Why is it called Spanish Harlem?

As early as the 1800s, it was home to Native Americans and later African American farmers and German and Irish immigrants. The area was predominantly Italian until after World War II, when a wave of Puerto Ricans arrived, transforming it into El Barrio – Spanish for “neighborhood” – also known as Spanish Harlem.



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Not many people realize that the name Harlem originates from the Dutch name Haarlem. Before evolving into the epicenter of African-American culture and art that Harlem, New York is known as today, it was originally a Dutch village founded in 1658. It was named after the Netherlands city, Haarlem.

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The most significant shifts in the racial composition of Central Harlem between 2000 and 2010 were the White population's increase by 402% (9,067), the Hispanic / Latino population's increase by 43% (7,982), and the Black population's decrease by 11% (9,544).

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Wealthier blacks moved into the area since due to the Great Migration there was a tremendous increase in the black population of the city. Black churches played a key role in creating black Harlem since they bought the property at depreciated costs and helped many blacks settle there.

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