The life of Carmen E. Arroyo, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the New York State Assembly and a pioneer in housing development, will come to the screen through a documentary made by someone who has known her story long before she became a public figure: her grandson, filmmaker Ricardo Aguirre Jr.
“A Poet Lives Here: The Carmen E. Arroyo Story” is the title of the production that Aguirre is preparing as a tribute to her grandmother, whose career as a community leader, legislator and poet left a deep mark on the South Bronx. The documentary is in post-production and is scheduled for release in 2027.
The idea was born when Aguirre was studying film and his grandmother asked him to translate some of his poems from Spanish to English. What began as an academic project focused on her literary work grew to become a production that seeks to tell the complete story of a woman who dedicated her life to defending her community.
“After some screenings, people who had worked with her and knew her before I was born made me see how important it was to try to do something broader,” recalled Aguirre, founder of Vansen Productions, Inc.
To move forward with the project, the filmmaker visited Hostos Community College in August, where he filmed scenes of support in the same hallways of the institution that his grandmother helped establish and defend. Arroyo also studied there and earned an associate degree, as did his daughter, María del Carmen Arroyo, who later served as a New York City Councilwoman.
Born in Corozal, Puerto Rico, during the Great Depression, Carmen Arroyo learned from a young age the value of education and perseverance. At the age of four he was already reading The New York Times in Spanish to neighbors who couldn’t read.
In 1964 she arrived in New York, temporarily leaving her seven children in the care of relatives in Puerto Rico. As a single mother, she worked in a bindery factory in the South Bronx and saved until she reunited her family. Her experience and the difficulties other families faced led her to become involved in community organizing. In 1966 he founded the South Bronx Action Group, an initiative that helped residents obtain health services, adult education, employment and public assistance.
His activism also encompassed bilingual education, access to medical services, and job opportunities for Bronx residents. From the South Bronx Community Corporation she promoted affordable housing and senior housing projects, becoming the first Puerto Rican woman housing promoter in the state.
In 1994 he won a special election to take a seat in the state Assembly, where he remained for 27 years. From there he continued to defend bilingual education and resources for Hostos.
The documentary will include Arroyo’s personal perspective and interviews with people who shared his journey, including CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez; federal congresswoman Nydia Velázquez; State Commissioner Rossana Rosado, and former Bronx Borough Presidents Fernando Ferrer and Rubén Díaz Jr.
At 93 years old, Arroyo is retired from politics, but remains dedicated to her artistic interests. He has published two books of poetry, “My Poems” and “My Illustrated Sentiments,” and enjoys making hand-made maps of Puerto Rico and other countries.
For Aguirre, one of her grandmother’s greatest legacies is her way of opening paths so that others can get ahead. His example, he acknowledges, has also taught him to lose the fear of taking risks.
With this documentary, the filmmaker hopes that the public discovers the woman behind the political figure and understands that her story belongs not only to her family, but also to the community that for decades found in her a tireless defender.
