State of Affairs

The arrival of the Latino group to America was in the period around the 1820s, especially towards the 1890s. According to 1890 census, in New York, there were 218 Mexicans, 1,421 Spaniards, 907 persons from Central and South America, and 3,448 from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and parts of the Caribbean (Haslip-Vierra and Baver, 4). According to Professor Haslip-Vierra and Professor Baver, Latino immigration happened in four noticeable phases.

Phase I (1820 -1900)
These immigrants were well educated and had professional credentials. Most were merchants but following the 1860s, some became owners of factories, restaurants, grocery stores and other trades. Among the arrivals were political exiles that included alienated
labor leaders, writers, poets, artists, teachers, and intellectuals that made New York a political arena during the 1900s with support for Cuban and Puerto Rican Independence. To name a few, Jose Marti and Thomas Estrada Palma of Cuba, Antonio Maceo and Maximo Gomez of the Dominican Republic, and Dr. Julio Henna of Puerto Rico resided in New York in this period. At this point, the dominant groups included Cubans, Puerto Ricans and Spaniards.

Struggles
According to Bernado Vega, there was not much housing discrimination against Latinos in New York except for the darker-skinned persons who had to reside near African American neighborhoods. Arturo Alfonso Schomburg of Puerto Rico, who received acclaim as a Black bibliophile, settled in an African American neighborhood called San Juan Hill, which was located West of Amsterdam Avenue, between 60th and 70th Street (Haslip-Vierra and Baver, 4). Most Latin Americans concentrated at East Harlem, hence the name El Barrio.

Phase II (1900-1945)
Economic failure, sharp unemployment, and tyrannical forces spurred immigration from Latin America, specifically Cuba and Puerto Rico, during this period. Among the hardest hit were the Puerto Ricans, most of whom worked in the tobacco and coffee industries, which were very important for the nations economy and were losing importance. Migration from the rural areas to the city created even greater tensions. But when the Great Depression hit, the nation's economy caved in and recovery took several years.

Struggles
Compared to their predecessors, most of the Latin American immigrants were semiskilled and found work in manufacturing. They were also not as well off. According to a 1925 estimate for Spanish Harlem, 62 percent of all Latinos were employed in the industrial sector, 18 percent in services, 16 percent in commerce and 4 percent held ownership positions (Haslip-Vierra and Baver, 10). Housing was still poor in quality and with overcrowding and expensive maintenance, the residential buildings were left to rot.

Despite this, Latinos managed normal lives, were very religious and organized their own clubs and institutions. However, most did not intend to stay in New York and wanted to return to their homeland at some point (Haslip-Vierra and Baver, 12).

Phase III (1945- 1965)
This phase was marked by a humongous influx of Puerto Rican immigrants. Despite the U.S. aid in helping the Puerto Rican government to reduce unemployment, overpopulation reinforced unemployment. Immigration to New York was such that the population of Puerto Ricans rose from 61,463 people in 1940 to 612, 574 in 1960 and 811,843 in 1970 (Haslip-Vierra and Baver, 13). By the 1950s, El Barrio had expanded from Park Avenue to the East River

Struggles
Latin Americans arriving during this period, specifically Puerto Ricans, worked labor intensive jobs in manufacturing and service areas. Other Latino American groups were relatively better educated and skilled.

According to Professor Haslip-Vierra and Professor Baver, housing was somewhat improved with the availability of roomy multiple-family dwellings, row houses, brownstones and larger apartment buildings that were intended for the middle class.

Phase IV (1965- Present)
The first group of individuals to settle in New York in this period were the Cubans, who fled during Castro's Revolution. Dominicans were not able to come in significant numbers until the 1960s with the relaxation of immigration laws of the Trujillo era (Haslip-Vierra and Baver, 18). The arrival of Colombians, Peruvians, Ecuadorians, Salvadorians and other areas caused the Latino population in New York city to jump 135.5 percent.

Struggles
Immigrants from this era were more educated and skilled than those that came during the previous phase. These had professional and entrepreneur backgrounds.

Politics
Latin American people held strong ties to the motherland and like the Irish, were politically inclined. For instance, when the East Harlem neighborhood was left to disintegrate, a famous political group called the Youth Lords defied New York authorities and took matters into their own hands, attempted improvement of the neighborhood.

For a personal account from a Youth lord, click here

The influx of Latinos have slowed over the years and recently, Mexicans make up the bulk of newcomers, accounting for 13 percent of the Latino population according to a census taken in year 2000 (Foner, 276). According to Professor Nancy Foner, the first Mexicans to arrive in New York was from the Yucatan in 1920; however, immigration from that area died out. It wasn't until the July 6, 1943, when Don Pedro and his brother came to New York from the Mixteca region, that large numbers of Mexicans began arriving into the city.

For a personal account of a Mexicans in New York City, click here

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