Mariposa Fernández Papers, 1902–2022
Information, Description, and Finding Aid
Collection Information
Reference: MS-FERNÁNDEZ
Dates: 1902–2022 (bulk: 1978-2020)
Physical Extent: 1.45 linear ft. across 1 archival box and 1 scrapbook
Digital Extent: 83.4MB
Digital collection available
Finding Aid Information
Creator(s): Steven Payne, Ph.D., Librarian and Archivist
Date created/updated: November 11, 2021; finding aid updated to reflect new material added to the collection on November 24, 2021, December 20, 2021, and December 16, 2022.
Biography
Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (1971–) is a Puerto Rican poet and performance artist born and raised in The Bronx. She was the first in her family to graduate from college, having earned a BA and MA at New York University. Mariposa's poetry, which often intertwines Spanish and English lines, meditates on empowerment, identity, family, all through a Bronx lens.
Mariposa has authored Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Survival, Love & Freedom (2001) and is featured in multiple anthologies. Her work has also appeared on a variety of programs produced for HBO, PBS, Lifetime TV, and BET, and she has performed for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, the Essence Music Festival, and the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Mariposa is an accomplished educator and has also worked towards women's empowerment through a variety of outlets. Her honors include a Van Lier Fellowship, an El Comité Noviembre’s Lo Mejor de Nuestra Comunidad Award, and recognition from the nonprofit El Maestro.
Information from this biography comes from the Poetry Foundation.
Description/Scope and Content
The collection is organized in the following eight series:
1) Poetry Performances, which includes flyers and postcards promoting performances featuring Mariposa.
2) Writings by Mariposa, which is comprised of poetry and prose works authored by Mariposa.
3) Writings by Others, which contains poetry and other works written by other Bronxites.
4) Photographs, which includes photographs of Mariposa and others.
5) Vieques Struggle, which includes documents and photographs from Mariposa's participation, with other Bronxites, in the successful struggle during the late 1990s and early 2000s to dismantle the U.S. military bases on the Isla de Vieques, an island and municipality of Puerto Rico.
6) Video Recordings, which includes video recordings of Mariposa's performances.
7) Scrapbooks, which includes 1 scrapbook from Mariposa's travels to Vieques and the main island of Puerto Rico.
8) Family History, which contains Birth certificates, baptismal records, other genealogical documents from Mariposa's family.
Provenance
The Mariposa Fernández papers were donated to the Society by Mariposa Fernández on November 5, 2021.
Preferred Citation
[Item name or description,] The Mariposa Fernández papers, box _, folder _, The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
Points of Access
- Community organizing -- The Point CDC (Hunts Point) -- Sistas en la Lucha -- Sistahs Underground
- Ethnic groups and nationalities -- African Americans -- Puerto Ricans (Boricuas) -- Afro-Boricuas
- Genealogy -- vital records -- migration -- demographics -- race
- Individuals -- Alba, Vicente "Panamá" -- Fernández, Mariposa -- Garcia Rivera, Sandra -- Guadalupe, Ismael -- Maldonado, Adál -- Martell, Esperanza -- Medina, Tony -- Morales, Anthony -- Pagan, Dylcia -- Rice-González, Charles -- Rosado, Isabel -- Shange, Ntozake -- Torres, Maria
- Neighborhoods (The Bronx, New York) -- Hunts Point -- Longwood -- South Bronx
- Poetry and poems -- bilingualism -- The Bronx -- empowerment -- English-language -- family -- identity -- joy -- love -- resilience -- resistance -- Spanish-language -- urban settings
- Puerto Rican liberation -- Freedom for Puerto Rican political prisoners -- Vieques struggle
Related Collections
- Argote Family papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Bronx Latino History Project. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Gil Fagiani papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Rev. Wendell Foster papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Murray Lerner papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Jackie Robinson papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Mel Rosenthal papers. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- South Bronx Churches records. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Gelvin Stevenson papers on Arson and Housing Abandonment. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
- Camilo José Vergara photographic slides. The Bronx County Archives at The Bronx County Historical Society Research Library.
