Puerto Rican migration to New York

Puerto Ricans have both immigrated and migrated to New York. The first group of Puerto Ricans moved to New York in the mid 19th Century when Puerto Rico was a Spanish Colony and its people Spanish subjects and therefore they were immigrants. The following wave of Puerto Ricans to move to New York did so after the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were no longer Spanish subjects, they were now Puerto Rican citizens of an American possession and needed passports to travel to the mainland of the United States. That was until 1917, when the United States Congress approved Jones-Shafroth Act which gave Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship and allowed them to travel without the need of a passport between the island and the United States mainland, thereby becoming migrants. However, the largest wave of migration came about in the 1950s in what became known as "The Great Migration" with the advent of air travel.

Early 19th Century

The earliest Puerto Rican enclave in New York City was in Manhattan. Most of the Puerto Ricans who moved there came from well-to-do families or were people whose economic situation could permit them the luxury of traveling from the island to New York by way of steamship, an expensive and long trip. Amongst the first Puerto Ricans to immigrate to New York were men and women who were exiled by the Spanish Crown for their political beliefs and struggles for the cause of Puerto Rican independence. By 1850, Puerto Rico and Cuba were the only two remaining Spanish colonies in the New World. The Spanish Crown would either imprison or banish any person who promoted the independence of these two nations. [http://palante.org/History.htm Palante History] ] Two of these exiles were Ramon Emeterio Betances and Segundo Ruiz Belvis who together founded "The Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico" in New York. They were the planners of the 1868 short and failed revolt against Spain in Puerto Rico known as El Grito de Lares. [Ojeda Reyes, Félix, "El Desterrado de París", pp. 94–104] Another prominent Puerto Rican who in 1871 immigrated to New York was Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, considered by many as the "Father of Black History". He too became a member of the "Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico" and was an outspoken promoter of not only the independence of Puerto Rico but of Cuba's also. [ [http://digilib.nypl.org/dynaweb/ead/scm/scmgaasp/@Generic__BookTextView/163;pt=163#X Schomburg (Arthur A.) Papers, 1724-1895 (1904-1938)] ] Two other Puerto Ricans who moved to New York because of political reasons were Juan Rius Rivera and Francisco Gonzalo Marín. These two Puerto Ricans joined the Cuban Liberation Army whose headquarters was in New York City. It is believed that it was Marín who in 1892 designed and presented the Puerto Rican Flag in New York's "Chimney Corner Hotel". [ [http://www.redbetances.com/ Francisco Marin] ] The political immigration to New York practically came to a halt in 1898 after the Spanish-American War when Puerto Rico became a possession of the United States. It is estimated that 1,800 Puerto Rican citizens (they were not American citizens until 1917) had immigrated to New York during this period. [http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/cuban3.html Immigration Puerto Rican/Cuban] ]

World War I Era

In 1902, the United States Treasury Department issued new immigration guidelines that changed the status of all Puerto Ricans to "foreigners." Isabel Gonzalez was a young single mother who was expecting her second child. Her fiance, who was in New York, sent for her with the intention of getting married. When Gonzalez arrived in New York, she and all the Puerto Ricans who were with her, were detained in Ellis Island and denied entry. She was accused of being an alien and as an unwed parent she was deemed as a burden to the welfare system of the country. Gonzalez challenged the Government of the United States in the groundbreaking case "GONZALES v. WILLIAMS' (her surname was misspelled by immigration officials). The Supreme Court ruled that under the immigration laws González was not an alien, and therefore could not be denied entry into New York. It also stated that Puerto Ricans were not U.S. citizens, they were "noncitizen nationals." Gonzalez, who became an activist on behave of all Puerto Ricans pathed the way for the Jones-Shafroth Act which conferred United States citizenship on all citizens of Puerto Rico. [ [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=192&invol=1 U.S. Supreme Court] ] In 1917, the United States entered World War I and that same year the United States Congress approved the Jones-Shafroth Act which gave Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship. Puerto Ricans no longer needed a passport to travel to the U.S. and were allowed to seek public office in the mainland U.S. [ [http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/1898/jonesact.html Jones Act - Library of Congress] ] The economic situation in the island was bad and continued to worsen as a result of the many hurricanes which destroyed most of its crops. Many Puerto Rican families migrated to the United States, the bulk of which went to New York, in search of a better way of life. [http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/cuban3.html Immigration Puerto Rican/Cuban] ] In New York, they faced the same hardships and discrimination that earlier groups of immigrants, such as the Irish, the Italians, and the Jews, had faced before them. It was difficult for them to find well paying jobs because of the language barrier and their lack of technical working skills. The few men who found jobs worked for low salaries in factories. The women usually stayed home as housewives and tended to their children. Those who did not find jobs had the option of joining the United States Military. [ [http://www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/memorial.html America's Defense] ] One of the most renowned military units at that time was New York's 369th Infantry. Rafael Hernandez was a renowned Puerto Rican who served in the almost all Afro-American unit. The unit fought against the Germans in France and became known as the "Harlem Hell Fighters". Puerto Ricans began to form their own small "Barrios", in the Bronx, Brooklyn and in East Harlem (which would become known as Spanish Harlem). [ [http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/Art/A&I/Harcpt.htm Harlem Hell Fighters] ]

