The Delis Negrón digital archive captures the life and legacy of the Puerto Rican writer born in 1901, who was also director, editor, poet, writer, English professor and activist throughout his residency in south Texas and Mexico City during the twentieth century. The personal archive of Delis Negrón incorporates familial memory as another resource for recovering part of his legacy.
His literary production can be traced through newspapers published in the United States and Mexico and events of cities across the state of Texas during the first half of the 20th century. His poetry was recited at the Junta Patriótica Mexicana in the city of McAllen, and various other cities for national holidays, Mother’s Day celebrations, Day of the Dead and other community celebrations. He also influenced other writers, such as P. Galindo (José Díaz), who wrote a poem dedicated to the newspaper La Prensa and to Delis Negrón entitled "New Year's Greeting," where he congratulated the newspaper's members and recognized Negrón’s great work. In his literary works you can also appreciate the influence of Mexican culture, as in his poem "Las Soldaderas" that talks about the role played by some women during the Mexican Revolution, or in the manuscripts titled "Cantinflas," "Cantinflas Político," "Cantinflas Sindicalista," among others, where he gives a social and political critique of Mexican society after the Mexican Independence and during the government of Porfirio Díaz.
"Muchos políticos prometen dar de comer al pueblo y lo que hacen es comérselo".
-Delis Negrón
In his poem "Bandera" he demonstrates his connection to the Puerto Rican homeland and in other more personal poems, he expresses his feelings towards some of his relatives, as in "La Adelita," dedicated to his wife, Adela. Other poems are found in his collections, Vislumbres and Palabras. In the same way that his presence makes Latinos visible in American history, his literary career also highlights the literary participation of a Puerto Rican in the United States and Mexico.
His literary, political and social publications are found in various south Texas newspapers. He published weekly columns in San Antonio's La Prensa titled "Microscopio" and "Temas Humanos," some of which touched on themes of the "Red Scare." Which developed in two different periods in the United States: the first is from 1917 to 1920 and the second from 1947 to 1957. Negrón's commitment to the community leads him to become an active member in politics and a participant in the constant struggle for civil rights of the Latino community. He contributed as an editor in the publication of the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC) newsletter during the 1950s, was a member of organizations, such as the Gran Cadena Fraternal Filantrópica, Sociedad de Obreros, Sociedad Fraternal Mexicoamericana, Hijos de Juárez and Fé, Esperanza y Caridad.
Through these accounts, it has been possible to trace and understand other aspects of Negron's life and of the documents that would otherwise have been lost to history.