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    U-M Alum Manny Martinez says it’s “breathtaking” to be a part of the Michigan Central Station transformation

    U-M Alum Manny Martinez says it’s “breathtaking” to be a part of the Michigan Central Station transformation

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    Gordie Howe International Bridge Starts New Construction Phase

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    A Folkloric Carpa

    [Re]Building the Barrio: Detroit Future Ops

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    rock painted with words in red “how many more”

    Another Tragic Incident of Gun Violence in Our State

    La Tercera Edad, “The Third Age,” is thriving at LA SED

    Bridging Neighborhoods Home Swap Program Renovates Home for 70th Delray Family

    Introducing the partnership with the Race and Justice reporting Initiative

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    Emerging Artist Roberto Patiño Jr. Talks Art Journey and Inspiration

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  • Home
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    • Introducing the partnership with the Race and Justice reporting Initiative
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    U-M Alum Manny Martinez says it’s “breathtaking” to be a part of the Michigan Central Station transformation

    U-M Alum Manny Martinez says it’s “breathtaking” to be a part of the Michigan Central Station transformation

    Eva Longoria Hosts ‘Searching For Mexico’ New Travel Food Show

    Eva Longoria Hosts ‘Searching For Mexico’ New Travel Food Show

    Understanding Your Local Air Quality

    Understanding Your Local Air Quality

    Introducing Latino Leaders for the Enhancement of Advocacy and Development (LLEAD)

    Latino Book Awards Celebrates 25 Years

    Latino Book Awards Celebrates 25 Years

    WSU Offers Free Tuition to Michigan Students with Family Incomes Under $70,000

    WSU Offers Free Tuition to Michigan Students with Family Incomes Under $70,000

    [Re]Building the Barrio: Detroit Future Ops

    [Re]Building the Barrio: Detroit Future Ops

    rock painted with words in red “how many more”

    Another Tragic Incident of Gun Violence in Our State

    La Tercera Edad, “The Third Age,” is thriving at LA SED

    Bridging Neighborhoods Home Swap Program Renovates Home for 70th Delray Family

  • Community
    $10 Million Microloan Fund for Women, Veterans and Entrepreneurs of Color Launched

    $10 Million Microloan Fund for Women, Veterans and Entrepreneurs of Color Launched

    Nonprofits encouraged to apply for $35M fund to help more Michiganders make ends meet

    $35M Relief Fund Application Goes Live to Assist Small Michigan Nonprofits

    U-M Alum Manny Martinez says it’s “breathtaking” to be a part of the Michigan Central Station transformation

    U-M Alum Manny Martinez says it’s “breathtaking” to be a part of the Michigan Central Station transformation

    District Detroit Deserves our Support

    District Detroit Deserves our Support

    Introducing Latino Leaders for the Enhancement of Advocacy and Development (LLEAD)

    Finding Peace: An Interview with Author Nedra Glover Tawwab

    Finding Peace: An Interview with Author Nedra Glover Tawwab

    City of Detroit Launches Application Process for $25M Sidewalk Replacement Program

    City of Detroit Launches Application Process for $25M Sidewalk Replacement Program

    Cinco de Mayo 2023: 10 Parade & Fiesta Questions in 10 Minutes

    Artists Talking: Michael Menchaca and Vito Valdez Interview

    Artists Talking: Michael Menchaca and Vito Valdez Interview

  • Featured
    U-M Alum Manny Martinez says it’s “breathtaking” to be a part of the Michigan Central Station transformation

    U-M Alum Manny Martinez says it’s “breathtaking” to be a part of the Michigan Central Station transformation

    Gordie Howe International Bridge Starts New Construction Phase

    Gordie Howe International Bridge Starts New Construction Phase

    A Folkloric Carpa

    A Folkloric Carpa

    [Re]Building the Barrio: Detroit Future Ops

    [Re]Building the Barrio: Detroit Future Ops

    rock painted with words in red “how many more”

    Another Tragic Incident of Gun Violence in Our State

    La Tercera Edad, “The Third Age,” is thriving at LA SED

    Bridging Neighborhoods Home Swap Program Renovates Home for 70th Delray Family

    Introducing the partnership with the Race and Justice reporting Initiative

    Get Well Thoughts and Prayers for Jesse

    Detroit Grand Prix Unveils Indy Car Detroit Art Installation

    Emerging Artist Roberto Patiño Jr. Talks Art Journey and Inspiration

    Emerging Artist Roberto Patiño Jr. Talks Art Journey and Inspiration

  • Culture & Arts
    Detroit Urban League Bestows Posthumous Award to Monica L Martinez

    Detroit Urban League Bestows Posthumous Award to Monica L Martinez

    Eva Longoria Hosts ‘Searching For Mexico’ New Travel Food Show

    Eva Longoria Hosts ‘Searching For Mexico’ New Travel Food Show

    Cinco de Mayo 2023: 10 Parade & Fiesta Questions in 10 Minutes

    Latino Book Awards Celebrates 25 Years

    Latino Book Awards Celebrates 25 Years

    Day of Fashion in Detroit Flyer

    Detroit Day of Fashion to Feature Southwest Detroit Designer

    Martín Solís, Leyenda de la Música Tejana recibirá la primera Placa de Reconocimiento Histórico en Mexicantown