It was in East Harlem where the Puerto Rican migrants established a cultural life of great vitality and sociality. As the economic situation in the United States worsened in a prelude to the Great Depression, many Puerto Ricans in the mainland found themselves competing with other groups for the positions of unskilled labor such as dishwashers, maintenance and laundry workers. This led to the "Harlem Riots" of July 1926. between unemployed Jews and Puerto Ricans. Various Puerto Rican organizations in East Harlem, organized a media campaign to ease the tensions between the groups involved and called upon the mayor, governor of the state to restore order and provide protection to the area. ["Leonard Covello and the Making of Benjamin Franklin High School"; By Michael C. Johanek, John L. Puckett; Page 66; Published 2007 Temple University Press; ISBN:1592135218] In 1937, Oscar Garcia Rivera, Sr. (1900-1969), a native of Mayaguez and resident of East Harlem, became the first Puerto Rican to be elected to public office in the continental United States as a member of the New York State Assembly. A witness of the discrimination which Puerto Ricans were subject to, he created the "Unemployment Insurance Bill" which pathed the way for the passage of bills which established minimum hours and wages for working people, the creation of a Wage Board within the Labor Department, and the right of employees to organize and negotiate grievances. In 1956, he also became the first Puerto Rican to be nominated as the Republican candidate for Justice of the City Court. [http://www.east-harlem.com/mt/archives/cat_people_news.html East Harlem News] ]

The Great Migration

Several factors contributed and led to what became known as the "The Great Migration" of Puerto Ricans to New York... These were the following: the Great Depression, World War II and the advent of air travel.The Great Depression which spread throughout the world was also felt in Puerto Rico. Since the island's economy was and still is dependent to that of the United States, it was to be expected that when the American banks and industries began to fail the effect would be felt in the island. Unemployment was on the rise as a consequence and therefore, many families fled to the mainland U.S.A. in search of jobs. [ [http://www.greatdepressionsbook.com Great Depressions of the Twentieth Century, edited by T. J. Kehoe and E. C. Prescott] ]

The outbreak of World War II, opened the doors to many of the migrants who were searching for jobs. Since a large portion of the male population of the U.S. was sent to war, there was a sudden need of manpower to fulfill the jobs left behind. Puerto Ricans, both male and female, found themselves employed in factories and ship docks, producing both domestic and warfare goods. The new migrants gained the knowledge and working skills which in the future would serve them well. The military also provided a steady source of income. [http://palante.org/History.htm Palante History] ]

The advent of air travel provided Puerto Ricans with an affordable and faster way of travel to New York. The one thing that all of the migrants had in common was that they wanted a better way of life than was available in Puerto Rico, and although each held personal reasons for migrating, their decision generally was rooted in the island's impoverished conditions as well as the public policies that sanctioned migration. [http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/cuban3.html Immigration Puerto Rican/Cuban] ]

