Bridgeport, Connecticut, held its Puerto Rican Day Parade yesterday. Connecticut has the largest percentage of Puerto Rican residents of any state—more than seven percent. And with the U.S. territory’s economy in trouble, that number is growing.
Father Rolando Torres took charge of St. Mary of Bridgeport, on the city’s heavily Latino East End, last year. In that time, the church’s congregation has grown fast…
“Thank God. It’s been a very successful year for us. From 500 families, we are getting close to 800, and that’s a blessing.”
Now a big part of Torres’ congregation are new Connecticut residents who left the island in the past few years because of crime or the economy. He’ll put out calls to local businesses to help them find jobs, and he says most families have adjusted to life in Bridgeport.
“Families that came from Puerto Rico, saying that, ‘I lost my home, my car, everything I have,’ and then in a year, they have their own apartment, they have a car, and they have a job. And they feel happy again.”
Torres says all that work means people don't always get a chance to let loose like they did in Puerto Rico. That's why he's glad they have the parade.
“The parade wake up all that. They working during the whole year, and then you have one day you can be a complete Puerto Rican, screaming loud, doing music, singing, eating.”
Jorge Nives came to the parade Sunday, even though he could barely afford the time.
“I wasn’t going to come, my wife needs to go to work, and I work tonight. I’m coming to spend time with my family.”
Nivas and his wife came to Bridgeport from Puerto Rico last year. His parents and brother were already here. He works nights cleaning a grocery store parking lot, and he's about to start another job as a landscaper. Back in Puerto Rico, he couldn’t even find a job and he didn’t feel safe.
“Down there, it’s not good. Just the violence, and the killing, and everything.”
Violence and a $70 billion debt problem are just two reasons people are leaving Puerto Rico. Ingrid Alvarez, with the Hispanic Federation, says about 1,000 people are moving stateside from Puerto Rico every month right now. Connecticut is seeing a lot of that--enough to actually counter the state’s otherwise decreasing population.
“In less than 12 months we’ll be able to point to an increase in our state’s population--primarily in Hartford, in Bridgeport, in New Haven, in places like New Britain and Meriden, which are very concentrated Puerto Rican communities.”
They’re mostly young people in their 20s and 30s, and Alvarez says lots are professionals like professors and doctors. She says that should be an opportunity for Connecticut.
“This is an old state. I don’t know who we think we are in Connecticut. That’s a problem for our economy. A huge problem in the next 10 to 15 years. If we can make way to integrate these professional skills, we need them.”
Alvarez says Connecticut needs to make sure new residents don’t run into the same problems that made them leave Puerto Rico. According to a George Mason University study, after Puerto Rico, the state or territory with the worst fiscal condition is—Connecticut.
“What we need to get better at in Connecticut is taking that initiative to invest in our cities where we may not be developing enough housing. Where we know there isn’t enough employment opportunity. And Bridgeport, and the East Side specifically, is one of those places.”
Alvarez says those places need better schools and more jobs.
“One perfect example is, we have a shortage for bilingual teachers in this state. Well, we have a whole slew of them who speak English and Spanish, who are U.S. citizens coming from Puerto Rico! How are we not making that work?”
She said it would be great if Connecticut could incentivize cities and schools to hire those teachers. That might be tough for the state to do right now because of its own budget problems. Back in the East Side, Torres, the priest, says people are still doing the best they can and working hard. And he’ll be there to help them when they need it.
“Christ is my boss. I know he teaches about that. You need to be open for those who are without food, those who are without drink. You give yourself to help others. I learn that from my culture in Puerto Rico.”
