The U.S. state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

is home to significant and growing numbers of people of Latino and

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

descent. who in 2018 represented a

Census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

- estimated 20.4% of the state's total population (nearly 1.8 million). New Jersey's Latino population comprises substantial concentrations of

Dominican American Dominican Americans ( es, domínico-americanos, ) are Americans who trace their ancestry to the Dominican Republic. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Dominican descent or to someone who has migrated to the United Stat ...

s, Puerto Rican Americans,

Cuban American Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cuban descent or ...

Mexican American Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...

Central American Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Cen ...

s, Peruvian Americans, Colombian Americans, and Ecuadorian Americans. New Jersey is also home to a large

Brazilian American Brazilian Americans ( pt, brasileiros americanos or ) are Americans who are of full or partial Brazilian ancestry. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates the Brazilian American population to be 1,775,000, the largest of any Brazili ...

and Portuguese-speaking population. The state has multiple municipalities with Hispanic-majority populations. Latinos and Hispanics form one-third of the population in the largest city, Newark settling in the Forest Hill,

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods which comprise mostly of

Puerto Ricans Puerto Ricans ( es, Puertorriqueños; or boricuas) are the people of Puerto Rico, the inhabitants, and citizens of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and their descendants. Overview The culture held in common by most Puerto Ricans is referred t ...

and Dominicans. The northern part of Hudson County has been nicknamed ''

Havana on the Hudson Havana on the Hudson is a nickname for the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The name is derived from the Cuban capital Havana and from northern Hudson County's geographic proximity to the Hudson River. During the latter ...

'' for the large number of Cuban exiles and émigrés living there. ''

Little Lima Little Lima is a Peruvian enclave in Downtown Paterson, New Jersey, United States, and the largest Peruvian enclave outside of South America, home to approximately 10,000 Peruvian immigrants, by U.S. Census Bureau estimates. New Jersey's Peruvia ...

'', in Paterson, is the largest Peruvian enclave outside of

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sou ...

. Many Latino and Hispanic people have been elected to public office in New Jersey, at both the state and local levels.

Places and populations

Municipalities with majority Hispanic populations are: as of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

Places with over 100,000 people

* Elizabeth (59.5%) * Paterson (57.6%), which includes ''

'' and '' La Ventiuno''

Places with between 25,000 and 100,000 people

North Bergen North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The township was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by ...

(68.4%) * Newark (33.83%) *

Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69, ...

(71.0%) *

Perth Amboy Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,436. Perth Amboy has a Hispanic majority population. In the 2010 census, th ...

(78.1%) * Union City (84.7%) *

West New York West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates ...

(78.1%)

Places with between 10,000 and 25,000 people

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maids ...

(69.4%) * Fairview (54.6%) * Guttenberg (64.8%)

Places with fewer than 10,000 people

* East Newark (61.4%) * Prospect Park (52.1%) *

Victory Gardens ''Victory Gardens'' (1991) is the debut album from John & Mary, recorded in 1990 just six months after the two met in December 1989 and immediately following their signing with Rykodisc. John Lombardo, former member of 10,000 Maniacs and respon ...

(63.0%)

Bar Chart of Race & Ethnicity in New Jersey (2015)

Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development is designed to empower the Hispanic community of New Jersey by administering

grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom * Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama * Grant, Inyo County, ...

dollars and providing other assistance to Hispanic community-based organizations, creating training and employment opportunities for Hispanic college interns, conducting and supporting research on New Jersey's Hispanic community, and ensuring Hispanic access to services and programs.

Public officeholders

There are officeholders of Latino background throughout the state.

Statewide

* Esther Salas, federal district judge for the

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (in case citations, D.N.J.) is a federal court in the Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the ...

* Faustino J. Fernandez-Vina, Associate Justice

New Jersey Supreme Court The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging th ...

* Roberto A. Rivera-Soto, Associate Justice

US Congress

Bob Menendez Robert Menendez (; born January 1, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2006. Gale (publisher), Gale Biography I ...

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

Albio Sires Albio B. Sires (; born January 26, 1951) is a Cuban-born American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for since 2006. The district, numbered as the from 2006 to 2013, includes most of northern and eastern Jers ...

, Member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

13th congressional district

State Legislators

* Marlene Caride (1963), 36th Legislative District. * Gabriela M. Mosquera, State Assemblywoman, 4th Legislative District *

Nilsa Cruz-Perez Nilsa Cruz-Perez (born January 21, 1961) is an American Democratic Party politician who was sworn into office to represent the 5th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate on December 15, 2014, to fill the vacant seat of Donald Norcross. Sh ...

, State Senator, 5th District * Annette Quijano, State Assemblywomen 20th Legislative District * Teresa Ruiz, State Senator, 29th Legislative District *

Eliana Pintor Marin Eliana Assyrian/Akkadian, אֱלִיעָנָה (Hebrew), Ηλιάνα ( Greek), إليانا (Arabic), is a female given name found with that spelling in Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Origin & meaning Many sources derive it from via H ...

, State Assemblywomen 29th Legislative District * Vincent Prieto, State Assemblyman 32nd legislative district, Speaker of Assembly * Angelica M. Jimenez, State Assemblywomen 32nd Legislative District * Ruben J. Ramos, State Assemblyman, 33rd legislative district * Caridad Rodriguez, State Assemblywoman 33rd Legislative District *

Nellie Pou Nelida "Nellie" Pou (born May 20, 1956; pronounced "Poe") is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey Senate since 2012, representing the 35th Legislative District. She previously represented the 35th district in ...

