1. The Triangle of Empire: Sport, Religion, and Imperialism in Puerto Rico’s YMCA, 1898- 1926. University Library Research Showcase November 12, 2014 Antonio Sotomayor, Ph.D. Assistant Professor University Library Librarian for Latin American and Caribbean Studies

2. Research Questions What was the role and consequences of the YMCA in Puerto Rico at the turn of the twentieth century? In what ways did the issues of imperialism, religion and sport intersect through the YMCA? How can this process help us further understand Latin American sports, culture, and politics?

3. Research Supported by Research and Publication Committee (RPC) funding at the University Library. University Library - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kautz Family YMCA Archives at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico Evangélico. [ Letters, Reports, Magazines, Newspaper Clippings, Secondary Literature, (1898-1930s) ]

4. Outcomes Army and Navy YMCA entered Puerto Rico with invading forces – Spanish American War (1898) To offer recreational and spiritual comfort [convert both soldiers and civilians. To aid the imperial army in occupation and achieve hegemonic rule] Negotiation between a loyal catholic population with a strong desire to learn and practice modern sports.

5. So what? Lessons to be learned Army and Navy YMCA also entered with U.S. forces in Cuba and the Philippines. Civilian YMCA in South America since 1870s (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico). New way to understand the politics of sport and the rich sporting traditions of sport in the region. New way to understand the negotiations between Protestantism and Catholicism in Latin America.