As the United States commemorates its 250th anniversary and marks Latinx Heritage Month, Brooklyn College is celebrating a significant achievement by Professor María E. Pérez y González of the Department of Puerto Rican and Latinx Studies and co-director of the María E. Sánchez Center for Latinx Studies. Pérez y González authored one of 60 featured entries in Notable New York, a 2026 publication of the Historical Landmarks Preservation Center (HLPC) that highlights people, places, and organizations whose contributions have helped shape New York’s history and cultural landscape.
Her entry focuses on the United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park (UPROSE), the oldest Latinx community-based organization in Brooklyn. Founded in 1966, UPROSE has spent six decades advocating for environmental justice, equitable development, community empowerment, and educational opportunities in Sunset Park and beyond.
Pérez y González successfully nominated UPROSE for inclusion in Notable New York, helping bring broader recognition to the organization’s enduring impact on Brooklyn’s Puerto Rican and Latinx communities. The selection places UPROSE among a distinguished group of institutions and individuals whose stories are being highlighted as part of the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration.
The recognition extends beyond the publication itself. UPROSE was also chosen as one of only 11 honorees to receive a distinguished cultural medallion installed throughout New York City in August by HLPC. The medallion commemorates the organization’s contributions to New York State while recognizing the lasting influence of Puerto Rican communities on the city’s social, cultural, and civic life.
The honor is accompanied by an interview in the America at 250 video series, which documents the stories behind the medallion recipients and explores their significance within the broader American experience.
Learn more about the Cultural Medallions Program and the America at 250 project here.