    Martín Solís, Leyenda de la Música Tejana recibirá la primera Placa de Reconocimiento Histórico en Mexicantown

    The Artist is Human: A. I. Won’t Break My Soul, Artist Lecture by Michael Menchaca, at the DIA

    The Artist is Human: A. I. Won’t Break My Soul, Artist Lecture by Michael Menchaca, at the DIA

    Cheech Marin: Perspectives of an Art Advocate, Coming to Ann Arbor

    Cheech Marin: Perspectives of an Art Advocate, Coming to Ann Arbor

    City of Detroit to commission 200 murals in neighborhoods across the city in quest to become America’s top street art city

    City of Detroit to commission 200 murals in neighborhoods across the city in quest to become America’s top street art city

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The First Puerto Rican Community in Detroit (1918)

EL CENTRAL by EL CENTRAL
September 8, 2022
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By Ozzie Rivera
Reprinted from EL CENTRAL Hispanic News, January 30, 2020

Soon after Puerto Ricans (Boricuas-Puerto Rico’s original indigenous term) were made U.S. citizens through the Jones Act of 1917, which coincided with the U.S.’ entry into World War I, Puerto Ricans were recruited to work in significant numbers in the shipyards of New Orleans. Within a year, close to 100 Afro-Boricuas single males had settled on the near east side near Woodward, on the western edge of what would become known as the African American community of Black Bottom.

In 1971, I was a freshman at Wayne State University in the newly established Latino En Marcha program, a collaborative effort between the University (WSU), LA SED and New Detroit. The program would later be renamed Chicano-Boricua Studies and is now known as WSU’s Center for Latino and Latin American Studies. During our second semester, students were assigned the task of conducting community projects. Three of the close to forty students, Miqueas Bermudez, Rosa Del Valle and I were Puerto Rican and we decided to conduct a research project on the Puerto Rican population in Detroit.

What I did not realize at that moment was that much of the information gained through our humble efforts would fill in a missing part of our history in Detroit. In some real ways, this project changed my life as it unleashed in me a strong appreciation for and interest in the power of oral history.

My father, “Tite” Rivera-Malave, upon hearing of our project told me there were some elders from our hometown area on the island, Juana Diaz and Ponce, who had arrived in Detroit early on in the 1900’s and had settled in the historic Black Bottom area. One cold snowy day in January 1972 he, along with my uncle Ismael Rivera and a friend Manuel Rivera who was also from our home town Juana Diaz, took me over to the near east side to meet a number of elders.

My conversation with Juan Santos who at that time was 75 years old, Carlos Rivera and Eugene Rivera aged 74 yrs. was significant in reframing my understanding of the Puerto Rican presence here in Detroit. Born just before Puerto Rico was taken by the U.S. they witnessed the transition from being a Spanish colony to American control. In 1917 when the U.S. entered World War I they were part of a group of hundreds if not thousands of Puerto Ricans who either went to war and saw action in Europe, many as part of the famed black American battalion the Harlem Hellfighters and the all Puerto Rican 365 Infantry, affectionately known as the Borinqueeners. Many others were sent to build ships in New Orleans. After the war’s end, many returned to the island but a significant number remained on the mainland.

In the interview the three recounted how they and many others in this wave of Boricuas ended up in Detroit after first traveling through Louisiana, slowly moving up through other southern states before arriving here. Without exception, they reflected their

disgust and shock at the Jim Crow laws and practices they encountered in the south. Some of them first went to New York, which was becoming a growing destination for the islanders. But a number of them felt alienated in the big city environment and eventually decided on Detroit because of its booming job market. Juan Santos arrived in 1918, and found about 100 Puerto Ricans already settled here. Eugene and Carlos arrived within a couple of years after that. Another wave of migrants joined them during the period of 1927-28 fleeing the aftermath of a major hurricane that rocked Puerto Rico. This older Boricua community set up a social club that met into the early 1960’s.

Though some of this original community returned to the island for a period of time, a number returned back to Detroit by the 40’s permanently settling in Black Bottom and marrying into the African American community.

A separate group of islanders settled in the Most Holy Trinity and Ste Anne’s barrios in the late 40’s and 50’s attracted to those areas because of the large Spanish Speaking Mexican American community. Meanwhile the older established community was slowly being decimated through the passing of some, the acculturation into the African American community and very significantly by the construction of I-375 and subsequent destruction of Black Bottom.

As a young community activist, I remember running into “Riveras”, “Rodriguezes” “Gonzalezes” etc. in other parts of the city, who had grown up culturally African American but upon further discussion shared that their fathers or grandfathers were part of this first Boricua community.

Almost two decades later, during the 90’s, I was contacted by Darcy Coles, a Puerto Rican/African American historian who at that time was based in California and writing a manuscript on Puerto Ricans outside of the New York/east coast corridor. He happened to run across an article the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Hispanic Ministry had written on my research. We shared information for almost a decade and soon found out to my surprise the New Orleans connection would become a goldmine. Darcy found out that other Boricuas in the hundreds had fanned out from New Orleans throughout other parts of the country right after end of World War I in a chapter of our history that had not been told.

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