ORLANDO, Fla. – Central Florida is home to a melting pot of Hispanic and Latino communities and along Semoran Boulevard there are many restaurants and businesses that have become a staple of Orlando but specifically those owned by Puerto Ricans.“The Puerto Rican population in Central Florida is huge and continues to grow,” Dr.
Luis Martínez Fernández, a UCF history professor and author said.Martínez Fernández estimates about 300,000 Puerto Ricans, or Boricuas as they are called, have called Central Florida home since the 1970s.“Part of it had to do with veterans who were retiring and moved to this area,” Martínez Fernández said.[TRENDING: Mom kicked off flight after toddler won’t wear mask | Cops: Man stabs librarian in eye with scissors | .