From the 1940s to the mid-1960s, thousands of Puerto Ricans fled from their native island en-masse to pursue better opportunities in the mainland United States, establishing flourishing communities in the Northeast.
Since the early 2000s a similar diaspora has been observed. Only this time, Puerto Ricans fleeing the island’s political dysfunction and weak economy are choosing states like Florida over New York.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Puerto Rican-origin U.S. population increased from 3.4 million in 2000 to 5.8 million in 2021, with Florida overtaking New York as the state with the highest Puerto Rican population in 2017.
Carolina Reyes, a 24-year-old college student who lives on the island, said that for many this move wasn’t an option.
“A lot of people in the diaspora didn’t leave because they wanted to. They left because they had to,” Reyes said.
Reyes is pursuing a master’s degree in health sciences at La Universidad Central del Caribe. She said that a lack of opportunity is driving out many of the young professionals who would otherwise remain on the island.
“Our government doesn't really offer that much help for professionals that want to keep working here, so it's very common that they move to better their future,” Reyes said. “I personally don't want to leave. But I can't lie that, at least with what I'm studying, the opportunities for employment here are subpar.”
A dwindling job market meant that Puerto Ricans looking to advance their careers were forced to explore options outside of Puerto Rico. As young professionals took their talents elsewhere, access to certain services, especially in the medical industry, grew scarce for those who remained.
Emigration rates from the island steadily climbed over the years, but they reached a new height in 2017, largely due to a natural disaster
That year Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 system with sustained winds of 155 mph, tore through the entire island, resulting in thousands of civilian deaths and billions of dollars worth of infrastructural damages.
Reyes said many who lacked the basic resources to recover grew frustrated with the Puerto Rican government’s response to the disaster, especially as needs persisted over the coming months.
“It’s really sad that for months, even a year after Maria, that there were still people living without water, without electricity. That houses were still covered in blue tarps because they hadn’t been repaired,” Reyes said.
The catastrophic damage from Maria had a lasting impact on every aspect of Puerto Rican life. Between the countless jobs lost and homes destroyed, recovery efforts felt almost impossible for most of the island’s residents.
As a result, the year after Hurricane Maria marked one of the largest periods of exodus from the island. During this time, an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 Puerto Ricans, accounting for 3 to 6% of the population, moved to the mainland United States.
Florida, being the state geographically closest to Puerto Rico, received a majority of the people fleeing the island.
Although Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, there are many cultural differences between the island and the mainland, including a language barrier. This proximity to “foreignness” means that those struggling to assimilate into American culture often face discrimination.
Natalia Melendez had just turned six years old when her family moved away from Puerto Rico in 2008.
“I remember my parents would always tell us, ‘You have to speak English in front of these people. If not, you're going to get pushed around,’” Melendez said.
Before moving to Southwest Florida, Melendez and her family first lived in Silt, Colo., an area with a predominantly white population. She said that growing up, she experienced discrimination from the surrounding community because of her heritage.
“Even though we're Puerto Rican, we were seen as Mexicans, and we were always told to go back home,” Melendez said.
She now is 22-years-old, and said that adjusting to American culture wasn’t easy, especially in the face of adversity, but that she encountered fewer challenges than her parents.
“I learned as a kid, so it's a lot easier, but my parents had to do it as grown adults,” Melendez said. “They already knew the world for what it was, but they had to learn another world.”
The social challenges that Puerto Ricans face after moving to the mainland United States can make the adjustment feel isolating, especially for those without a support system to fall back on.
Facebook groups like Puerto Ricans in Fort Myers provide those displaced by the diaspora the means to find community through the connection of their shared experiences.
In Ave Maria, local business owners are taking community building into their own hands by organizing events that celebrate Puerto Rican culture.
Reina Del Mar, the owner of Hoja De Menta Boutique, is one of the community members behind the celebrations.
“We hold these events to promote the Hispanic culture that isn’t represented here, and to give the Latinos that have had to leave their countries an opportunity to feel that human warmth,” Del Mar said.
Del Mar and her husband, Jorge Arroyo, work side-by-side to bring a taste of “sazón puertorriqueño” to the Southwest Florida region. Together, they scout local Latin vendors and musicians that fit the theme of the upcoming celebration.
The events are held at Arroyo’s business, Mercato at Ave. On any regular day, the venue acts as an indoor marketplace that regularly features small Latin-owned businesses.
On event days, Mercato at Ave transforms into a lively display of Puerto Rican culture, giving those in the community a chance to revisit the familiar sounds and tastes of the place they call home.
While these events are successful in bringing together Ave Maria’s Latin population, Del Mar said they only serve as a temporary solution to a larger issue.
“If we don't create the events, even though we have Puerto Rican friends here, we feel like we still miss the island,” Del Mar said.
Though many Puerto Ricans affected by the diaspora feel somewhat disconnected from their home, there is a shared sense of resiliency that has, throughout history, tied them back to their community on the island.
“The diaspora is part of Puerto Rico’s story. Whether you were raised in Puerto Rico or not, all of that is part of our culture,” Carolina Reyes said.
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