Celebrating Hispanic Heritage

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually in the U.S. from September 15 to October 15 to highlight the contributions of Hispanic people and Americans with ancestry from Spanish-speaking countries.  

Hispanic people represent 29 percent of New York City’s population and also make up a large percentage of NYCHA residents. There are many notable Latino people who once called NYCHA home, and many residents live in developments that were named after prominent Hispanic people. 

NYCHA Developments Named After Prominent Hispanic People: 

Betances: Dr. Ramón Emeterio Betances (1827-1898) – A 19th century physician and revolutionary, Dr. Betances is known as the father of the Puerto Rican independence movement, an abolitionist, and was instrumental in helping to save Puerto Ricans from a cholera epidemic in 1865. 

Bracetti Plaza: Mariana Bracetti (1825-1903) – She was a leader of the Puerto Rican independence movement in the 1860s and known as “Arms of Gold.” She is believed to have crafted the first Puerto Rican flag, known as the Boriquas Latin Cross, which today remains as the Puerto Rican symbol of revolution and independence. 

Campos Plaza: Pedro Albizu Campos (1891-1965) – Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, he was a lawyer and activist and one of the most prominent members of the Puerto Rican independence movement. Campos served in the U.S. Army during World War I and, because of his mixed-race heritage, served in an all-Black regiment. After leaving the Army, he graduated from Harvard Law School and went back to Puerto Rico to lead the independence movement. He spent 26 years in prison for advocating for the violent overthrow of the U.S. administration in Puerto Rico. 
 
De Hostos Apartments: Eugenio Maria de Hostos (1839-1903) – An educator, humanist, abolitionist, philosopher, writer, and politician, De Hostos was a century ahead of his time in fighting for Puerto Rico to be a part of the United States, including U. S. citizenship for its residents. His mission was to keep Puerto Rico from being a colony, saying: “We want to be brothers of the Americans, not servants. We have a right to be first-class Americans with all the prerogatives of a free country.”  

Hernandez Apartments: Rafael Hernandez (1892-1965) – He was a legendary composer of some of Puerto Rico’s most famous songs which grew in popularity in all languages for generations throughout the Western Hemisphere. He served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I and was the director of the Puerto Rican Symphonic Orchestra.  

Justice Sonia Sotomayor Houses: Justice Sonia Sotomayor (1954- ) – Justice Sotomayor is the 111th Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Court’s first Hispanic-American Justice. She is an iconic figure in the American legal community, considering her 30-year career. She lived at Bronxdale Houses from 1957 until 1970, which was renamed after her in 2010. 

Notable NYCHA Hispanic Alumni: 

Emmy Andujar, professional basketball player and member of Puerto Rico’s national basketball team, grew up at Edenwald Houses.  

Former NBA player Carmelo Anthony lived in Red Hook Houses as a child.  

Grammy-award winning salsa singer Marc Anthony lived in Metro North Plaza. 

New York City Council Member Diana Ayala lived in Wald Houses.  

Boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho lived in Johnson Houses. 

NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. grew up in Riis Houses. 

Rapper Joseph Cartagena (aka Fat Joe) grew up in Forest Houses.  

Elaine Del Valle, an actor, writer, comedian and filmmaker, lived in Brownsville Houses. 

Actor Antonio Fargas, whose TV and film career spans 60 years, grew up in Chelsea-Elliott Houses. 

Muralist Antonio “Chico” Garcia lived in Wald Houses. 

Late musician Jerry González, an innovator of Latin jazz music, lived in Edenwald Houses. 

Actor Erik Estrada, well known for his role in the television series CHiPs, grew up in Amsterdam Houses. 

Actor and singer Anthony Ramos grew up in Hope Gardens. He’s well known for playing the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Broadway play Hamilton and for a leading role in the movie In the Heights. 

Bachata music singer Prince Royce, once named Billboard Latin Artist of the Year, grew up in Patterson Houses. 

Congressman Ritchie Torres grew up in Throggs Neck Houses.