Did Spanish Harlem always have a large Black Population (New York: crime, how much)

[NJ Chutzpah]

Did Spanish harlem or east harlem always have a large African-American Population?

I notice a lot around 125th St, and I went to HPD on 106th and noticed a lot also

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by NJ Chutzpah

Did Spanish harlem or east harlem always have a large African-American Population?

I notice a lot around 125th St, and I went to HPD on 106th and noticed a lot also

I used to think that Spanish Harlem was literally all Hispanic. When I would ask people who live there what groups make up the populations and they would say Puerto Rican, Mexican and some Dominicans. I would ask, "are there black people there"? And they responded with a simple "yeah". So I always assumed that there wasn't many. Besides West and Central Harlem where always where the blacks where. But when I look at the Community District numbers I saw around 34% African American. So similar to the Morris Heights/Tremont black population. That is a significant number IMO.

You have to remember now, that African Americans are the majority of people who occupy public housing. Since East Harlem is the king of public housing, it's only right that there would be a significant black population. And from what I've been told, it is similar to Mott Haven. In which the blacks almost all live in the projects and the Hispanics in the tenements.

I say originally all of Harlem was black. But in the 50's and 60's, Puerto Ricans settled in a little enclave in the eastern section of Harlem. Soon many more Puerto Ricans joined their country men in that area, pushing the blacks westward towards central/west Harlem. They nicknamed this heavily Puerto Rican enclave Spanish Harlem and Puerto Ricans refered to the area as "el barrio". People usually stick to their kind, so that caused some blacks to leave E. Harlem. Some stayed however, and that is why you go from 95% Black in 1940 to 34% Black in 2008.

[DAS]

^Great post SuperMario and absolututely correct. I might add that in both Spanish Harlem and Mott Haven had brownstones and other types of homes that were demolished to build the projects. Mott Haven had a Polish Jewish and some Polish Catholic population before around 1955.

[Brandie315]

I grew up in spanish harlem and growing up there was equal hispanics to blacks...as i got older i could see a growing mexican population as well as italians and asians...but i remember having to do a project on spanish harlem in 6th grade and the population was somewhere near 170,000 and the black population took up a good portion...i don't remember how much but it was like half literally...for example on my floor in my building there were 8 apts...half were occupied by blacks and the others by puerto ricans like myself...any who i loved growing up in spanish harlem...

[gemisic]

My family is from spanish harlem. I was born there (1971), but we moved out to Queens when I was 2 yrs of age. However, we went back often because I still have family there. When I was young, there were allot or Puerto Ricans, Domincans and some Italians. There were also blacks too, but not as much as today. However, I would say the Mexicans are becoming the majority there.

[vitalove]

Yes Spanish Harlem has always had a significant number of Black people. My family lived there in the 1930s and 1940s.

I agree with your post Super Mario, all except that Blacks are the majority in public housing. I would ask for statistical proof on that. I know a lot of PRs in East Harlem and the majority of them live in public housing as well. Statistically speaking Black Americans and PRs numbers are tied as far as living and economic situations in the ghetto.

[nycricanpapi]

Well before Spanish Harlem were nothing but Italians, Jewish, Lebanese, Russians. Italians dominated the "Spanish Harlem". Before Spanish Harlem was called Italian Harlem. However after the WWII many Puerto Ricans came to Spanish Harlem. Then Spanish Harlem was mainly Puerto Ricans. This is when Spanish Harlem was called "Spanish Harlem." Puerto Ricans were the majority of Spanish Harlem, then Black people, because remember West Harlem is not far from East Harlem. As more Puerto Ricans arrived to East Harlem many of the White people left. I am not trying to offend anybody here. I am just making a point. Also due to the population that there was in East Harlem of Puerto Ricans Spanish Harlem is also called El Barrio. Also there is a Nuyorican Poet Cafe as well, and some other things which I do not remember. Now currently, I do not see that there are much of Puerto Ricans in East Harlem. Now there is an influx of Mexicans in Spanish Harlem, also there are White people moving in as well.

I foresee that Spanish Harlem is going to be mixed with everything in the future.

[nycricanpapi]

Originally Posted by vitalove

Yes Spanish Harlem has always had a significant number of Black people. My family lived there in the 1930s and 1940s.

I agree with your post Super Mario, all except that Blacks are the majority in public housing. I would ask for statistical proof on that. I know a lot of PRs in East Harlem and the majority of them live in public housing as well. Statistically speaking Black Americans and PRs numbers are tied as far as living and economic situations in the ghetto.

This is true what you say. Due to African Americans and PR living in the economic situations:

Spanish Harlem was one of the hardest hit areas in the 1960s and 1970s as New York City struggled with deficits, race riots, urban flight, drug abuse, crime and poverty. Tenements were crowded, poorly maintained and frequent targets for arson. In 1969 and 1970, a regional chapter of the Young Lords which were reorganized from a neighborhood street gang in Chicago by Jose(Cha-Cha)Jimenez,ran several programs including a Free Breakfast for Children and a Free Health Clinic to help Latino and poor families. The Young Lords coalesced with the Black Panthers and called for Puerto Rican self-determination and neighborhood empowerment

[Fred314X]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

I say originally all of Harlem was black. But in the 50's and 60's, Puerto Ricans settled in a little enclave in the eastern section of Harlem. Soon many more Puerto Ricans joined their country men in that area, pushing the blacks westward towards central/west Harlem. They nicknamed this heavily Puerto Rican enclave Spanish Harlem and Puerto Ricans refered to the area as "el barrio". People usually stick to their kind, so that caused some blacks to leave E. Harlem. Some stayed however, and that is why you go from 95% Black in 1940 to 34% Black in 2008.

When you say "originally," how far back do you want to go? Up until the time of World War I, Harlem was all white. And it was split up into three smaller communities. There was Harlem proper (basically, the western part of the area), Jewish Harlem (centering around what used to be called Mount Morris Park) and Italian Harlem (centering around Pleasant Avenue). It was Italian Harlem that later gave way to what we know think of as Spanish Harlem.

[DAS]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

When you say "originally," how far back do you want to go? Up until the time of World War I, Harlem was all white.

How far back do you want to go? First Harlem was all Native American, then White and Black. Alexander Hamilton and a few other's had Black slaves. There was never an all White Harlem. Both Black and White have remained in Harlem ever since.