Honored Stateside Community: NEW JERSEY

Bio:

Home to one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the United States, New Jersey has long served as a vibrant center of Puerto Rican culture, resilience, and leadership. Puerto Rican migration to New Jersey began in the early 20th century and grew significantly after Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917. Drawn by opportunities in industry, agriculture, transportation, and construction, Puerto Rican families helped build the economic and cultural foundation of the region, contributing to factories, ports, highways, transit systems, and major infrastructure projects throughout the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area. From Newark and Paterson to Jersey City, Hoboken, Elizabeth, Trenton, Camden, Hammonton, Vineland, and Atlantic City, Puerto Rican communities transformed neighborhoods into thriving cultural centers rooted in family, faith, music, activism, and pride. Today, New Jersey isn’t just showing up . . . it’s showing out. Across the Garden State, parades and festivals are more than celebrations — they are living tributes to the generations who built these communities with sacrifice, hard work, and unwavering orgullo. New Jersey stands united as proof that no matter where we are, Puerto Rican culture lives loud, proud, and unbreakable. Somos tradición, somos orgullo, somos familia. Somos más que un 100 x 35.