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Nuyorican is a portmanteau of the terms "New York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Ricans located in or around New York City, or of their descendants (especially those raised or currently living in the New York metropolitan area). This term is sometimes used for Puerto Ricans living in other areas in the Northeastern US Mainland outside New York State as well. The term is also used by Islander Puerto Ricans (Puerto Ricans from Puerto Rico) to differentiate those of Puerto Rican descent from the Puerto Rico-born. The term ''Nuyorican'' is also sometimes used to refer to the Spanish spoken by New York Puerto Ricans. An estimated 1,800,000 Nuyoricans are said to live in New York City, the largest Puerto Rican community outside Puerto Rico. Nuyoricans are not considered Puerto Ricans by some island Puerto Ricans due to cultural differences, which remains a point of controversy among both groups of Puerto Ricans. Nuyorican has a broad meaning; originally it meant Puerto Ricans, both island-born and mainland-born, living in New York, but many island-born Puerto Ricans use the term to describe assimilated Americans of Puerto Rican descent, living in any US state, or very assimilated or "Afro-Americanized" people of Puerto Rican ancestry, who largely lost touch with traditional Puerto Rican culture, and grew up culturally Afro-American, though still identify with Puerto Rico.
Ethnic enclaves In sociology, an ethnic enclave is a geographic area with high ethnic concentration, characteristic cultural identity, and economic activity. The term is usually used to refer to either a residential area or a workspace with a high concentration ...
centered on Puerto Ricans include Spanish Harlem, Manhattan;
Williamsburg Williamsburg may refer to: Places *Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum and private foundation in Virginia *Williamsburg, Brooklyn, neighborhood in New York City *Williamsburg, former name of Kernville (former town), California *Williams ...
, Brooklyn;
Bushwick Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens, to the northeast; Williamsburg to the northwest; East New York and the cemeteries of Highland Par ...
, Brooklyn; and the
South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Bronx, Concourse, Mott Haven, Bronx, Mott Haven, Melrose, B ...
. Although Florida has received some dispersal of the population, there has been a resurgence in Puerto Rican migration to New York and New Jersey, primarily for economic and cultural considerations, topped by another surge of arrivals after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017 – consequently, the New York City metropolitan area has witnessed a significant increase in its Nuyorican population, individuals in the region of Puerto Rican descent, increasing from 1,177,430 in 2010 to a Census-estimated 1,494,670 in 2016, maintaining New York's status by a significant margin as the most important cultural and demographic center for Puerto Ricans outside
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
.


Etymology

The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' cites this word as evolving slowly through roughly the last third of the 20th century, with the first cited reference being poet Jaime Carrero using ''neorriqueño'' in 1964 as a
Spanish-language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a world language, global language with more than 500 millio ...
adjective combining ''neoyorquino'' and ''puertorriqueño''. Many other variants developed along the way, including ''neoricano'', ''neorican'' (also written as ''Neo-Rican'' and ''Neorican''), and ''newyorican'' (also written as ''New Yorrican''). ''Nuyorican'' itself dates at least from 1975, the date of the first public sessions of the Nuyorican Poets Café. Some of the best known "Nuyoricans" who have written and performed their experiences of being a Puerto Rican in New York are:
Miguel Piñero Miguel Piñero (December 19, 1946 – June 16, 1988) was a playwright, actor and co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café. He was a leading member of the Nuyorican literary movement. Early years Piñero was born on December 19, 1946, in Gura ...
, Miguel Algarín,
Piri Thomas Piri Thomas (born Juan Pedro Tomas; September 30, 1928 – October 17, 2011) was a Puerto Rican-Cuban writer and poet whose memoir ''Down These Mean Streets'' became a best-seller. Early years Thomas was born to a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban ...
,
Sandra María Esteves Sandra María Esteves (born May 10, 1948) is a Latina poet and graphic artist. She was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, and is one of the founders of the Nuyorican poetry movement. She has published collections of poetry and has conduc ...
, Willie Colón, Pedro Pietri, and Giannina Braschi. Some of the newer poets include Willie Perdomo, Flaco Navaja,
Nancy Mercado Nancy Mercado Ph.D. (Born December 1959) is an American writer, editor, educator and activist; her work focuses on issues of injustice, the environment, and the Puerto Rican and Latino experience in the United States. She forms part of the Nuyo ...
,
Emanuel Xavier Emanuel Xavier (born May 3, 1970), is an American poet, spoken word artist, author, editor, and LGBTQ activist born and raised in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn. Associated with the East Village, Manhattan arts scene in New York City, he emerged f ...
, Edwin Torres, J.L. Torres,
Caridad de la Luz Caridad de la Luz (born January 21, 1977), a.k.a. "La Bruja" (''The "Good" Witch''), is a Nuyorican (a New York-born Puerto Rican) poet, playwright, actor, actress and activist. She is considered one of the leading spoken word poets in the world. ...
aka La Bruja, Lemon Andersen, and Bonafide Rojas. Historically, the term has been used as a derogatory term by native Puerto Ricans when describing a person that has Puerto Rican ancestry but is born outside of Puerto Rico. It also can sometimes include those born in Puerto Rico who now live elsewhere in the United States (other than New York). This changed from the original meaning with the increase in travel back and forth to different parts of the United States and the globe. The definition includes those born in New York who have moved to Puerto Rico as well. The term is used by some members of this community to identify their history and cultural affiliation to a common ancestry while being separated from the island, both physically and through language and cultural shifts. This distance created a dual identity that, while still somewhat identifying with the island, recognizes the influences both geography and cultural assimilation have had. Puerto Ricans in other cities have coined similar terms, including "Philly Rican" for Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia, and "Chi-Town Rican" for Puerto Ricans in Chicago.


