Francisco Rojas Tollinchi
Encyclopedia
Francisco Rojas Tollinchi (May 30, 1911–1965), was a Puerto Rican
poet, civic leader and journalist.
. He had to abandon his secondary education at the age of 16, to help his family because of the family financial situation. He later returned to school and completed his required studies and graduated from high school. In 1934, he married Elena Cummings and together had thirteen children. Rojas Tollinchi worked in various jobs before working for the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA), a government agency which controls all the water storage and distribution functions in Puerto Rico. He was the President of the Ponce
chapter of the Union of Employees of the AAA and Vice-president of the general Union in the island.
Tollinchi's published works include Fronda Virgen (1940); Cien Sonetos en Cuatro Panfletos (One Hundred Sonnets in Four Pamphlets, 1944); Relicario Sonoro (Shrine of Sound, 1945); Sonetos de la Vida, el Amor y la Muerte (Sonnets of Life, Love and Death, 1955); and Silencio de Dios (Silence of God, 1956). Two of his poems in Relicario Sonoro were dedicated to the heroes of World War II
from Yauco. The first Recuerdo Yaucano (Remembrance of a Yaucano) was an homage to Brigadier General Mihiel Gilormini
, the Puerto Rican aviator and war hero. The second poem Al Sesenta y Cinco de Infantería (To the 65th Infantry Regiment
) was dedicated to the all-Puerto Rican unit of the same name, whose members included many men from Yauco.
Rojas Tollinchi moved to Ponce in 1959, and lived there until his death in 1965. His hometown, Yauco, honored his memory by naming a street after him.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
poet, civic leader and journalist.
Early years
Rojas Tollinchi (birth name: Francisco Antonio Rojas Tollinchi) was one of five siblings born to Pedro Rojas Perez and Flora Maria Tollinchi Battistini in the barrio Algarrobos in Yauco, Puerto RicoYauco, Puerto Rico
Yauco is a city and municipality in southwestern Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island by the Caribbean, south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana Grande and Guánica; and west of Guayanilla. Yauco is spread over 20 wards and Yauco Pueblo...
. He had to abandon his secondary education at the age of 16, to help his family because of the family financial situation. He later returned to school and completed his required studies and graduated from high school. In 1934, he married Elena Cummings and together had thirteen children. Rojas Tollinchi worked in various jobs before working for the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (AAA), a government agency which controls all the water storage and distribution functions in Puerto Rico. He was the President of the Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
chapter of the Union of Employees of the AAA and Vice-president of the general Union in the island.
Poet
From 1962 to 1964, Rojas Tollinchi founded and was the managing director of El Pozo, a monthly newspaper of the Union of Employees of the AAA. Lacking the financial means to publish his work, Rojas Tollinchi used different pen names to publish it in El Pozo. One of his readers, Antonio Rodríguez Menéndez, discovered Tollinchi's talent through El Pozo, and provided him with financial aid to publish through the Ediciones Yaurinque.Tollinchi's published works include Fronda Virgen (1940); Cien Sonetos en Cuatro Panfletos (One Hundred Sonnets in Four Pamphlets, 1944); Relicario Sonoro (Shrine of Sound, 1945); Sonetos de la Vida, el Amor y la Muerte (Sonnets of Life, Love and Death, 1955); and Silencio de Dios (Silence of God, 1956). Two of his poems in Relicario Sonoro were dedicated to the heroes of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
from Yauco. The first Recuerdo Yaucano (Remembrance of a Yaucano) was an homage to Brigadier General Mihiel Gilormini
Mihiel Gilormini
Brigadier General Mihiel "Mike" Gilormini , was a United States Air Force officer who served in the Royal Air Force and in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. He was the recipient of the Silver Star, the Air Medal with four clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross 5 times...
, the Puerto Rican aviator and war hero. The second poem Al Sesenta y Cinco de Infantería (To the 65th Infantry Regiment
65th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers," was an all-volunteer Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. Its motto was Honor et Fidelitas, Latin for Honor and Fidelity. It participated in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War...
) was dedicated to the all-Puerto Rican unit of the same name, whose members included many men from Yauco.
Later years and legacy
Rojas Tollinchi was general manager of the newspaper La Nueva Reforma (The New Reform). He was also a civic leader and belonged to the League for Struggle for Negro Rights (LSNR). In 1957, he attended the First Congress of Puerto Rican Poets. He was also a collaborator in the publication of the Historical Alum of Yauco.Rojas Tollinchi moved to Ponce in 1959, and lived there until his death in 1965. His hometown, Yauco, honored his memory by naming a street after him.
Further reading
- American Psychological Association. (2010)
- Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: The Author.Gibaldi, J. (2009)
- MLA handbook for writers of research papers (7th ed.)
- New York, NY: Modern Language Association of America.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Puerto Rican literature
- List of Puerto Rican writers
- Corsican immigration to Puerto RicoCorsican immigration to Puerto RicoCorsican immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of various economic and political changes in the mid-19th century Europe; among those factors were the social-economic changes which came about in Europe as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution, political discontent and widespread...