Series
| Series | Title | Box | Folders |
| 1 | Poetry Performances | 1 | 1–22 |
| 2 | Writings by Mariposa | 1 | 23–24 |
| 3 | Writings by Others | 1 | 25–26 |
| 4 | Photographs, General | 1 | 27 |
| 5 | Vieques Struggle | 1 | 28–33 |
| 6 | Video Recordings | 1 | 34–35 |
| 7 | Scrapbooks | 2 |
1 |
| 8 | Family History | 1 |
36–38 |
Container List
Series 1: Poetry Performances
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
1 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
n.d. |
|
1 |
2 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
1997 |
|
1 |
3 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
1998 |
|
1 |
4 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
1999 |
|
1 |
5 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2000 |
|
1 |
6 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2001 |
|
1 |
7 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2002 |
|
1 |
8 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2003 |
|
1 |
9 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2004 |
|
1 |
10 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2005 |
|
1 |
11 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2006 |
|
1 |
12 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2007 |
|
1 |
13 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2008 |
|
1 |
14 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2009 |
|
1 |
15 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2010 |
|
1 |
16 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2011 |
|
1 |
17 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2012 |
|
1 |
18 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2013 |
|
1 |
19 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2014 |
|
1 |
20 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2015 |
|
1 |
21 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2016 |
|
1 |
22 |
Performances, fliers and promotional material |
2017 |
Series 2: Writings by Mariposa
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
23 |
Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Survival, Love & Freedom |
2001 |
|
1 |
24 |
The Point 25 Years! |
2020 |
Born Digital Materials
| Digital ID |
Contents |
Date |
| MS-FERNANDEZ-BD002.001 |
"Ode to the Nuyorican" (New York Newsday) |
June 11, 1995 |
Series 3: Writings by Others
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
25 |
Tony Medina, Stacey Robinson, and John Jennings, I Am Alphonso Jones |
2017 |
|
1 |
26 |
Perdomo, Willi, The Crazy Bunch |
2019 |
Born Digital Materials
| Digital ID |
Contents |
Date |
| MS-FERNANDEZ-BD003.001 |
Sandra Garcia Rivera, That Kiss |
2002 |
| MS-FERNANDEZ-BD003.002 |
Anthony Morales, UNIverses. |
1998 |
Series 4: Photographs, General
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
27 |
Headshot of Mariposa Fernández in second grade at Immaculate Conception [PH-FERNANDEZ.001] |
1978 |
|
1 |
27 |
Class photograph of Mariposa Fernández's second-grade class at Immaculate Conception [PH-FERNANDEZ.002] |
1978 |
|
1 |
27 |
Mariposa and twin sister posing with Mariposa's first published poem [PH-FERNANDEZ.003] |
1995 |
|
1 |
27 |
Artistic self-photograph of Mariposa produced for high school photography class [PH-FERNANDEZ.004] |
1980s |
|
1 |
27 |
Professional shot of Mariposa [PH-FERNANDEZ.005] |
n.d. |
|
1 |
27 |
First magazine feature of Mariposa [PH-FERNANDEZ.006] |
n.d. |
|
1 |
27 |
Artistic rendering of Mariposa reciting poetry [PH-FERNANDEZ.007] |
n.d. |
|
1 |
27 |
Assorted photographs of Mariposa and family [PH-FERNANDEZ.008–013] |
1992–2000s |
Born Digital Materials
| Digital ID |
Contents |
Date |
| MS-FERNANDEZ-BD004.001 |
Ntozake Shange as a boxer, photographed by Adál Maldonado and dedicated to Mariposa Fernández [PH-FERNANDEZ.BD001] |
1993 |
Series 5: Vieques Struggle
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
28 |
Clippings |
2000 |
|
1 |
29 |
Maps |
n.d. |
|
1 |
30 |
Miscellaneous material |
n.d. |
|
1 |
31 |
Poetry |
n.d. |
|
1 |
32 |
Rallies and events |
2000 |
|
1 |
33 |
Updates on struggle |
1997–2000 |
Series 6: Video Recordings
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
34 |
Mariposa Sings to Lolita Lebrón at Casa |
n.d. |
|
1 |
35 |
Poetas pa' Vieques |
2000 |
Series 7: Scrapbooks
|
Box |
Item |
Contents |
Date |
|
2 |
1 |
Scrapbook from Mariposa's travels to Vieques and the main island of Puerto Rico; showing Mariposa with Esperanza Martell, Dylcia Pagan, Doña Isabel Rosado, Ismael Guadalupe, and others. |
2000s |
Series 8: Family History
|
Box |
Folder |
Contents |
Date |
|
1 |
36 |
Birth Certificates |
1914-1930 |
| 1
|
37 |
Baptismal Certificates |
1902-1934 |
| 1 |
38 |
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (Last mass of Capuchin Franciscan Friars |
2022 |