History

Many Nuyoricans are second- and third-generation Puerto Rican Americans whose parents or grandparents arrived in the New York metropolitan area during the ''Gran Migración'' (Great Migration). Puerto Ricans began to arrive in New York City in the nineteenth century but especially following the passage of the Jones-Shafroth Act on March 2, 1917, which granted U.S. citizenship to virtually all Puerto Ricans.Jones-Shafroth Act
, U.S. Library of Congress, accessed May 25, 2010.
The ''Gran Migración'' accelerated migration from Puerto Rico to New York during the 1940s and 1950s, but such large-scale emigration began to slow by the late 1960s.The ''Gran Migración''
, Maura Isabel Toro-Morn, Marixsa Alicea, Migration and Immigration: A Global View.
In 2000, the Puerto Rican population of New York was over 1,050,000. As of the 2010 census, Puerto Ricans represented 8.9 percent of New York City alone (32% of the city's Hispanic community), and 5.5% of New York State as a whole. Of over a million Puerto Ricans in the state, about 70% are present in New York City, with the remaining portion spreading increasingly within the city's suburbs and other major cities throughout New York State. Although Florida has received some dispersal of the population, there has been a resurgence in Puerto Rican migration to New York and New Jersey, primarily for economic and cultural considerations, topped by another surge of arrivals after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017 – consequently, the
New York City Metropolitan Area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...
has witnessed a significant increase in its Nuyorican population, individuals in the region of Puerto Rican descent, increasing from 1,177,430 in 2010 to a Census-estimated 1,494,670 in 2016. Historically, Nuyoricans resided in the predominantly Hispanic/
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
section of Upper Manhattan known as Spanish Harlem, and around the Loisaida section of the East Village, but later spread across the city into newly created Puerto Rican/Nuyorican enclaves in Brooklyn, Queens, and the
South Bronx The South Bronx is an area of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Bronx, Concourse, Mott Haven, Bronx, Mott Haven, Melrose, B ...
. Today, there are fewer island-born Puerto Ricans than mainland-born Puerto Ricans in New York City. Prominent figures of the Nuyorican movement include poets and novelists
Piri Thomas Piri Thomas (born Juan Pedro Tomas; September 30, 1928 – October 17, 2011) was a Puerto Rican-Cuban writer and poet whose memoir ''Down These Mean Streets'' became a best-seller. Early years Thomas was born to a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban ...
and Giannina Braschi, while Miguel Algarín,
Miguel Piñero Miguel Piñero (December 19, 1946 – June 16, 1988) was a playwright, actor and co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café. He was a leading member of the Nuyorican literary movement. Early years Piñero was born on December 19, 1946, in Gura ...
, and Pedro Pietri co-founded the Nuyorican Poets Café, a performance space for Nuyorican poets and musicians.


