Ramonita Rivera

Matriarch, Puerto Rican Day Parade

In 1952, Ramonita left all of her family and came to the U.S. from Puerto Rico with a small suitcase and $42 in her pocket. She worked in a bakery for 75 cents an hour and became a civic activist to get involved in the community and to find herself. She started a family of her own, had 10 children and did everything in her power to bring a piece of her home country to Newark and grow the Spanish-speaking, Puerto Rican community. At 86 years old, she is still involved as the proud matriarch and ambassador of the Puerto Rican Day Parade, Inc.

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Making Puerto Rican seniors matter in Newark
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