Puerto Rican Migration
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What about the Boricuas that left the island?
If you are reading this website more likely than not, you are a Puerto Rican that grew up in the states which means at some point, your ancestors moved from the Caribbean and became a stateside Puerto Rican. While there are Puerto Ricans all over the United States, I will highlight the locations that have the longest historical presence of Puerto Rican communities as the purpose is to highlight ancestry.
Puerto Ricans have been in New York for more than two centuries beginning in the 1800's. At the time, people from the island were still citizens of Spain. After the United States took control of Puerto Rico in 1898, many migrated north to work in East Coast factories and the farms of New Jersey. They settled first in Manhattan in East Harlem, later known as Spanish Harlem and now, El Barrio. Eventually, the community grew larger in size and spread out to Hell's Kitchen, the Lower East Side, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. Today, you can find Puerto Ricans in every part of New York City. In the 1940's Noel Estrada lived in New York City and composed the most beloved song by all Puerto Ricans, En mi Viejo San Juan, an ode to the longing to return to Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican experience in New York has been captured in many forms including the Academy Award winning movie, West Side Story; Tony-Award winning musical, In the Heights; the now-defunct musical by Paul Simon, The Capeman; and El Cantante, a movie about salsa singer, Hector Lavoe.
In real life, the legendary La Taza de Oro, a Puerto Rican luncheonette, serving New Yorkers for 68 years in Chelsea, officially closed its doors in 2015.
The Puerto Rican experience in New York has been captured in many forms including the Academy Award winning movie, West Side Story; Tony-Award winning musical, In the Heights; the now-defunct musical by Paul Simon, The Capeman; and El Cantante, a movie about salsa singer, Hector Lavoe.
In real life, the legendary La Taza de Oro, a Puerto Rican luncheonette, serving New Yorkers for 68 years in Chelsea, officially closed its doors in 2015.
While the list is incredibly long, some notable Puerto Rican New Yorkers include:
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The Pura Belpre Award is presented annually to a Latino/a writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. Pura Belpre was a librarian in the New York Public Library, storyteller, and author.
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The large population of Puerto Ricans in New York has lead to the founding of many organizations created to reflect, celebrate and support the community.
New York famously hosts the largest Puerto Rican Day Parade, about to celebrate its 60th year. Former Grand Marshals include Jennifer Lopez and Ednita Nazario. It was once infamously included in an episode of Seinfeld!
New York also is home to El Museo del Barrio on 5th Avenue in its 45th year of operation celebrating Puerto Rican arts and culture. As well the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the East Village since 1973.
ASPIRA was founded by Dr. Antonia Patoja in New York to help Puerto Rican youth graduate from high school. ASPIRA has now grown to have affiliates in several states and Puerto Rico. Boricua College and the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College are higher educational entities that promote the understanding of Puerto Rican heritage and the interests of Puerto Ricans in New York.
Read journalist Ed Morales' thoughts about El Barrio in the 21st Century.
New York famously hosts the largest Puerto Rican Day Parade, about to celebrate its 60th year. Former Grand Marshals include Jennifer Lopez and Ednita Nazario. It was once infamously included in an episode of Seinfeld!
New York also is home to El Museo del Barrio on 5th Avenue in its 45th year of operation celebrating Puerto Rican arts and culture. As well the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the East Village since 1973.
ASPIRA was founded by Dr. Antonia Patoja in New York to help Puerto Rican youth graduate from high school. ASPIRA has now grown to have affiliates in several states and Puerto Rico. Boricua College and the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College are higher educational entities that promote the understanding of Puerto Rican heritage and the interests of Puerto Ricans in New York.
Read journalist Ed Morales' thoughts about El Barrio in the 21st Century.
Puerto Ricans have a significant historical presence in Philadelphia, although their numbers were relatively smaller compared to New York in the early 1900s. The Puerto Rican population began to grow substantially during the post-World War II migration of the 1940s, driven primarily by opportunities in the manufacturing sector.
