The mass airborne migration of approximately 470,000 Puerto Ricans departs from the Island. The majority board twin-engine planes for the eight-hour trip from San Juan to New York City settling and expanding the Puerto Rican presence in East Harlem, the South Bronx and the Lower East Side.

By 1970, 80 percent of Puerto Ricans in the U.S. live in three states: New York, New Jersey and Illinois. Generally, Puerto Ricans settle in urban areas where they find low-wage jobs in service and manufacturing sectors. Many coming from rural backgrounds have low skills for the U.S. economy, and they are subjected to economic exploitation, racism, and social exclusion. Discrimination is rampant, and prevailing stereotypes