It wasn't long before the Puerto Rican "Barrios" in the South Bronx, Spanish Harlem, Manhattan's Lower East Side and in Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue began to resemble "Little Puerto Rico's" with their "Bodegas" (small grocery stores) and "Piragueros" {Snow Cone venders) in every corner. Puerto Rican music flourished with the likes of Rafael Hernandez and Pedro Flores who formed the "Trio Borincano" and gained recognition in the city. Myrta Silva who later joined Hernandez's "Cuarteto Victoria" also gained fame as a singer after the group traveled and played throughout the United States. It is estimated that from 1946 to 1950 there were 31,000 Puerto Rican migrants in New York. [ [http://www.prpop.org/biografias/PR Popular Culture] ] [ [http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1536-7150.1968.tb03082.x American Journal of Economics and Sociology] ]

1950s

The third great wave of domestic migration from Puerto Rico came after World War II. Nearly 40,000 Puerto Ricans settled in New York City in 1946, and 58,500 in 1952–53. Many soldiers who returned after World War II made use of the GI Bill and went to college. Puerto Rican women confronted economic exploitation, discrimination, racism, and the insecurities inherent in the migration process on a daily basis, however they fared better than did men in the job market. The women left their homes for the factories in record numbers. [ [http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/women/html/wh_030800_puertoricanw.htm Puerto Rican Women] ] By 1953, Puerto Rican migration to New York reached its peak when 75,000 people left the island. [http://palante.org/History.htm Palante History] ]

Operation Bootstrap ("Operación Manos a la Obra") is the name given to the ambitious projects which industrialized Puerto Rico in the mid-20th century engineered by Teodoro Moscoso. The industry that was attracted did not provide sufficient jobs. With increased population growth and displacement from traditional labor pursuits, the growing population could not be accommodated. Much of the surplus labor migrated to the United States. In 1948, Puerto Ricans elected their first governor Luis Muñoz Marín, who together with his government initiated a series of social and economic reforms with the introduction of new programs in the island. Some of these programs met some resistance from the American government and therefore, the local government had some trouble implementing the same. [ [http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa031698.htm About.com - Puerto Rico] ] New York Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr. began a campaign to recruit Puerto Rican laborers in the island to work in the city's factories. Mayor Wagner figured that the city would benefit greatly by the luring of what was considered to be "cheap labor". [http://palante.org/History.htm Palante History] ]

Discrimination was rampant in The United States and it was no different in New York. As stated by Lolita Lebron, there were signs in restaurants which read "No dogs or Puerto Ricans allowed". The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party established an office in New York in the 1950s and attracted many migrants. Leaders of the party conceived a plan that would involve an attack on the Blair House with the intention of assassinating United States President Harry S. Truman and an attack on the House of Representatives. These events had a negative impact on the Puerto Rican migrants. Americans viewed Puerto Ricans as anti-Americans and the discrimination against them became even more widespread. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A48918-2004Feb17 A 2004 Washington Post article on Lolita's life] ] Many Puerto Ricans were able to overcome these obstacles and became respected members of their communities. Many such as Antonia Pantoja, established organizations such as "ASPIRA", that helped their fellow countrymen to reach their goals. However, it must also be mentioned that some migrants and their offspring became involved in gangs and were active in illegal activities such as drug dealing. [ [http://www.aspira.org/pantoja.htm ASPIRA=Our Founder Dr. Antonia Pantoja] ]

The first New York Puerto Rican Day Parade was held on Sunday, April 12 1958 in the "Barrio" in Manhattan. Its first President was Victor López and it was coordinated by José Caballero. The Grand Marshall was Oscar González Suarez, Esq. Prominent personalities from Puerto Rico headed by then Governor Luis Muñoz Marín, attended the initial parade. The parade was organized as a show of Puerto Rican pride and is a tradition which not only continues today in the city of New York but, that has also extended to other cities such as Chicago, Illinois and Orlando, Florida. [ [http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=1033870790&channel=992845440 Puerto Rican Day Parade] ]

By 1960, the United States census showed that there were well over 600,000 New Yorkers of Puerto Rican birth or parentage. Estimates were that more than one million Puerto Ricans had migrated during that period. [http://palante.org/History.htm Palante History] ]