Notable Nuyoricans

File:Marc Anthony 2010.jpg,
Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Gra ...
File:Herman_Badillo.JPG, Herman Badillo File:Robert Garcia.jpg, Robert Garcia File:Lisa_Lisa,_American_singer.jpg, Lisa Lisa File:TIFF 2019 jlo (1 of 1)-2 (48696671561) (cropped).jpg,
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
File:Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito (6217502867) (cropped).jpg,
Melissa Mark-Viverito Melissa Mark-Viverito (born April 1, 1969) is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician and former speaker of the New York City Council from 2014 to 2017, as well as councilmember for the New York City's 8th City Council ...
File:Rosie Mendez 2011 CROPPED.png,
Rosie Méndez Rosie Méndez (born February 28, 1963) is an American politician who served in the New York City Council from the 2nd district from 2006 to 2017. She is a Democrat. The district includes all or parts of Chelsea, the East Village, the Flatiron ...
File:Lin-Manuel Miranda by Gage Skidmore.jpg, Lin-Manuel Miranda File:Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Official Portrait.jpg,
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of th ...
File:MJ Rodriguez.png, Mj Rodriguez File:Princess_Nokia_-_Press_Photo_One.jpg, Princess Nokia File:Josieserrano.jpeg, José E. Serrano File:Sonia Sotomayor in SCOTUS robe.jpg, Sonia Sotomayor File:Ritchie Torres 117th U.S Congress.jpg,
Ritchie Torres Ritchie John Torres (born March 12, 1988) is an American politician from New York. A member of the Democratic Party, Torres is the U.S. representative for New York's 15th congressional district. The district covers most of the South Bronx. It is ...
File:Neil deGrasse Tyson in June 2017 (cropped).jpg, Neil deGrasse Tyson
Nuyoricans have made breakthrough contributions in government, science, law, culture, and the humanities, including those who have broken records, significantly impacted U.S.
pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * Pop (Gas al ...
, won landmark cases that changed laws, or have been recognized by national awards. *
Eugenio Alvarez Eugenio A. Alvarez (July 21, 1918 – February 12, 1976) was an American lawyer and U.S. Representative from New York. Life He was born on July 21, 1918, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The family moved to New York City. There he attended Public Schoo ...
– Late
U.S. representative 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 c ...
from New York State. *
Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Gra ...
– Record holder in the
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
for best-selling
salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...
artist and the most number-one albums on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' Tropical Albums charts. *
Amanda Ayala Amanda Ayala (born September 23, 1997) is an American singer from New York who made her first appearance on the national scene on NBC's Emmy Award-winning show ''The Voice.'' Following her time on The Voice she continued her success serving as s ...
- Singer/Songwriter * Herman Badillo – Late U.S. representative from New York State *
Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement. Basquiat first achieved fame as part of the graffiti duo SAMO, alongside Al ...
– Artist, whose painting '' Untitled'' (1982) sold for $110.5 million in 2017, a new record high for an American artist at auction. * Giannina Braschi – Writer, a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow, published the first Spanglish novel '' Yo-Yo Boing!'' *
Miguel Braschi Miguel Braschi (October 8, 1956 – d. 1990) and his life partner Leslie Blanchard (June 3, 1934 – September 14, 1986) were an American gay couple who were the central figures in the landmark New York Court of Appeals case '' Braschi v. Stahl ...
– Attorney, won the landmark legal case ''
Braschi v. Stahl Associates Co. Braschi v Stahl Associates Co was a 1989 New York Court of Appeals case that decided that the surviving partner of a same-sex relationship counted as "family" under New York law and was thus able to continue living in a rent controlled apartment b ...
'' in the New York State Court of Appeals, which marked the first time state law recognized a gay couple as a family. *
John Carro John Carro (born August 24, 1927) is an American judge. He served as a judge for 25 years and was involved in many high-profile cases. A New York Supreme Court Justice serving in the Appellate Division, where he served as an associate justice f ...
– was the first Nuyorican to be named a judge on the NY State Supreme Court, Appellate Division. * Luis Ferré-Sadurní is a journalist with '' The New York Times''. * Willie Colon performing artist, musician, producer, composer, arranger * Robert Garcia – late U.S. representative from New York State * Daniel Hernandez – Rapper * KayelLatin freestyle singer and frontman for
TKA The group comprising a trio was prominent in the 1980s and early 1990s, particularly in New York City, Chicago, and Miami. Its members originally were Tony Ortiz, Louis "Kayel" Sharpe, and Ralph "Aby" Cruz—the original lead singer. Due to te ...
* La India – Freestyle and Sals singer * J.I the Prince of New York – rapper *
George Lamond George Lamond (born George Garcia, February 25, 1967), sometimes styled George LaMond, is an American freestyle music and salsa music singer. LaMond has released seven albums (five via Sony Music) between 1989-2014. Best known for his 1989 #2 ...
– Freestyle singer * Lisa Lisa (Lisa Velez) – Freestyle singer *
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
– performing artist, entrepreneur, and founder of
Nuyorican Productions Nuyorican Productions, Inc. is an American production company founded by Jennifer Lopez and Benny Medina. History Lopez owns the film and television production company Nuyorican Productions, which was launched as early as 2001. It was co-foun ...
, made Forbes list of most powerful entertainers, with annual earnings in excess of US$52 million. * Lynda Lopezjournalist and author *
Margarita López Margarita López is a former member of the New York City Council who represented New York City's 2nd City Council district from 1998 to 2005. The 2nd district comprises the Lower East Side, Alphabet City, and the East Village. López was elect ...
