Sociedad Herencia Puertorriqueña (SHP) was founded in 1984, in San Antonio, to promote and preserve the culture and traditions of Puerto Rico, as well as to encourage the pursuit of higher education by offering academic scholarships.

Past Cultural Events

The cultural activities offered by our organization to the San Antonio community include exhibits, various piano concerts, and the presentations of our folklore dances to name a few. In 1993, the San Antonio Museum of Arts co-sponsored “Santos de Palo: Santos Caseros de Puerto Rico,” which was the first exposition of Puerto Rico art in San Antonio. The event’s program included a series of conferences and educational activities held at the museum, depicting various aspects of our rich culture, such as dance, music, wood carvings, and our unique “mundillo” lace.

In 1995, with the co-sponsorship of Fomento Económico, SHP partnered with the University of Incarnate Word to host six Puerto Rican artisans, who exhibited their works and offered interesting seminars on campus about their traits. As a gesture of hospitality, the University’s leadership honored all Puerto Ricans by allowing the Puerto Rican flag to fly alongside the American and Texas flags.

In 2003, the San Antonio community was introduced to one of our most authentic musical instruments, the “cuatro,” with the participation of “Orquesta Cuerdas del Coquí.” This event was co-sponsored by the Institute of Culture of Puerto Rico.

Recurring Events

“Día de los Tres Reyes Magos”
The city of San Antonio was first introduced to our typical Three Kings Day celebration in 1994. Now a yearly tradition, SHP delights local children and their families offering a series of workshops to show children the art of making decorative crowns made out of paper. These are then worn by the children during a dramatization of the nativity scene, where the three Wise men make a spectacular, though solemn, appearance distributing candies to the children.

“Festival de Puerto Rico en San Antonio”
Our now traditional and popular “Festival de Puerto Rico en San Antonio” was established in 1988. This cultural event is celebrated every two years in November to commemorate the discovery of Puerto Rico in 1493. This festival is considered the biggest and the oldest Puerto Rican cultural event in the state of Texas, attracting more than 3,000 people throughout the day. Among the attendees you will find people who come from as far away as Houston, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and El Paso. As you well can see, this festival brings together families from all across Texas in the spirit of celebration, showcasing our rich culture, traditional art, food, and music. Artisans have even come directly from Puerto Rico to share their distinctive talents.

The “Héctor Méndez” Scholarship Program
SHP first joined the compendium of organizations affiliated to the prestigious Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation-Bexar County Scholarship Clearing House during the 2003-2004 school year. This affiliation broadens the diversity of students who are able to apply for the Héctor Méndez Scholarship. The Piper Scholars Committee, composed of local educators who have worked with scholarship selections for several years, evaluates the candidates’ applications and ranks them in order of merit. This process adds the dimension of objectivity to the selection of the finalists. SHP maintains the responsibility to determine the final selection of the scholarship recipients. Between the years 1984-2007, SHP has awarded a total of 53 scholarships students of Puerto Rican descent. For the academic year 2006-2007, eight scholarships will be awarded.

Sociedad Herencia Puertorriqueña is proud of the contributions it has made to the diverse cultural fiber of San Antonio and neighboring cities throughout the last twenty years. It is equally proud to have among its current members, young ladies who once were counted among the children who grew up attending or participating in the cultural events mentioned above. They are the fruit of our efforts. They will ensure the torch of Puerto Rican culture in San Antonio will live on from generation to generation.