a dishwasher and waiter, as a postal clerk, and as a dockworker. As a result, he was able to observe the deplorable conditions of the working class of the time. When Colón arrived in New York, he often wrote letters to his fiancé Rufa "Concha" Concepción Fernández, who remained in Puerto Rico. Seven years after Colón arrived, Concha made her way to New York on January 29, 1925, and reunited with Colón. The two were subsequently married on December 31, 1925, and resided in Brooklyn. When Colón became politically active, she acted as his secretary. She then became politically active and assisted in the founding of various community organizations. According to The Colón Papers, she became the secretary of "la Liga Puertorriqueña e Hispana" (The Puerto Rican and Hispanic League), which fostered mutual aid in the collective struggle and solidarity with all Hispanics in New York City. Her work contributed to the growth and acculturation of the New York Puerto Rican community. During their marriage, Concha would travel to Puerto Rico while Colón remained in New York, and the two often communicated through letters. They were married for 32 years. Colón detailed many of his experiences navigating New York City in his writings. In a series titled "A memo for series of articles on Puerto Ricans in NYC," Colón wrote about a broad array of social issues, such as police brutality, housing issues, economic issues, and politics in the city. He also talked about the racial relations that manifested in New York, with Puerto Ricans coming into contact with African Americans. In addition, Colón became an active member of his New York community. He served as a member of the New York Committee of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party of which he helped to establish. This committee was not the only socialist party that Colón was involved in, as he would go on to help create other organizations such as the Puerto Rican organization Alianza Obrera Puertorriqueña created in 1923. Colón sought to defend Puerto Rican workers and help them in their efforts to unionize for better conditions. In 1926, he helped to found the organization Ateneo Obrero Hispano which sought to promote cultural and educational growth. Nuyorican Movement Colón was discriminated against because of the color of his skin (he was of African descent) and because of his difficulty speaking the English language. He wrote about his experiences, as