Luis A. Miranda Jr. was just 19 years old when he arrived in New York City from a small town in Puerto Rico, a broke doctoral student badly needing a job.
It was 1974 — decades before “Hamilton,” the Tony Award-winning musical created by his son Lin-Manuel, became a sensation and brought his family international recognition and unexpected fortune — when a nonprofit focused on Puerto Rican youth hired Miranda as a researcher in its office a few blocks from the Empire State Building.
“You can imagine the symbolism,” Miranda told the Associated Press. “A job with the Empire State Building in the background? I felt like Debbie Reynolds in ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown’.”
Miranda planned to complete his doctorate in clinical psychology and return to Puerto Rico. He was an ardent independentista, committed to helping lift his country from the shadow of United States colonialism.
Thiago Silva to return to Brazilian club Fluminense after leaving Chelsea at the end of the season
Turning Paper into Art, One Sculpture at a Time
China Takes Gold in Women's Team Sprint at UCI Track Nations Cup
Cunchao Attracts Billions of Views, Boosts Regional Development
Stars quickly go from tight series over reigning Cup champ to big
7 Decades Later, Girl Admitted to Grandfather's Alma Mater
Chen Yufei Wins Women's Singles Title at 2023 Indonesia Open
Engineer Plays Vital Role Building Padma Bridge in Bangladesh
US seeks information from Tesla on how it developed and verified whether Autopilot recall worked
Zhang Weili Defends UFC Strawweight Title Against Brazil's Amanda Lemos
After special teams play keyed Rangers' series
Fu Qiaomei Becomes First Chinese Scientist to Win UNESCO