The Latino community in Berks County is mainly concentrated in the city of Reading, which has one of the highest percentages of Latinos in any city in the northeast United States. The Latino population in Reading and Berks has grown dramatically in the last two decades and continues to do so. Estimates indicate that there are at least 31,000 Latinos in the City of Reading with a total of 37,000 in the county.

   Latinos comprise almost a third of the city’s population. The composition of the Latino population in Berks has changed over the last six decades. The first significant group of Latinos to arrive in the area were Puerto Rican migrants who came to work in the mushroom farms. For several decades the Latino population here remained primarily Puerto Rican and, although the population was beginning to diversify, in 1980 Puerto Ricans still comprised over 90 percent of the Latino population in the area. The balance of the Latino population was comprised of Mexican (2.6%), Cubans (1.7%), and other Hispanics (5.5%).

   Over the next decade there was an increase in other Latino populations coming to the area. By 1990 the Puerto Rican population was down to 80.2%. The Mexican population had grown to 10.1%, and other Hispanics increased to 8.7% with the Cuban population now comprised of 1.0%. Anecdotal data indicates that the Latino population in Berks County continues to diversify with the Mexican population maintaining its growth and with a significant influx of persons from the Dominican Republic.

   For a more comprehensive look at the Latino community in Reading and Berks County and the Hispanic Center's role and history in the area, you can follow this link to the Wyomissing Foundation sponsored Reading and Berks Hispanic Center and Latino Community Study.


Home

Contact the WebMaster
This site © 2003 by Intercept Web Designs