Pedro Henríquez Ureña

Pedro Henríquez Ureña was a Dominican essayist, philologist, literary critic, and humanist, and is considered one of the central figures of twentieth-century Hispano-American literary criticism and thought. He was born in Santo Domingo in 1884 and undertook much of his intellectual activity in Mexico, the United States, and Argentina. He focused especially on the study of the language, literature, and cultural identity of Hispano-America, defending the need for uniquely American expression without rejecting European cultural traditions. His major works include Seis ensayos en busca de nuestra expresión (1928), Las corrientes literarias en la América Hispánica, and Historia de la cultura en la América Hispánica. He died in Buenos Aires in 1946.