Havana on the Hudson

During the latter half of the 20th century, Cuban émigrés and exiles left their country and relocated to Union City, West New York, and surrounding communities in search of economic opportunity and political freedom.

There was a small community of about 2,000 people living in Union City, who had originally arrived after the 1940s, many from Fomento or the semi-rural province of Villa Clara.

By the 1960s, North Hudson was feeling the shift in demographics as urban decline and post-war prosperity of the 1950s led to greater suburbanization in New Jersey.

[18] In the immediate aftermath of the Cuban Revolution, an initial exodus of over "golden exiles", so-called because they were affluent professionals and members of the Batista regime, left that country for fear of reprisals by the new government.

[19] The convenience to New York, economic potential, family connections, the possibility of home ownership, and a chance to replant a tight-knit community may have been the initial attraction for emigres who were forced to flee.

Those who wished to leave Cuba were considered refugees, and were offered alien resident status in a US sponsored resettlement program transported on what became known as Freedom Flights (1965–1974).

As they were unable to take any assets or personal belongings this often was only possible for those with friends, family, or sponsors in the United States and the path to citizenship.

Some of these refugees, who had departed on makeshift boats and rafts recovered by the Coast Guard eventually made it to North Hudson.

The act was passed as “A bill to promote a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba through the application of sanctions directed at the Castro government and support for the Cuban people."

[36][37][38] Support for the United States embargo against Cuba (aka el bloqueo, or "the blockade") was a stance held for many years, particularly exiles, and less so by their children.

It is along this corridor that many privately operated hail and ride minibuses, or guaguas (as called in some Caribbean countries) travel to points in Jersey City and Manhattan.

Others operated by Spanish Transportation also run along the marginal road of the Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix between 42nd Street and Paterson, another city with a high immigrant population.

Marin Boulevard in Downtown Jersey City was named to honor of Luis Muñoz Marín and the large Puerto Rican population living in the neighborhood.

The area offers a variety of Latin American cuisines, including Cuban,[54] Ecuadorian, Puerto Rican and Mexican, with such pan-Latino staples as tostones, ropa vieja and batidos, found on local menus.

Dedicated to the then deceased salsa singer Celia Cruz in ceremonies attended by her husband Pedro Knight in 2004,[67] the homage has grown to include marble stars honoring musicians and singers Tito Puente, Johnny Pacheco, Israel "Cachao" Lopez, Beny Moré, La India, and news anchor Rafael Pineda.

Univision WFUT and Telefutura's WXTV, a duopoly in the New York metropolitan area media market are licensed to and have their studios in northeastern New Jersey.

WNJU, the flagship station of the Spanish-language Telemundo television network, is licensed to Linden and has its studios and offices in Fort Lee.