RU-afael Cordero, owaziwa njengoyise wemfundo yomphakathi e-Puerto Rico, wayengu-autodidact owanikeza imfundo yamahhala ezinganeni, kungakhathaliseki uhlanga kanye nesimo senhlalo. URafael wazalelwa eSan Juan emndenini ompofu wabazali abayinzalo yase-Afro. Uthando lwakhe lwezincwadi nokuzimisela kwakhe ukufundisa kuholele ekutheni azifundise wagcina esefundisa amabanga aphansi. Ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-19, uRafael wavula isikole sasekhaya samahhala sezingane zanoma yiluphi uhlanga abazali bazo ababengakwazi ukukhokhela izindleko zesikole. UCordero wagcina isikole sakhe iminyaka engu-58 kuLuna Street eSan Juan. Wafundisa izibalo, ukufunda, i-calligraphy, nezinye izifundo eziningi. Phakathi kwalabo ababengabafundi bakhe kukhona uRomán Baldorioty de Castro, u-Alejandro Tapia y Rivera noJosé Julián Acosta. Waklonyeliswa yiqembu elamnika ama-peso angu-100. Ingxenye wayevame ukuthengela abafundi bakhe izincwadi nezingubo. Enye ingxenye wayinika abangenamakhaya. Uthando nenhlonipho abantu basePuerto Rican ababenayo kwabonakala kakhulu, njengoba abantu abangaphezu kuka-2000 bafika emngcwabeni wakhe ngo-1868. Ukuhlonipha nokuhlonishwa ngokudlula kwakhe kuningi. Imbongi yasePuerto Rican uJosé Gualberto Padilla ushicilele inkondlo enesihloko esithi el maestro Rafael ehlonipha uthisha. Ngo-1890 umdwebi wapenda isithombe sikaRafael. Isikole samabanga aphansi uRafael ayefundisa kuso salungiswa uhulumeni wasePuerto Rico. Izikole eziningi zinegama lakhe, okuhlanganisa nesikole samabanga aphezulu eSan Juan, isikole samabanga aphansi e-Aguadilla, isikole samabanga aphansi eNew Jersey, kanye nesikole samabanga aphezulu eBrooklyn.