– first openly lesbian councilwoman and female Puerto Rican elected to the
New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five Borough (New York City), boroughs. The council serves as a check against the Mayor of New York City, mayor in a may ...
, serving from 1998 through 2006 *
Melissa Mark-Viverito Melissa Mark-Viverito (born April 1, 1969) is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician and former speaker of the New York City Council from 2014 to 2017, as well as councilmember for the New York City's 8th City Council ...
Speaker of the New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government model, the performance of ...
from 2014 through 2017 * Angie Martinez – Rapper and radio host * Lisette Melendez – Freestyle singer *
Rosie Méndez Rosie Méndez (born February 28, 1963) is an American politician who served in the New York City Council from the 2nd district from 2006 to 2017. She is a Democrat. The district includes all or parts of Chelsea, the East Village, the Flatiron ...
– former member of the New York City Council (2006-2018) * Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the Broadway musical ''
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...
'', won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. * Nicholasa Mohr – Author *
Richie Narvaez Richie Narvaez (born 1965) is an American author and professor. In 2020, he won an Agatha Award and an Anthony Awards, Anthony Award for his novel ''Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco.'' His work focuses on the Puerto Rican and Nuyorican exper ...
– Author *
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of th ...
– politician who serves as the
U.S. representative 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 c ...
from New York's 14th congressional district. *
Antonio Pagán Antonio Pagán (August 22, 1958 – January 25, 2009) was an American politician, who held roles in the municipal government of New York City. He represented the 2nd district of the New York City Council for six years, and was subsequently appo ...
– late and first openly gay male and Puerto Rican elected to the New York City Council, serving from 1994 through 1998; former New York City Commissioner of Small Businesses (1998-2002) *
Noel Pagán Noel Pagan, also known simply as Noel, (born 1965) is an American freestyle music singer born in the Bronx, New York City. His debut single, "Silent Morning", became his first Top 10 hit on the dance singles chart and peaked at No. 47 on the '' ...
– Freestyle singer * Damian Priest – professional wrestler * Tito Puente – musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer * Princess Nokiarapper * Charles Rangel – former U.S. representative from New York * Sylvia Rivera – Late LGBT rights activist * Mj Rodriguez – Actress * David Rosado – former U.S. representative from New York * Sa-Fire (Wilma Cosmé) – Latin freestyle singer * José E. Serrano – former U.S. representative, serving multiple districts in New York State * Sonia Sotomayor – the first Nuyorican lawyer to become a United States Supreme Court Justice. *
Cynthia Torres Cynthia Johnston Torres (27 July 1911 – 6 March 2001) was a Guamanian businesswoman, politician and educator. She served as a member of the Legislature of Guam from 1954 to 1956. Biography Torres was born in Hagåtña in July 1911, the daught ...
– Freestyle singer * Edwin Torres – New York State Supreme Court judge and author of Carlito's Way *
TKA The group comprising a trio was prominent in the 1980s and early 1990s, particularly in New York City, Chicago, and Miami. Its members originally were Tony Ortiz, Louis "Kayel" Sharpe, and Ralph "Aby" Cruz—the original lead singer. Due to te ...
– Freestyle band *
Judy Torres Judy Torres (born June 13, 1968 in The Bronx, New York City) is an American freestyle music artist and dance-pop singer. Early life and career Growing up in the Bronx, Torres was the oldest of five siblings. She attended St. Thomas Aquinas, an ...
– Latin freestyle singer and radio host *
Ritchie Torres Ritchie John Torres (born March 12, 1988) is an American politician from New York. A member of the Democratic Party, Torres is the U.S. representative for New York's 15th congressional district. The district covers most of the South Bronx. It is ...
– U.S. representative for
New York's 15th congressional district New York's 15th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City, State of New York. The district has been represented by Democrat Ritchie Torres since 2021. The 15th di ...
* Neil deGrasse Tysonastrophysicist and television host of the PBS series '' Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey'' and '' Cosmos: Possible Worlds''. He is the first person of Puerto Rican descent to be Director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.


See also

*
African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
*
Bushwick, Brooklyn Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens, to the northeast; Williamsburg to the northwest; East New York and the cemeteries of Highland Par ...
* Cultural assimilation * New York Latino English * New York City ethnic enclaves * Nuyorican Movement * Nuyorican Poets Café * Puerto Ricans in New York City * Puerto Ricans in the United States * Racial inequality in the United States * Sunset Park, Brooklyn *
Teatro Puerto Rico The Teatro Puerto Rico was a music hall focused on the Latino community in the South Bronx section of New York City. During the 1940s to 1950s it presented ''la farándula,'' a vaudeville-style package of Spanish-language events, and attracted ...


References


External links


Sofrito For Your Soul Online Magazine

Capicu Poetry & Cultural Showcase

Celebrities Desde Nueva York

The art of Santiago

Association of Hispanic Arts (AHA)



Boricuation Cultural Foundation

Soraida Martinez, New York born artist of Puerto Rican heritage known as creator of Verdadism


{{Hispanic and Latino Americans navbox Hispanic and Latino American culture in New York City Puerto Rican culture in New York (state) Puerto Rican culture in New York City