, State Senator, 35th Legislative District * Location map of Hudson County, New Jersey

Kristin Corrado Kristin M. Corrado (born June 24, 1965) is an American Republican Party politician who represents the 40th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate. She was sworn into office on October 5, 2017. Before her appointment to the New Jersey Se ...

, State Senator, 40th Legislative District

Hudson

* Eliu Rivera, Freeholder District 4 * Rudy Garcia, appointed mayor of Union City * Gabriel Rodriguez, Mayor of

Newark

The percentage of Latinos in Newark, the most populous city in New Jersey, grew considerably between 1980 and 2010, from 18.6% to 33.8%; that of blacks has slightly decreased from 58.2% to 52.4%. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 33.83% (93,746) or one-third of the population, of which 13% of the total population was Puerto Rican. While municipal elections have seen black-Latino coalitions, voting tends to remain racially polarized. * Luis A. Quintana Census Bureau map of Newark, New Jersey

* Teresa Ruiz

Passaic

* Hector Carlos Lora * Jose "Joey" Torres *Julio Tavarez, Councilmember representing 5th Ward in the City of

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Bernice Toledo
Passaic County Surrogate Court Judge and New Jersey State Superior Court Deputy Clerk. Elected in 2011. Re-elected in 2016.

Bergen

Carlos Rendo Carlos Rendo (born 1964) is an American attorney and Republican Party politician from New Jersey. He is the mayor of Woodcliff Lake and was the nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey in the 2017 gubernatorial election as the running mat ...

, Mayor of Woodcliff Lake * Anthony R. Suarez, served as Mayor of Ridgefield, New Jersey

Middlesex

Joseph Vas Joseph Vas (born January 18, 1955) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004 to 2010, where he represented the 19th Legislative District. He did not seek re-election to the assemb ...

Wilda Diaz Wilda Diaz (born Wilda Soto; September 14, 1964) was an American politician and former Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. She was elected in May 2008, defeating incumbent Joseph Vas by a 58% to 42% margin.Adarlo, Sharon (May 14, 2008)"Perth Amboy ...

Union

* Angel Estrada * Annette Quijano

South Jersey

Carmen G. Rodriguez
Camden County Freeholder

Sports and arts

Trio Corrente Paquito D'Rivera Horizonte 2015 4586

Juan Pablo Ángel Juan Pablo Ángel Arango (born 24 October 1975) is a Colombian former footballer who last played as a striker for Atlético Nacional in Categoría Primera A. He began his career at Nacional, whom he helped to win the championship in 1994, an ...

, professional soccer player for the

New York Red Bull The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...

(

Colombian-American Colombian Americans ( es, Colomboestadounidenses), are Americans who trace their ancestry to Colombia. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of full or partial Colombian descent or to someone who has immigrated to the United St ...

) *

Amado Guevara Amado Guevara (born 2 May 1976) is a Honduran former professional footballer and manager. He was the coach of Puerto Rico from 2018 to 2019. A former midfielder, he is the second all-time cap leader for the Honduras national team seconded by M ...

, professional soccer player (

Honduran American Honduran Americans ( es, link=no, honduro-americano, or ) are Americans who trace their roots to Honduras, Honduran Americans belong to one or more of the follow ethnic groups such as mestizo, white, Lenca, Ladino people, Miskito people, ...

) *Edward Fernandez, politician (

Dominican-American Dominican Americans ( es, domínico-americanos, ) are Americans who trace their ancestry to the Dominican Republic. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Dominican descent or to someone who has migrated to the United Stat ...

) * Carol-Lynn Parente, executive producer of

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

(

Puerto Rican-American Stateside Puerto Ricans ( es, link=no, Puertorriqueños de Estados Unidos), also ambiguously known as Puerto Rican Americans ( es, link=no, puertorriqueño-americanos,), or Puerto Ricans in the United States, are Puerto Ricans who are in the U ...

) * Franck de Las Mercedes, visual artist ( Nicaraguan American)Levine, Daniel Rome
"Triunfador Franck de Las Mercedes"
''

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast '' ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include morning news-talk show '' Good Morning America'', '' ...

'', August 16, 2007. Accessed August 18, 2008. * Tab Ramos, US national soccer team player (

Uruguayan American Uruguayan Americans ( es, uruguayo-americanos, or ) are Americans of Uruguayan ancestry or birth. The American Community Survey of 2006 estimated the Uruguayan American population to number 50,538, a figure that notably increased a decade later. ...

)Mifflin, Lawrie
"Doing a Star Turn for the Home Team, at Last"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', August 18, 1996. Accessed January 7, 2008. * Jorge Rojas, professional soccer player for the

(

Venezuelan American Venezuelan Americans ( es, link=no, venezolano-americanos or ) are Americans who trace their heritage, or part of their heritage, to the nation of Venezuela. The word may refer to someone born in the US of Venezuelan descent or to someone who h ...

) * Pedro Sosa, professional American football player (Dominican-American) * Paquito D'Rivera, nine-time

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

–winning

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

maestro and writer (Cuban-American)