Nuyorican Movement

Puerto Rican writer Jesus Colon founded an intellectual movement involving poets, writers, musicians and artists who are Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent and who live in or near New York City which became known as the Nuyorican Movement. The phenomenon of the "Nuyoricans" came about when many Puerto Ricans who migrated to New York City faced difficult situations and hardships, such as racial discrimination. Their love for Puerto Rico and their situation of being in a faraway land that did not accept them totally, led to the creation of the "Nuyorican" subculture. In 1980, Puerto Rican poets Miguel Algarin, Miguel Piñero and Pedro Pietri established the "Nuyorican Poets Café" on Manhattan's Lower East Side (236 E 3rd Street, between Avenues B and C) which is now considered a New York landmark. [ [http://www.ncteamericancollection.org/aaw_poetry_essay.htm The Poetry Heritage of Puerto Rico] ]

Late 20th Century

By 1964, the Puerto Rican community made up 9.3 percent of the total New York City's population. The Puerto Rican migrants who gained economic success began to move away from the "Barrios" and settled in Queens and Long Island or moved to other cities in other states. [ [http://avenuea.org/ev/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=51 east Village] ] A wave of new immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and South America moved into the Barrios which were once mainly occupied by the Puerto Ricans. Amongst the states with a large Puerto Rican presence are New Jersey, Florida, Illinois and California. The 1970s saw what became known as reverse-migration. Many Puerto Ricans returned to the island to buy homes and to invest in local businesses. Puerto Ricans have made many important contributions to New York and the society of the United States in general. They have contributed in the fields of entertainment, the arts, music, industry, science, politics and military. [ [http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2002/vol6n51/PRRebirthBarrio-en.html Puerto Rico Herald] ]

As of 1990, Puerto Rican-born New Yorkers numbered 143,974. Nearly 41,800 state residents in 1990 had lived in Puerto Rico in 1985. According to the Census taken in the year 2000, Puerto Rican migrants make up a 1.2% of the total population of the United States with a population of well over 3 million Puerto Ricans (including those of Puerto Rican descent). If taken into account together with the almost 4 million Puerto Ricans who are U.S. citizens (nevertheless, excluded by the U.S. Census statistics of U.S. population), Puerto Ricans make up about 2.5% of the total population of U.S. citizens around the world (inside and outside the U.S. mainland). [ [http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/pub/puerto.shtml Puerto Rican New Yorkers in 1991] ]

Famous Puerto Rican who migranted to New York

* Aida Alvarez - former Small Business Administrator
* Ivonne Belen - movie director
* Herman Badillo - first Puerto Rican to serve in Congress
* Julia de Burgos - poet
* Giannina Braschi - novelist and essayist
* Judge Jose A. Cabranes - U.S. Circuit Judge
* Marta Casals Istomin - musician
* Oscar Collazo - Puerto Rican Nationalist
* Jesus Colon - writer
* Miriam Colon - actress
* Rev. Nicky Cruz - minister
* Angelo Falcón - political scientist
* José Ferrer - actor
* Oscar Garcia Rivera, Sr. - first Puerto Rican to hold public office in the mainland USA.
* Maria Elena Holly - widow of "rock n roll" pioneer Buddy Holly
*Lolita Lebron - Puerto Rican Nationalist
* Olga A. Mendez - New York State Senator
* Rita Moreno - actress
* Joe Negroni - member of "The Teenagers"
* Carlos Ortiz - boxer
* Adam Clayton Powell IV - N.Y. State Assembly member
* Tito Puente - musician
* Herman Santiago - composer of "Why do Fools Fall in Love"
* Arturo Alfonso Schomburg - considered by many as the "Father of Black History".
* Nydia Velazquez - Congresswoman

References

ee also

*List of notable Puerto Ricans
*Puerto Ricans in the United States (Stateside Puerto Ricans)

External links

* [http://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/women/html/wh_030800_puertoricanw.htm Puerto Rican Women]
* [http://palante.org/History.htm History Puerto Rican migration]