By Benjamin Ortiz During the late 40's and early 50's, Bridgeport was an important nucleus for the migration of Puerto Ricans and many Cubans. They left their Caribbean homeland in search of better opportunities for their families. These pioneering families such as the Pericas, Faria, Medina, Diaz, Arias, and Batalla, are just ...
by Professor Sonya Huber, Associate Professor of English, Fairfield University The life work of an activist can often be portrayed as a bold stance taken at a single defining moment, such as the image of Rosa Parks not giving up her seat on the bus. But ...
By Britney Murphy On December 22, 1939, Father Stephen J. Panik, proudly addressed the audience attending the groundbreaking ceremony for Bridgeport’s first public housing project. The erection of what would become Yellow Mill Village was the culmination of years of hard work on the part of ...
Most residents of Connecticut, when considering who were the earliest immigrants to this State naturally think mostly of the European countries. If you asked anyone when the first Puerto Rican immigrant came to Connecticut, they would say, " probably the 1950’s.” Wouldn’t you be surprised to ...
by Andy Piascik As Puerto Rico began to more acutely experience the economic ravages of colonialism in the years after the Second World War, more and more people from the island began migrating en el norte. Though most settled in the nation’s largest cities, Bridgeport was ...
By Abraham Lima To read the previous articles, use the guide below to navigate. Part 1 - https://bportlibrary.org/hc/hispanic-populations-and-culture/when-the-aztec-eagle-began-her-soar-over-bridgeport-part-1/ Part 2 – https://bportlibrary.org/hc/business-and-commerce/when-the-aztec-eagle-began-to-soar-over-bridgeport-part-2-from-puebla-york-oaxakeepsie-and-mexchester-2/ “I don’t remember the year they opened, it was in the 90s. When I arrived after a few years, the first Mexican restaurant that opened was La ...
By Abraham Lima PROLOGUE: The eagle eating a cactus perched on a snake was the symbol the god Huitlolopotchli gave to nomadic Nahuatl-speaking people as to where to build their new city. They found just that in the middle of Lake Texcoco and thus the city of ...
by Abraham Lima This is Part 2 of a 5 Part Series at the Bridgeport History Center: For Part 1 click below: https://bportlibrary.org/hc/hispanic-populations-and-culture/when-the-aztec-eagle-began-her-soar-over-bridgeport-part-1/ For Part 3 click below: https://bportlibrary.org/hc/business-and-commerce/when-the-aztec-eagle-began-her-soar-over-bridgeport-part-3-men-of-maplewood/ How did Bridgeport’s Mexican community arise? It came about with a few separate chance incidents. A Few Early Arrivals: The Carmonas and ...
