Puerto Rican population in the Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, Salem: lawyers, neighborhoods)

[AllStarSun]

I know the Hampton Roads area has a significant Hispanic population, mainly made of Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. And Ive heard, its one of the metro areas in the south, outside Florida, where Puerto Ricans outnumber Mexicans. I would to know what cities and neighborhoods in the area do they predominate, or are they just a very integrated group. Also, exactly how large is the PR population there.

[leighland]

Originally Posted by AllStarSun

I know the Hampton Roads area has a significant Hispanic population, mainly made of Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. And Ive heard, its one of the metro areas in the south, outside Florida, where Puerto Ricans outnumber Mexicans. I would to know what cities and neighborhoods in the area do they predominate, or are they just a very integrated group. Also, exactly how large is the PR population there.

I'll clarify that family lived in NN while stationed there and we went back and forth a lot. So take that for what it is worth. I'd love to have a local correct me as I have had negative experiences.

Also, I lived in the HUGE PR neighborhood in Chicago for 15 years-I know good food.

The Hispanics in HR are not Mexican or Carribean. They are Central American.Their food is very different and in their "Mexican" restaurants they normally don't make Mexican/Carribean properly at all. However, the vast majority of HR is AA and white so they don't know the difference.

Similarly in NOVA, we have most "Italian" restaurants owned by Greeks and Central Asian Muslims and they don't know how to cook anything Italian either.

I saw a Cuban Diner in the Denbeigh/Warwick Strip Mall near BigLots but that was Chistmas 2011 so I have no clue if it's still there or any good.

Please, a local update me! I'll be in town soon!

[UHgrad]

Originally Posted by AllStarSun

I know the Hampton Roads area has a significant Hispanic population, mainly made of Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. And Ive heard, its one of the metro areas in the south, outside Florida, where Puerto Ricans outnumber Mexicans. I would to know what cities and neighborhoods in the area do they predominate, or are they just a very integrated group. Also, exactly how large is the PR population there.

I'm certainly no expert on this but it seems to be a relatively small community that is pretty well integrated with most having military ties. I know a few Puerto Rican guys and they are all here because their parents (or they) were stationed here when in the navy. I see the flags in peoples cars all the time but other than that it is hard to identify a Puerto Rican as they range from white to black to everything in between. haha

As far as stats go, HR seems to have about 27000 puerto ricans and about 28000 mexicans according to the data I found so it is about even and those two are definitely the largest hispanic communities in Hampton Roads by a long shot even though combined they are only about 3.5% of the population.

http://www.hamptonroadshispanic.org/...%20Summary.pdf

Beyond that I really can't answer your questions in any detail. The statistics I found do seem to disagree somewhat with what Leighland said but I don't know for sure... hope that helps. Also El Rincon and Mojito cafe have good food... I have no idea if it is authentic but it tastes good to me.

***Update***

It does look like Puerto Ricans do outnumber Mexicans in Virginia Beach and that seems to be the city with the most Puerto Ricans in HR with about 9500.

http://www.usa.com/virginia-beach-va...-and-races.htm

[usernameX]

Originally Posted by leighland

I'll clarify that family lived in NN while stationed there and we went back and forth a lot. So take that for what it is worth. I'd love to have a local correct me as I have had negative experiences.

Also, I lived in the HUGE PR neighborhood in Chicago for 15 years-I know good food.

The Hispanics in HR are not Mexican or Carribean. They are Central American.Their food is very different and in their "Mexican" restaurants they normally don't make Mexican/Carribean properly at all. However, the vast majority of HR is AA and white so they don't know the difference.

Similarly in NOVA, we have most "Italian" restaurants owned by Greeks and Central Asian Muslims and they don't know how to cook anything Italian either.

I saw a Cuban Diner in the Denbeigh/Warwick Strip Mall near BigLots but that was Chistmas 2011 so I have no clue if it's still there or any good.

Please, a local update me! I'll be in town soon!

You must be thinking of Northern Virginia, most Hispanics in the Hampton Roads are Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, while Northern Virginia is dominated by Central Americans, more specifically Salvadorans.

[leighland]

Originally Posted by leighland

I'll clarify that family lived in NN while stationed there and we went back and forth a lot. So take that for what it is worth. I'd love to have a local correct me as I have had negative experiences.

Also, I lived in the HUGE PR neighborhood in Chicago for 15 years-I know good food.

Please, a local update me! I'll be in town soon!

Originally Posted by usernameX

You must be thinking of Northern Virginia, most Hispanics in the Hampton Roads are Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, while Northern Virginia is dominated by Central Americans, more specifically Salvadorans.

My Mexican/Carribean restaurant experiences are very similar in HR and Nova.

I'm from San Diego (mostly Baja style) and lived in Chicago 15 years in the HUGE PR 'hood. Chicago also has a massive Mexican population. I am intimately well versed in authentic and fabulous Mexican (Baja and Michoacan) And PR/Cubana specialties.

I have not found anything good or authentic in both areas. I cook some these thing myself since its just not properly available in VA.

I'll be back in HR soon so if a native is turned on to anything great let me know.

[Coconut1]

I see quite a few Mexicans but not many Puerto Ricans.

[leighland]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

I see quite a few Mexicans but not many Puerto Ricans.

In Nova, the couple of Mex/PR I've met are
1. lawyers
2. 6 figure making Fed Employees

IOW, they have the same high paying/high status jobs everyone else in Nova has.

I have not met anyone that is outside of military-white and AA in HR. I'm guessing the PR/Mex in HR have the same jobs, esp. if they are less than 4% of the population-thats a tiny population. Wish they felt like cooking for me!

[Serenity2019]

I grew up in Va. Beach, and went to school with many PR's. The heaviest group of PR's seem to live in the Salem area of Va. Beach. I went with my wife to the Catholic Church on Princess Anne Rd. near Kempsville when visiting and most of the church was PR. There is a big difference between the PR's and Mexicans. The PR's are U.S. Citizens and many of the Mexicans are illegally here.

[bonnielisabeth]

I grew up in HR and the only hispanic people I knew were PR's; many had parents who were associated with the Navy. They pretty much had the same blue-collar or pink-collar administrative jobs the majority of people in Hampton Roads had. Even when I go back to visit, old friends typically have friends or spouses who are PR, not Mexican or another nationality.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by coastalbum

The PR's are U.S. Citizens and many of the Mexicans are illegally here.

Are you kidding me? What an asinine comment.