Esmeralda Santiago (born May 17, 1948) is a Puerto Rican author and
former actress known for her novels and memoirs.Santiago was born on
May 17, 1948 in the San Juan district of Villa Palmeras, Santurce,
Puerto Rico. She was the eldest of eleven children. During her early
life her family moved from the city, to the countryside, and vice
versa. During those times they dealt with poverty. In 1961, at age 13,
she moved to the United States. Santiago attended junior high school
in Brooklyn, and went on to attend New York City's Performing Arts
High School. She graduated from Harvard University and Sarah Lawrence
College. She eventually met Frank Cantor and married him. The couple
founded CANTOMEDIA, a film and media production company, which has won
numerous awards for excellence in documentaries. Santiago currently
lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband.Her writing
career evolved from her work as a writer of documentary and
educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have appeared in
national newspapers including The New York Times and The Boston Globe,
and on mass market magazines like House & Garden, Metropolitan Home,
and Good Housekeeping.Upon publication of her first book, the memoir
When I was Puerto Rican, Ms. Santiago was hailed as "a welcome new
voice, full of passion and authority," by The Washington Post Book
World.
former actress known for her novels and memoirs.Santiago was born on
May 17, 1948 in the San Juan district of Villa Palmeras, Santurce,
Puerto Rico. She was the eldest of eleven children. During her early
life her family moved from the city, to the countryside, and vice
versa. During those times they dealt with poverty. In 1961, at age 13,
she moved to the United States. Santiago attended junior high school
in Brooklyn, and went on to attend New York City's Performing Arts
High School. She graduated from Harvard University and Sarah Lawrence
College. She eventually met Frank Cantor and married him. The couple
founded CANTOMEDIA, a film and media production company, which has won
numerous awards for excellence in documentaries. Santiago currently
lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband.Her writing
career evolved from her work as a writer of documentary and
educational films. Her essays and opinion pieces have appeared in
national newspapers including The New York Times and The Boston Globe,
and on mass market magazines like House & Garden, Metropolitan Home,
and Good Housekeeping.Upon publication of her first book, the memoir
When I was Puerto Rican, Ms. Santiago was hailed as "a welcome new
voice, full of passion and authority," by The Washington Post Book
World.
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