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Copyright - The Bronx County Historical Society - 2011

A History of The

Bronx Latino

Mexico Puerto Rico Panama Dominican Republic

El Salvador Honduras Ecuador Guatemala

Costa Rica Peru Cuba Bolivia

Three generations of Bronx Hernandez men: Nicholas Sr., Nicholas Jr., and John; 1968.

United States of America The Bronx, New York

The Bronx County Historical Society 3309 Bainbridge Avenue Bronx, New York 10467

(718) 881-8900 fax (718) 881-4827 www.bronxhistoricalsociety.org

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Utilizing the photographic and research collections of The Bronx County Historical Society, this exhibition has been developed and written by Angel Hernandez, Education Coordinator, and implemented by Kathleen A.

McAuley, Curator.

Copyright - The Bronx County Historical Society Collections - 2011

The Bronx has been home to people of many non-Native American backgrounds, races, and ethnicities since 1639, when Jonas Bronck’s ship anchored off what is now 132nd Street, just east of Lincoln Avenue. On his farm, there were people from Germany, Denmark, and even Jonas himself was a Swede, who sailed under the auspices of the Dutch West India Company. Since then, the borough’s history has been enriched by many cultures, including Latino. The Latino Bronx community only grew in large numbers since the second half of the 20th century. There were certainly a number of Bronx Latinos living in the 19th century, but nothing compared to the enormous population The Bronx has today. These early Bronx Latinos came from different parts of Latin America where political strife was at an all time high and revolution seem to linger in the air.

By 1855, The Bronx was primarily farmland. Wealthy families owned vast estates. Augustus Zerega di Zerega, raised in Venezuela, lived where Ferry Point Park is today. Although Zerega descended from Italy, by way of Martinique, he was raised by his Venezuelan stepmother and later become a close friend to Simon Bolivar, the great liberator of Latin America. However, when the effects of revolution began to affect Zerega’s assets, he moved to New York City in the 1830s and later, in 1854, to the Throg’s Neck section of The Bronx.

After the Civil War, Hunts Point was also home to those who benefited from New York City’s thriving exporting and importing business. Innocencio Casanova, a wealthy Cuban importer and staunch supporter of Cuban independence during the Spanish-American War, reputedly used his mansion, Castello de Casanova, to store weapons for those fighting the Spanish in Cuba. Rebels were said to navigate up Leggett’s Creek to retrieve rifles and gunpowder, smuggling it all onto ships docked in the East River. Today, the only reminder of this time is Casanova Street in Hunts Point.

In the mid-1850s, many colonies in Latin America had already formed their own individual republics. With independence, a number of wealthy Latinos sent their children to America to be educated. The Ursuline Academy for girls, once located on the northeast corner of Westchester and Cauldwell avenues, was one such school where many young Latinas from countries such as Mexico and Cuba came to earn their education. Today, the site is part of the St. Mary’s Park housing project.

Another school in The Bronx was St. John’s College, now known as Fordham

University. At the same time young Latinas were attending the Ursuline Academy,

young men from republics south of the Rio Grande River attended the Jesuit school.

Several died while studying in the United States; their bodies were buried in the

school’s small, historic cemetery.


With the Spanish-American War in 1898, there was support for Puerto Rico and interest in Latino affairs. Archer Milton Huntington [of Throgs Neck] founded The Hispanic Society of America in 1904. With protectorate and citizen status, Puerto Ricans started to populate large U.S. cities after World War I. New York City was a major stop because of its thriving commercial harbor and factories. Cubans also started making their way into the United States, but because of its proximity to Cuba and other reasons, Cubans found Florida more of a home. Parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan, like El Barrio, became home to Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans began to assimilate into New York life by familiarizing themselves with the city’s transportation system, and soon ventured out of El Barrio and into The Bronx. It was not until World War II that large numbers of Puerto Ricans arrived. Mott Haven in the South Bronx was one of the first areas populated. For every tenement apartment that was being vacated by those climbing the socio-economic ladder, a Puerto Rican family would soon occupy it. The Art Steel factory, in Mott Haven, was one of the first to hire the newly-arrived Latinos. Some Puerto Ricans went into business for themselves. One of the first Puerto Rican-owned Bronx businesses in the 1940s was the Mayaguez Shoe Store on Brook Avenue, south of East 138th Street (right).

As more Puerto Ricans arrived, shops and restaurants began to cater to their needs. These included the neighborhood bodegas and local Spanish-American establishments. Even today, such businesses are important for those coming and going to their Caribbean, South and Central America destinations.

Above, from left:

This Spanish-American restaurant at Prospect Avenue and East 151st Street advertises an event at the Tropicana Club in May 1951, featuring Machito and his Orchestra.

