José Higuera-López Offers Insight on Staten Island’s Mexican Community for ABC 7

CUNY Mexican Studies Institue, dancers pose with the Olmec Head on the Lehman Campus

September 18, 2025

For an ABC 7 news segment highlighting Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16, José Higuera-López, director of CUNY’s Mexican Studies Institute, commented on the growth of Staten Island's thriving Mexican-American community.

“From 2000 to 2021, the Mexican population increased by 183 percent,” he said, also noting that the community’s roots go back to the 1980s, when affordable rents in Port Richmond drew Mexican families who established a lasting presence.

The event ushered in upcoming celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) across the City.

Watch the segment here.

Experts in News Mexican Studies Institute