The initial enclaves were established in the Spring Garden area, now known as Fairmount, along Wallace and Mount Vernon Streets between 21st and 16th streets. Additionally, Puerto Rican communities emerged in Northern Liberties, primarily along 5th Street. Both of these neighborhoods are located just north of Center City.
While remnants of the Puerto Rican community still exist in these areas, the majority of the population has since shifted to neighborhoods such as West Kensington, Fairhill, Norris Square, Feltonville, Olney, and Juniata. Along 5th Street, known as La Calle de Oro, many Latino businesses thrive, serving as vital cultural and economic hubs within these communities.
Philadelphians have been walking up to to the take-out window to order delicioso mofongo since the 1970's at Porky's Point, at the corner of 5th street and Rising Sun Avenue (see below.) Freddy and Tony's and El Bohio also serve amazing comida boricua.
Some notable Puerto Rican Philadelphians include:
The initial enclaves were established in the Spring Garden area, now known as Fairmount, along Wallace and Mount Vernon Streets between 21st and 16th streets. Additionally, Puerto Rican communities emerged in Northern Liberties, primarily along 5th Street. Both of these neighborhoods are located just north of Center City.
While remnants of the Puerto Rican community still exist in these areas, the majority of the population has since shifted to neighborhoods such as West Kensington, Fairhill, Norris Square, Feltonville, Olney, and Juniata. Along 5th Street, known as La Calle de Oro, many Latino businesses thrive, serving as vital cultural and economic hubs within these communities.
Philadelphians have been walking up to to the take-out window to order delicioso mofongo since the 1970's at Porky's Point, at the corner of 5th street and Rising Sun Avenue (see below.) Freddy and Tony's and El Bohio also serve amazing comida boricua.
Some notable Puerto Rican Philadelphians include:
- Quiara Alegria Hudes - author of In the Heights
- Eddie Alvarez - UFC fighter
- Angel Ortiz - longtime city councilman and father of actress Ana Ortiz
- Maria Quiñonez-Sanchez - former Councilwoman
- Pedro Rivera - Pennsylvania Secretary of Education
- Quetcy Lozada - Councilwoman
- Reggie Jackson - Hall of Fame baseball player (Cheltenham, PA)
The Mural Arts of Philadelphia offers a trolley tour of the amazing murals that reflect the culture of the local community. The Cultural Center, Taller Puertorriqueño, has been celebrating the arts of the Puerto Rican and Latino community since 1974. They offer a diverse range of services, including arts and music workshops, concerts, a bookstore, author book readings, and afterschool classes for youth. |
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Each year, on the last Saturday in September the Latino non-profit organization, Concilio, hosts the Puerto Rican Day parade which in recent years has included other Latino groups. The day after, cultural center Taller Puertorriqueño hosts the Feria del Barrio which is a day long celebration in the heart of the original Latino community of Philadelphia. During the summer Philadelphia hosts the Hispanic Fiesta (formerly the Puerto Rican Festival) next to the Delaware river at Penn's Landing.
This growing community has given rise to many bilingual schools such as: Pan American Charter School, Eugenio Maria de Hostos, Antonia Pantoja, Luis Muñoz Marín, Julia de Burgos, and Roberto Clemente.
This growing community has given rise to many bilingual schools such as: Pan American Charter School, Eugenio Maria de Hostos, Antonia Pantoja, Luis Muñoz Marín, Julia de Burgos, and Roberto Clemente.
From 1970 to 2018, "Puerto Rican Panorama," hosted by Diego Castellanos, aired on 6ABC. This weekend program highlighted events and influential leaders within the Latino community of the Greater Philadelphia area, which also included Camden, New Jersey. Diego, a beloved figure in the Puerto Rican community, left behind a nearly 50-year legacy of dedication before his passing in 2022.
Puerto Ricans started migrating from New York to Chicago in the 1930s, and as word spread, the migration from the island to Chicago began. While the original neighborhoods of Black Belt and Lincoln Park have undergone gentrification over the years, the Puerto Rican community has remained resilient and vibrant. In recent times, the Puerto Rican population in the Chicago area has shifted towards the suburbs, as well as neighborhoods like Logan Square and Hermosa.
