American Experience

Clemente's Family, on Clemente's Legacy

I would like for people to see my father as an inspiration. To see him as a person who came from, you know, not a rich neighborhood or anything, but from a noble house in Puerto Rico. Probably with no hopes of knowing what he was going to become, but carrying himself in such a way that always had — you know, the values. That was always first. The caring and respect for the parents and siblings, and towards people. Zero tolerance against injustice. Not putting up with being put down. Becoming an activist and letting his message get across very strongly. That should be an inspiration to everyone… understanding how a single individual really truly makes a difference.
— Luis Clemente, son

He saw that you were having a hard time, and he would go out of his way to try and help you. He’d say, “If God gave me this gift, and he gave this to me when others don’t have anything, then I [should] reach out to help them.” He helped a lot of people. He had a [baseball] clinic here in Puerto Rico, for young kids. He’d give away gifts, on Three Kings Day. He felt good doing that. He felt really good reaching out to people.
— Matino Clemente, brother

When the earthquake took place [in Nicaragua], he felt a responsibility, as if he had lost relatives of his own. The campaign started on Christmas Day. Entire families were standing in line at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium, bringing unopened gifts, [bringing] a lot of help.

When he passed away, all the funds that were raised were used to build a pediatrics wing at the Masaya Hospital [in Nicaragua]. That expansion for a pediatrics department was built with those funds, with the collaboration of engineers over there, and we’d transfer funds to them… A lot of people from [Puerto Rico] went to that inauguration… The hospital was decorated, it had air conditioning, color TV, very pretty, pediatric, it was for children.
— Vera Clemente, wife