The riots that shook Newark, New Jersey in the summer of
1967 have long since defined the city.
All of the key issues in the difficult 20th century history
of America’s urban centers seemed to be at play in New Jersey’s largest city that
July: corruption, police brutality, poverty, white flight and black political
ascendancy. Perhaps no other city in the
country—save perhaps for the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, which had its
own riots in 1965—has been as identified with a riot as has Newark.
For years, however, the events of 1967 overshadowed other
aspects of Newark’s history. As deeply
connected as Newark has been to the urban history of the United States and
especially to African-American history, the city is also home to significant
numbers of Latinos. Today, Latinos
account for one third of the city’s population and, after years of population
decline, it is they who have helped the city’s population grow from 273,671 in
2000 to just over 277,000 residents in 2010.
The emergence of Latinos as an important part of Newark’s
population has led to reexamination of the city’s history and especially its
Latino history. Thousands of Puerto
Ricans migrated to Newark starting in the 1950s and while their numbers never
reached those of the Puerto Rican communities in neighboring New York City, their
impact on the city was obvious, especially in places such as the city’s North
Ward. One example of this search for
Newark’s Latino history is a recent exhibition, organized by Prof. Michelle
Chase and her students at Bloomfield College, which highlights a long-forgotten
violent confrontation between Newark’s Puerto Ricans and the police in
1974. The Newark Puerto Rican Riots were
less deadly and costly than the riots of 1967.
But as Professor Chase points out in a recent interview, they are an
important chapter in the political development of Newark’s Latino community.
The exhibition is on view at the Bloomfield College library
until August 29th.
