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Immigration

Click to watch the video of Senator
Lautenberg speaking at a community
celebration of President Obama signing the
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Act.

Hamilton wrote that manufacturing in Paterson would provide economic opportunities for immigrants who would make America stronger.  By today's census definition, Hamilton would be a Latino immigrant.  Paterson is a place where immigrants, from Hamilton onward, have generated new economic opportunities in different eras and changing economic conditions.

At the end of the 18th century, Alexander Hamilton announced to a new nation and the world that Paterson welcomed industrial entrepreneurship that would expand opportunities for people of all incomes, races, religions, and nationalities.  Immigrants moved to Paterson from England, Holland, Ireland, Italy, France, Russia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, and Syria, among other nations.  Later immigrants came from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco.

In the 21st century, more than half of Paterson's population is Hispanic. In fact, there are so many Peruvians in the city that Peru opened a Consulate in Paterson. And Paterson's first Hispanic mayor, José "Joey" Torres, now welcomes immigrants and low-income families to Paterson's urban mosaic of ethnic neighborhoods and cultures.

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Paterson Demographics

As of the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 149,222 people, 4,471 households, and 33,353 families residing in the city.

The racial makeup of the city was 32.90% African American, 13.20% White, 0.60% Native American, 1.90% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 27.60% from other races, and 6.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 50.1% of the population. The majority of Hispanics are Puerto Rican 15%, Dominican 10% Peruvian 5% and Colombian 3%.