Census data shows large numbers of Puerto Ricans are moving to mainland in search of jobs
SPRINGFIELD – When Inda Velazquez moved to the United States in September she came in hope of a better life for her two children.
Velazquez is among thousands of people who have moved to the U.S. mainland from the commonwealth of Puerto Rico in the past 10 years.
Data recently reported as part of the 2010 U.S. Census show that between 2000 and 2008 there were 489,509 citizens who moved from Puerto Rico to the mainland.
An article in El Nuevo Dia, the leading daily newspaper in Puerto Rico, reported that the population in Puerto Rico is actually decreasing due in part to the large number of citizens moving to the United States. In April 2009 Puerto Rico’s population was 3,725,789, which is 82,821 less than in April of 2000.
Economic hardships of the past five years, high crime rates and low wages in comparison with the mainland are some factors that may have caused the drop in the population of the island.
The 2010 census data also shows that the number of Latinos in Massachusetts has increased to 8.8 percent from 6.8 in 2000.
Communities like Springfield have seen increases, with the census reporting a 27.2 percent Latino population in 2000, rising to 38.9 percent of Springfield’s 155,594 residents in 2010.
The census bureau’s 2009 American Community Survey estimated that that 45,251 of Springfield’s residents are Puerto Rican, while in Holyoke 16,021 of the city’s 40,530 citizens are Puerto Rican.
“ We have definitely seen an increase in the number of Puerto Ricans coming to our office for help,” said Ivette E. Cruz, the executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Springfield.
The increase has been most noticeable due to the long waiting list for services, particularly the English courses, Cruz said.
“We currently have a waiting list of 230 people who want to learn English,” she said.
Halbert Diaz, 19, moved here from Puerto Rico just two months ago. After graduating from high school he tried to look for a job on the island, but found it impossible. He is one of the many Puerto Ricans hoping to learn English and secure a job in Western Massachusetts.
“I’m going to go to school and try to find a job here. I think I will have a better chance at getting a job once I take some English courses,” he said. “There are just no jobs on the island.”
Diaz said many of his friends have already left or are hoping to leave the island soon.
“The crime is bad and the unemployment situation is bad there,” he said.
The 2010 census reported that there was a 16 percent unemployment rate in Puerto Rico in 2010.
Cruz said she has seen many families moving into the area looking for job opportunities.
“The economic crisis in Puerto Rico has made it difficult for people to find jobs, even if they are well-educated and have experience,” she said.
Velazquez, who has a degree in social work, said it was impossible to get a job in Puerto Rico.
“The situation in Puerto Rico is difficult. Unemployment lines are endless. It’s almost impossible to get services, and there are no jobs,” she said.
The New North Citizens Council has also seen an increase in Puerto Rican clients in the past few years, according to Jose L. Claudio, community development director for the organization. He said many people move to the United States for better health care.
“A lot of them don’t have health insurance or even if they do it can take weeks or months to be seen by a specialist,” he said.
One of the main reasons Velazquez moved to Springfield was for better health care. Her 7-year-old son was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder several years ago and needs various treatments.
“In Puerto Rico I would have had to wait three more years to get him a speech therapist and psychologist,” she said.
Just weeks after her son was enrolled at Samuel Bowles School in Springfield he was set up with a therapist, Velazquez said.
“It’s a really big difference here. There are so many more opportunities,” she said.