New York City is Latin

Manhattan | Brooklyn | Queens | The Bronx | Staten Island

New York City was Latin from the start. Its discovery, first immigrant, founding of New Netherland, first Jewish community, and first Africans were Latin.

Latin is a mix of Native American, European, and African. New York City has Latin DNA.

The Lenape “Indian” village was in what is now Inwood. Naturally, it is still the most beautiful spot in Manhattan.

New York Bay was discovered for the Europeans in 1524 by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano working for King Francis I of France.

The first immigrant in our city of immigrants was Juan Rodríguez, a sailor who arrived in 1613 from Santo Domingo in what is now the Dominican Republic. He set up his house on the Native American trading site at the southern tip of Manhattan. The spot later became the U.S. Customs House. It is now the National Museum of the American Indian.

The colony of New Netherland was founded in 1624 by the Spanish Netherlands ruled by Queen Isabella Clara Eugenia.

Our first Jewish settlers were Sephardic (Spanish & Portuguese). They made New York a city open to all peoples.

Africans were brought to New York City through Cuba. Most of our American pop culture is African. Irish brought the Latin religion. The icon of New York, the Statue of Liberty, is French.

Italians came in a wave that helped define the City. Cubans brought their music. Puerto Ricans made Salsa from it and the world ate it up. A Brazilian designed the United Nations.

Black and Latin kids in the Bronx created Hip-Hop, the pop music of our time. Today Latin New York is mostly Dominican, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Ecuadorian, and Colombian.

Hamilton, the most influential Broadway show in a generation, was written by the son of Puerto Rican New Yorkers.

We are proud of our contributions to this great City and this great country. But wait, there’s more…