Although Paseo Boricua in Humboldt Park may no longer be at the epicenter of the Puerto Rican population, it remains a symbol of cultural pride for Boricuas in Chicago. This area hosts numerous festivals throughout the year, including the Puerto Rican Festival and Parade in June. Nearby, La Palma is a Puerto Rican restaurant in Humboldt Park that was recommended by the New York Times in their "36 Hours in Chicago" article.
Although Paseo Boricua in Humboldt Park may no longer be at the epicenter of the Puerto Rican population, it remains a symbol of cultural pride for Boricuas in Chicago. This area hosts numerous festivals throughout the year, including the Puerto Rican Festival and Parade in June. Nearby, La Palma is a Puerto Rican restaurant in Humboldt Park that was recommended by the New York Times in their "36 Hours in Chicago" article.
Some notable Puerto Ricans from Chicago include:
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In 1973, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center was founded and helps the community in health, education and housing as well as various cultural initiatives. They host the Three Kings Winterfest annually.
In 2000, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture was founded. It is located in Humbolt Park.
Nothing Like the Holidays, a holiday film, with Chicago native Freddy Rodriguez, sheds a light on the Puerto Rican experience in the Windy City.
In 2000, the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture was founded. It is located in Humbolt Park.
Nothing Like the Holidays, a holiday film, with Chicago native Freddy Rodriguez, sheds a light on the Puerto Rican experience in the Windy City.
Florida has long been renowned for its Cuban culture, but it has also welcomed Puerto Ricans, known as Boricuas. While there has always been a presence of Nuyoricans—Puerto Ricans from New York—moving south to the Sunshine State, the Puerto Rican population in Florida has experienced significant growth since the turn of the 21st century.
By 2019, Florida had become home to the largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in the United States, outside of the island itself, with a population nearing 1.2 million. Osceola County, encompassing areas such as Kissimmee, Buena Ventura Lakes, and St. Cloud, boasts the highest number of Puerto Rican residents per 10,000 people. This county borders the city of Orlando, which also hosts a sizable Puerto Rican population.
By 2019, Florida had become home to the largest concentration of Puerto Ricans in the United States, outside of the island itself, with a population nearing 1.2 million. Osceola County, encompassing areas such as Kissimmee, Buena Ventura Lakes, and St. Cloud, boasts the highest number of Puerto Rican residents per 10,000 people. This county borders the city of Orlando, which also hosts a sizable Puerto Rican population.
Ranker lists the Top 10 cities with largest Puerto Rican populations.
“Child of the Americas” by Aurora Levins Morales I am a child of the Americas, a light-skinned mestiza of the Caribbean, a child of many diaspora, born into this continent at a crossroads. I am a U.S. Puerto Rican Jew, a product of the ghettos of a New York I have never known. An immigrant and the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants. I speak English with passion: it’s the tongue of my consciousness, a flashing knife blade of crystal, my tool, my craft. I am Caribeña, island grown. Spanish is in my flesh, Ripples from my tongue, lodge in my hips: the language of garlic and mangoes, the singing of poetry, the flying gestures of my hands. I am of Latinoamerica, rooted in the history of my continent: I speak from that body. I am not African. Africa is in me, but I cannot return. I am not Taína. Taíno is in me, but there is no way back. I am not European. Europe lives in me, but I have no home there. I am new. History made me. My first language was spanglish. I was born at the crossroads and I am whole. A familiar struggle. |
“This is your heritage,' he said, as if from this dance we could know about his own childhood, about the flavor and grit of tenement buildings in Spanish Harlem, and projects in Red Hook, and dance halls, and city parks, and about his own Paps, how he beat him, how he taught him to dance, as if we could hear Spanish in his movements, as if Puerto Rico was a man in a bathrobe, grabbing another beer from the fridge and raising it to drink, his head back, still dancing, still steeping and snapping perfectly in time.” ― Justin Torres, We the Animals