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1492
Columbus Voyages to Americas
In 1492, Christopher Columbus and Spanish company set sail from Spain with three ships seeking a westward route towards Asia. Instead, he landed in the middle of the Caribbean, making accidental contact with the Americas for the fist time from Europe. Though he thought that he had reached the Indies, his expedition marked the beginning of a long chain of colonization, conquests, and cultural transformation throughout all of the Americas. -
1528
Spanish Colonization in Venezuela Begins
Though Spanish explorers had reached the coast of Venezuela in 1498, colonization had not began to come to full effect until the 1520's. In 1528, Spain had granted the colonizing rights to the German Welser banking family, marking a key period of conquest and enslavement. Throughout the 16th century, Spanish rule had spread all across the region, which deeply impacted the indigenous populations, laying the foundation for the racial and cultural blending we see today- and eventually my ancestors. -
Ancestors Travel from Venezuela to Dominican
One of my ancestors was shown to be born in the Dominican Republic in 1775 and later moved back to Venezuela before dying in 1826. This was during a time where Spanish rule was shifting towards Haitian rule. This period of migration and instability reflects on how Caribbean history heavily shaped the courses of individual lives. -
Migration to Puerto Rico
My families story continues to Puerto Rico directly from Venezuela, where the cultures of Spain, the Caribbean, and Africa merge. Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony until 1898 and remained and still remains deeply Hispanic under U.S. rule. This island became the new home for my lineage and is still where the majority of my Hispanic family lives. -
U.S. Census Record
The picture shows a census taken in Puerto Rico in 1940 to be reported to the United States for a count of the population. Included in the record are: On line 75 is Jacob Montilla, my great-great-grandfather. (Jacobo Heraclio Montilla Catala above). On line 78 is Carlos R Montilla, my great-grandfather. On line 81 is Harold Montilla my father's uncle, age 7. On line 85 is Ivan Montilla, age 1 month. This is "Uncle Junior" who I met on my trip to Puerto Rico. -
Arrival to Mainland United States
Bits and pieces of my family from Puerto Rico soon migrated to Mainland United States and continued to settle in states such as Florida, Michigan, and New Jersey. From what I've been told, my Grandfathers generation were the first to move to the states where they began having their families and creating their own traditions in the states. -
My Father's Early Life
My father grew up in Detroit Michigan where he grew up on a street with his Grandmother and a few of his cousins. He would tell me stories of how on holidays he would just walk across the street to a family members house and spent the holidays with them that easily. He would always travel back and forth between Michigan and Puerto Rico to see his family because in Puerto Rican culture family is very important and they take it very serious to make sure that they are keeping up with each other. -
Me
I grew up in the same area my father had, but the Hispanic family that used to live in my area was no longer there. Many of them moved down to Florida or back to Puerto Rico so I never had a prominent showing of my Hispanic culture growing up. When I was 8 years old I took a trip to Puerto Rico and was finally able to see what my culture was about and was able to see all my relatives that have been living with Hispanic culture their entire lives.