The Cuban community in Philadelphia is a particularly slow growing population in Philadelphia. The 2000 Census estimated that there are 2,730 Cubans living here. Originally, Cubans settled in the Olney section of the city. Since the beginning of the Cuban presence in Philadelphia, the community has spread mostly to the Northern and Northeastern areas of the city.

Philadelphia and Cuba have been linked through trade ties since the 18th century. During this time, mostly Cuban pro-independence exiles and organizers, merchants, cigar makers, trades people, and students lived in Philadelphia. A large group of Cubans arrived in Philadelphia between 1959 and 1965, after the Cuban Revolution. Some of these people reunited with friends and family that already lived in Philadelphia, while the others moved again, to Florida. Of the Cubans that stayed, many created Cuban social and cultural groups, which are still in existence. Another noteworthy group of Cuban immigrants came to Philadelphia in the 1980s as refugees.

The Cuban community is not the largest minority population in the city. However, it is a part of the larger Latino community. The Latino people make some great contributions to the city of Philadelphia, and at times could use some support. One organization that supports this community is Congreso de Latinos Unidos. Congreso offers a broad range of services including the first Latina domestic violence program, as well as HIV prevention and case management services. Congreso is strengthening the Puerto Rican (and otherwise Latino) community in part because of partnerships with government agencies, health providers, labor organizations, businesses, and other community-based institutions. The Lighthouse is another organization that supports the Latino community in Philadelphia. This group has been serving the multicultural population of Philadelphia since the late 1800's. It provides services such as day care, before - and after - school care, and a food share program, educational, occupational, cultural, and recreational programs, an Adult Educational Program & ESL, an Economic Development Program, a Teen Parenting Education and Employment Program, and a Young Parenting Fathers Program.

To find out more about Cubans in Philadelphia and the programs that support them, please visit:

Congreso
http://www.congreso.net/
Congreso's website includes information on the programs that it provides, relevant news, available jobs, information on the community it serves, and its funders.

Latino Philadelphia
http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=103
This is a profile of the Latino community of Philadelphia, created by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. It has a variety of information such as what it means to be Latino/Latina, Latino history in Philadelphia, what it is like to be an immigrant in Philadelphia, community resources, cultural expressions, and more.

The World Fact Book
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
This CIA website contains an extremely large amount of information about all of the countries in the world such as: history, geography, information about its citizens, government, economy, transnational issues, and more. To find out information about this country, pull it down from the menu.

Centro Nueva Creación
http://www.centronueva.org/
Centro Nueva Creación's website has information on its programs, has relevant news, the organization's history, and more.

"Latinos in the United States: Where Are We From?"
http://www.nahj.org/resourceguide/chapter_3.html
This website was created by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. This section of the website contains information on various Latin American countries, and why their citizens have moved to the US.