Latinos built America, literally
December 2, 2025
St. Augustine, Florida, and New York City feel like they are worlds apart.
One is a quiet colonial town by the sea, the oldest in the continental United States. The other is the city that never sleeps, the beating heart of the American Dream.
But they share something in common: Both owe a lot to Latinos.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, LIBRE — through the Quiero ser LIBRE campaign — is sharing the stories that prove Latinos have shaped this nation from the very beginning and are still doing it today.
St. Augustine: Where Latino roots took hold
More than 50 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Spanish settlers arrived in Northeast Florida and founded St. Augustine, the oldest city in America.
They came from Spain, by way of Puerto Rico and Cuba. And true to our Latino spirit, they got straight to work, building homes, churches, schools, and the foundations of a thriving community.
You can still see that legacy today. Walk through the Misión Nombre de Dios, visit the Cathedral Basilica, or stand before the mighty Castillo de San Marcos, and you’ll witness the living proof of Latino roots that run deep.
For more than 450 years, St. Augustine has endured war and peace, abundance and crisis. When Florida joined the Union, St. Augustine became the oldest continuously inhabited city in America, and it’s still thriving.
Nueva York: The Latino spark in the Big Apple
Just as Latinos built America’s first city, they also shaped its most iconic one: New York.
Long before it was called “New York,” back in 1613, Juan Rodríguez sailed from Santo Domingo to Manhattan. He was supposed to go to Europe, but instead, he stayed, trading with Native Americans, learning their language, and building bridges between cultures. Rodríguez became the first non-Indigenous resident of what would become New York City.
Centuries later, Dominicans and Puerto Ricans followed his path. They arrived in the Big Apple and transformed the city.
From Washington Heights to the Bronx, Latinos gave New York, the most influential city in the world, its rhythm and soul.
Today, New York stands as the cultural and financial capital of the modern world. And Latinos have been part of it for generations.
Our story is also America’s future
From St. Augustine to New York, from the earliest days of independence to today, Latinos have been building, defending, and renewing the American nation.
And here’s what matters now: The next chapter of America will be written with Latino hands. We are entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders. We’re raising families, creating jobs, and driving growth in every corner of this country.
As we near our nation’s 250th anniversary, one truth stands tall: Latinos have always been part of America’s story, and we’re ready to keep the American Dream alive for centuries to come.
LIBRE is leading that fight. And we want you with us.