in demographics and public funding after the dissipation of war on poverty programs which Puerto Rican organizations in New York each handled differently and with vastly different outcomes. These organizational choices are of much interest in the general arena of Latinos, political inclusion, and community/ nonprofit work today.

Theories utilized in discussion include citizenship, formal and informal political institutions, the politics of place, racial solidarity, Puerto Rican nationalism, and Latino nonprofit organizational culture. These themes specific to the Puerto Rican community extend to general discussions of the Latino political and economic middle class as a growing stake holder in New York City and across the United States. This topic is of much interest in political science and ethnic studies today as the political challenges facing Latino representation in the private and public sectors are garnering vast public attention. Understanding the Puerto Rican experience across the canvass of exclusive American democracy broadens traditional notions of politics and participation and expands the concept of citizenship from a static set of privileges to a dynamic process of negotiation.