The Carniceria, or local butcher shop, was a neighborhood fixture. This shop was located in 1954 on Westchester Avenue, near Jackson Avenue. As the Mott Haven area began to get crowded, Puerto Ricans ventured into East Morrisania and Hunts Point.

This 1949 photo, at East 163rd Street and Intervale Avenue, shows a common sight in a Latino community - a travel agency.


For the younger generations, Puerto Ricans began to carve out their place in the public school system. Large high schools, such as Morris High School, had a high number of Latinos at this time. This 1951 photograph shows Puerto Rican students who participated in an event at Morris High School. The school’s cheerleading squad, mostly Latina, poses in 1953, the year New York City saw it’s largest influx of Puerto Ricans, since the first wave of migration back in the early half of the century.

Baseball became a favorite pastime for Bronx Latinos. The New York Yankees and their Stadium have been a part of Bronx life since 1923. Many of their finest players, until this day, have come from Latin America. From left: Panama-born Hector Lopez was the first Latino to play for the Yankees. Lopez was an accomplished player, as both an infielder and outfielder on five consecutive pennant teams and two World Series championship teams during the 1960s. Cuban-born Pedro Ramos played for the Yankees from 1964 to 1966. Ramos pitched for the Yankees for two seasons, in which he accumulated a total of 32 saves. He later became an All-Star with the Washington Senators. Pedro Gonzales of the Dominican Republic played for the Yankees from 1963 to 1966 as second baseman and outfielder. He played three seasons until he was traded to Cleveland in 1965. Bobby Bonilla grew up in a Bronx Puerto Rican family, but rooted for the New York Mets. As a youngster, he dreamed of becoming a baseball star and playing for his favorite team. In this case, dreams do come true. The Mets acquired him for his home run hitting abilities, but he was later traded. Although a major league star, he has never forgotten his Bronx origins, and returns home often to work with youngsters.

With the increase in the Bronx Latino population came greater political activism and governmental participation. Upper left: Herman Badillo (center) was elected Bronx Borough President in 1964, making him the first of Puerto Rican descent. Later, he also became the first Congressman of Puerto Rican origin in the history of our nation. Bottom left: Another Latino trailblazer in Bronx politics was New York State Assemblyman Roberto Ramirez (right), the first Latino to become the Democratic County Leader in New York State. To his right is then-Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer.


Young Latinos continued to have aspirations throughout the tough years in The Bronx. Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College is an important institution in the story of Puerto Ricans and Latinos in New York City - created in 1968 by Latino leaders who urged the establishment of a college to meet the educational needs of the South Bronx. Hostos is not only an educational institution, but also a crown jewel in promoting Latino culture, arts, and entertainment.

Starting in the 1940s, and 1950s, the Puerto Rican Theatre (right) on East 138th Street, became a center of Bronx Latin American culture, with live performances by Tito Rodriguez and his Marimba Band, the Mexican comedian, Cantinflas and the Argentinian singer, Libertad la Marque. Even Jose Feliciano got his first break at the theatre in 1954 at the age of nine. As Latino culture in the performing arts became more commonplace, certain theater companies were created to offer programs and opportunities. The Pregones Theater (right) began in the South Bronx in 1979. It presented plays in both Spanish and English, and became a showcase for young talent and playwrights. In the 1960s, The Bronx became a hotbed of Salsa music. More places opened for bands to play the new sounds. Bronx-born Willie Colon (right) is an excellent trombone player who has played with, and produced songs for Salsa music’s greatest artists. Pete El Conde Rodriguez (right) was a percussionist who started playing bongos at the age of five. After working with local groups in Ponce, Puerto Rico, he moved to The Bronx during the 1950s. While singing and playing the congas in a Bronx bar, he was spotted by legendary bandleader, Johnny Pacheco. His first album, Suavito, was released in 1963.

With the introduction of Hip Hop, young Bronx Latinos took part in the new musical culture with break-dancing, rapping, and graffiti. Although Hip Hop was originally introduced by Bronx African Americans, Latinos embraced the genre as well. A Bronx Latino shows some moves during a 1985 Bronx Festival & Reunion held in Beverly Hills, California.


Bronx County, New York* 2006-08 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates Total Population 1,382,793 Not Hispanic or Latino 673,467 Hispanic or Latino 709,326 Puerto Rican 319,427

Dominican 224,542 Mexican 66,804 Ecuadorian 24,132 Honduran 18,763 Cuban 8,021

*Source- http://factfinder.census.gov

In the 1980s, immigrants began arriving from the South American continent - from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, and Argentina. From Central America came Panamanians, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans, to The Bronx, as well a large migration of Hondurans who congregated in the Tremont community.

