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Percentage of Hispanic Population per town.

Havana on the Hudson is the nickname originally given to Union City, New Jersey during the middle of the 20th century when Cuban exiles left their country and relocated there in search of economic opportunity and political freedom. Although the area during this period was initially largely Cuban cultured, over the course of the decades that followed many Cubans moved from Union City into adjacent cities and many other Hispanic groups also moved into the area, resulting in a widespread and very diverse mixture of culture, commerce and identity. The nickname is derived from the capital and largest city of Cuba, Havana, and the geographic proximity of the area to the Hudson River, and its' usage has been applied collectively to describe areas extending outside of the initial location of Union City and is non-exclusive of any people of Hispanic descent.Padilla, Felix; Kanellos, Nicolas, Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States: Sociology, Arte Publico Press, ISBN 10: 1558851011 {{citation}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

Backgound

Prior to the Cuban Revolution approximately 150,000 Cubans lived the United States, with clusters at Key West, Florida in Florida and in New York City. There was small community living in North Hudson, who had originally arrived in the 1940s. The area, which had urbanized and seen massive population in the early 20th was still considerd to be the Embrodiery Capital of America, due to the proliferation of the industry which had been imported and developed by the initial German language speaking immigrants who dominated the area for much of the first have of he century. By the 1960s North Hudson was feeling the shift in demographics as tradtional industries became outdated and the post-war prosperity of the 1950s led to shift to greater suburbanization in New Jersey. While the area was somewhat in decline, housing prices, neighborhoods, school systems, and local commerce were still relatively stable.

The conveinence to New York, the possibilty of home ownership and replanting a community may have been the intial attraction for emigres who were forced to flee. The intial wave were mostly well-off, well-educated, of European a backgound and likely connected to the Batista oligarchy. As they moved in tot he area, they were able to purchase homes and business from those inclined to leave for the suburbs. In many ways this changing of the guard help to save the area from the downward spiral being experienced in older urban areas thorugout the New York metropitan area, as in nearby Jersey City.

Initial Cuban Relocation

• Émigré these people chose to leave, as opposed to exile, forced to leave
• Cuban Revolution
• Batistas Fulgencio Batista
• after the '59 revolution and fleeing of privileged classes, most European background, middle class, educated, entreprenuers who set up up businesses, notable Goya Foods.
• Very anti-Fidel Castro thus the connection to the Republican Party
• Ronald Reagan courts NJ Cuban community (cannot locate text but believe he made have made special mention

During the 1980's and 1990's, Union City lost many residents of Cuban descent to neighboring areas like West New York and North Bergen in order to avoid congestion, and some relocated to Florida.

• Many also relocated to the suburbs or into the city as typical immigrant move up the socio ecomonic ladder and college graduation

Cuban embargo

family reunification, sending of dollars those who remiand behind, a traditon which still exists and seen in the number so checking cashing and "Envia Dinero" places found throughout the area as many of the new immmigrants still send money "back home".

Mariel boatlift

Castro purges prisons and undesirables (artists, homosexuals, and other "trouble makers"

1994 Cuban Immigration policy

Various embroidery factories in North Bergen, Union City and Weehawken Heights.

Changing demographic

Palisades Emergency Residence Corporation ESL

Cultural Places of Interest

• Bergenline Avenue Commercial Historic District (from 47th to 32nd streets)
• Celia Cruz Memorial on 31st street and Bergenline Avenue
• El Unico restaurant on 42nd street and Park Avenue
• Latin American restaurant on 43rd street and Bergenline Avenue
• El Especialito
• Cuban Day Parade

Notable Hispanics

Cuban American This list is foggy and not per se anything to do w/ H on Hudson/needs to be gone through for relevence....

