Early Years
Canales (birth name: Blanca Canales Torresola ) was born in Jayuya, Puerto Rico. She was the younger sister of writer and politician Nemesio Canales. Her family was a politically active family. Her father was an active member of the "Partido Unión de Puerto Rico" (Union Party of Puerto Rico) which, notwithstanding its name, lobbied for the independence of the island. Her mother was a strong-willed woman who encouraged her children to think for themselves. As a child, Canales read many books and stories about other nations and their heroes. She often accompanied her father to political meetings, where she enjoyed the speeches, flag-waving, and patriotic fervor. Canales finished her primary and secondary education in Jayuya.
In 1924, her father died and her mother moved to Ponce. She graduated from Ponce High School and, in May 1930, earned her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Puerto Rico. Before graduating, she attended a conference given by the President of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, Pedro Albizu Campos, and was impressed by the ideals of independence which he preached. Canales returned to the university that same year and took a course in social work.
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