From the Spanish-speaking West Indian islands, the largest and fastest growing group in The Bronx came from the Dominican Republic. They first found living quarters in the western edges of The South and Central Bronx, and became neighbors to fellow Spanish-speaking Puerto Ricans. Dominicans have lived in New York City since the late 1930s, but especially after the 1960s, Dominicans started coming to the U.S. in large numbers. Dominicans are the second largest Latino group in The Bronx today.

By the end of the 1990s, the largest growing ethnic group was the Mexicans, replacing many Puerto Ricans in Mott Haven, and spreading out to Belmont, Bedford Park, Norwood, and other neighborhoods. Although Mexicans have lived in the southwestern part of the nation for hundreds of years, the 1980s brought many of them across the country to settle in places like The Bronx. Just like all other previous ethnic groups who arrived in The Bronx, Mexicans came to this borough for job opportunities and prosperity. Today, Mexicans make up almost a quarter of the workforce in The Bronx. Those who came in earlier times have established their own businesses, like this Mexican bodega on Bainbridge Avenue, south of East 210th Street. Establishments like this are very important when catering to Latino groups whose numbers continue to grow year by year.

2007 Hispanic Owned Businesses in the U.S.* Hidalgo, Texas 68.7% El Paso, Texas 61.4% Miami-Dade, Florida 60.5% The Bronx, New York 37.6% Bexar, Texas 37.3% *http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/economic_census/cb10-107.html


Just a few Bronx Latinos who have achieved national, and international fame: 1. Aventura is a former Bronx music group formed in 1994 by Anthony Santos, Henry Santos, Lenny Santos, and Max Santos; Bronx natives, with hopes of fusing traditional bachata music with modern popular sounds like Hip Hop and R&B. 2. Christopher Rios, Big Pun, was a Puerto Rican rapper who emerged from the underground Bronx rap scene of the late 1990s. 3. Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice. 4. Jennifer Lopez, J. Lo, raised in Castle Hill, is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, fashion designer, and television producer. 5. Nicholasa Mohr is one of the best known Nuyorican writers. Her works tell of growing up in the Puerto Rican communities of The Bronx and Manhattan’s El Barrio. 6. Anthony D. Romero is the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union. 7. Luis A. Gonzalez, serves as Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for the First Judicial Department. 8. Bobby Sanabria was born and raised in the South Bronx. Inspired and encouraged by maestro Tito Puente, Sanabria later become a leader in the Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and jazz fields as both a drummer and percussionist, and is recognized as one of the most articulate musician-scholars of la tradición living today. 9. Judy Reyes is an American actress of Dominican heritage. She is best known for her portrayal of nurse Carla Espinosa on the TV comedy Scrubs. 10. Lenny Caro, President and CEO of The Bronx Chamber of Commerce. Caro and the Chamber promote the growth of businesses and job opportunities in The Bronx. 11. Pete Rodriguez was the leader and pianist of a Puerto Rican Boogaloo band sometimes known as Pete Rodriuez y Su Conjunto. The band's most successful song was "I Like It Like That.” 12. George Perez is an American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including “Teen Titan,” and “Wonder Woman.”

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TTThhheee BBBrrrooonnnxxx LLLaaattt iiinnnooo HHHiii sss tttooorrryyy PPPrrrooojjjeeeccc ttt Be A Part of History

Latinos are among the largest and fastest-growing ethnic groups in the borough since the mid-20th century. According to a 2006-2008 U.S. census survey, of the nation’s counties with a population of 500,000, The Bronx comes in fourth as a county whose businesses are owned predominantly by Latinos. Although this statistic defines the Latino population in The Bronx today, there is a wealth of historical information on early Bronx Latinos yet to be collected.

In an effort to address and highlight Latinos who lived in, or contributed to, The Bronx throughout its history, The Bronx County Historical Society is in the process of collecting historical information from the borough’s Latino community. Because Latinos have made their presence known in The Bronx since the 19th century, research will offer a glimpse of early Bronx life for Latinos who have migrated from various parts of Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Historical data is available throughout the Latino community in The Bronx. Whether it is a business owner, community activist, or family and friends, there are plenty of resources to tap into that reflect The Bronx’s current Latino population’s diversity. The Bronx is now home to Latinos who hail from almost every country in Latin America, and that population continues to increase. With participation by the Latino community, this project will present The Bronx as the Latino center of the nation’s northeast region. For more information about this project, to share your heritage, or provide financial support, please contact The Society’s education department at (718) 881-8900 or by email,

[email protected].

Lecuona Cuban Boys performing at the Puerto Rico Theatre, May 1949. The Bronx County Historical Society Collections

Riviera Clothes baseball team at Crotona Park in 1956. The Bronx County Historical Society Collections.

Central American cuisine being served at the Pan Am Festival at Harris Park, 1989. The Bronx County Historical Society Collections

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