• Juan Pablo Ángel, professional soccer player for New York Red Bull (Colombian-American)
• Amado Guevara, professional soccer player (Honduran American)
• Edward Fernandez, politician (Dominican-American)
• Carol-Lynn Parente, executive producer of Sesame Street, (Puerto Rican-American)
• Bob Menendez, United States Senator (Cuban-American)
• Franck de Las Mercedes, folklore artist (Nicaraguan American)
• Tab Ramos, US national soccer team player (Uruguayan American)
• Tilo Rivas, Freeholder (Dominican-American)
• Eliu Rivera, Freeholder (Colombian-American)
• Caridad Rodríguez, State Assemblywoman (Puerto Rican-American)
• Jorge Rojas, professional soccer player for New York Red Bull (Venezuelan American)
• Pedro Sosa, professional American football player (Dominican-American)
• Paquito D'Rivera, 9 time Grammy winning Jazz maestro and writer (Cuban-American)

Gallery

• Tribute to Celia Cruz and other Latino stars.
  Tribute to Celia Cruz and other Latino stars.
• 
  Bergenline Avenue then and now: Facing south toward 32nd Street, circa 1900, and in 2010
• 
  Monument to José Martí on Boulevard East
• 
  José Martí Freshman Academy.
  Though built in 2006, after Cuban population declined the community still exerts influence
• 
  Guaguas, a Latin American import, provide a alternative to New Jersey Transit.

See Also

• Early Immigration and Industry in Union City
• Havana on the Hudson's sister city, Little Havana, Miami, Florida

External Links

• The Cubans of Union City: Immigrants and Exiles in a New Jersey Community: By Yolanda Prieto at Google Books

- urban enterprise zone 3%, latino culture centers around bergenline, el unico reseteraunt - http://books.google.com/books?id=axr1efXj93AC&lpg=PA38&dq=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&pg=PA38#v=onepage&q=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&f=false - latin american restaurant, two and three story brick and claphouse buildings, bergenline is centerpiece, latin eateries religious shops family owend bodegas- http://books.google.com/books?id=vJE1F9KAXeAC&lpg=PA43&dq=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&pg=PA43#v=onepage&q=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson22&f=false - during 1960's became knwon as hoth, ba runs approx 90 blocks into wny gut nb, satellite of miani (lit hav) buses runs lucrative, 20% of refs settled in wny an uc, many of them factory workers from formento seek economic oppprt in lucrative garment industires as early as 1940 down to 25% - http://books.google.com/books?id=2EvTZIwh7sIC&lpg=PA85&dq=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&pg=PA85#v=onepage&q=union%20city&f=false -sister city of miami - http://books.google.com/books?id=TqfbuW0na-wC&lpg=PA172&dq=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&pg=PR9#v=onepage&q=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&f=false -in 1975 up to 75% cubans set up shops etc - http://books.google.com/books?id=F-NNO9jGfIQC&lpg=PA267&dq=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&pg=PA268#v=onepage&q=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&f=false one ofoldest cuban american enclaves - http://books.google.com/books?id=k323s9QjhHAC&lpg=PA60&dq=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&pg=PA60#v=onepage&q=%22havana%20on%20the%20hudson%22&f=false What began in Union City as an enclave of Cubans who fled Fidel Castro's revolution three decades ago has matured into a community of Chileans, Colombians, Ecuadoreans, Guatemalans and other groups of Hispanic origin who have reshaped the culture of the area, taken control of much of its economy and begun consolidating political power. The heart of New Jersey's Hispanic population lies here in Union City and its neighbors, a cluster of Hudson County communities in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline that are home to 183,465 Hispanic people, according to the census. Bergenline Avenue is the main artery, a bustling, mostly commercial strip that begins in Union City and runs north for 90 blocks roughly parallel to the Hudson River. Hispanic-owned businesses -- from small fruit stands and coffee shops to nightclubs and upscale clothing stores -- have multiplied and thrived along the avenue . now to mixed Hispanic influence. "When we came to this city it was like a ghost town," said Mr. Lopez, a truck driver who settled in Union City 32 years ago after leaving his native Cuba. "Now it's like a cosmopolitan small city. - http://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/23/nyregion/hudson-county-a-harbinger-of-a-new-hispanic-influence.html