Research Design
Primary and secondary research was conducted using resources from the Center of Puerto Rican Studies: CENTRO PR (Hunter College), Hoboken Free Public Library, Hoboken Historical Museum and the Library of Congress.
Hoboken Public Library ("the Library")solicited materials from the public through social media, the Library’s website, a unique, project specific landing page, through the newsletter of the Hoboken Historical Museum and by direct engagement with individuals attending events managed by the community engagement department at Adams Gardens, Fox Hill Gardens, Monroe Gardens and the Library’s garden and small programming room. The Library was invited to attend the annual flag raising held by the Puerto Rican Cultural Committee, who graciously allowed us to address their members at this important event and placed a request for materials in their program in both English and Spanish.
Using primary and secondary resources, as well as some oral history information, we wrote the narrative for this exhibit. Primary documents consist mostly of newspaper reporting by the Jersey Journal. The Jersey Journal (1867-present) is a newspaper for the area and unwittingly covered the Puerto Rican “Great Migration” (approximately late-1940s-1970) through its reporting. We also searched through other newspapers: Observer of Hudson County and Hudson Observer, but did not find any reference to Puerto Rican individuals living in Hoboken or Hudson County. We tried to let the documents speak for themselves as much as possible, hence the long block quotes. We are sorry to every history teacher who disapproves of this. Important analysis of the Puerto Rican migration was published by Christina A. Ziegler-McPherson in her 2011 manuscript, Immigrants in Hoboken: One-Way Ticket, 1845-1985. Yuppies Invade My House at Dinnertime by Joseph Barry and John Derevlany provided useful insight into 1980s Hoboken. Importantly, the research guides published by the Library of Congress provide secondary research for much of what is written, particularly information about the late-19th to early-20th century, as well as wonderful maps and graphics. Other sources are credited throughout.
Thank you to Jorge Duany for corresponding with me when I had questions about his work, The Puerto Rican Nation on The Move. Also, thank you to Marisol Negron for answering a question I had about her, at the time forthcoming, book Made in NuYoRico: Fania Records, Latin Music and Salsa’s Nuyorican Meanings.
Extra special thanks to Bob Foster and Holly Metz at the Hoboken Historical Museum for use of their chapbooks and artist/curator/oral historian Christopher Lopez for his excellent research. Thank you to Raul Morales, Sr. and Raul Morales, Jr. for entrusting us with materials from the Puerto Rico Cultural Committee. Thank you to Juber Ayala for his help with materials from the Myrna Milan collection. Thank you to Congressman Rob Menendez.
Extra, extra thanks to Ramona Diaz, Deliz Gonzalez, Myrna Milan, Juan Pizzaro, Angel Rivera, Sylvia Rivera, Carmen Sanchez and Carmen Vega for offering us their time and insights.