Maria Kellermann is executive director of the Venezuela Marka Foundation, a nonprofit that celebrates Venezuelan heritage and provides vocational training in traditional arts as well as college application assistance.

When she moved to Jacksonville two decades ago, seeing another Hispanic person was a memorable occasion.

Today, she says, those once fleeting encounters are commonplace as Jacksonville’s Spanish-speaking community has grown. She was one of upwards of 75 people with roots in Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and more who gathered to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month on Monday at City Hall.

The celebration included music, food and a proclamation from Mayor Donna Deegan, part of a deliberate effort by community leaders to better engage with a rapidly growing community.

This year, the city is putting on business expositions, procurement workshops and a banquet to celebrate the more than 100,000 Hispanic residents of Duval County. A Viva La Fiesta festival will take place at James Weldon Johnson Park on Saturday, Oct. 12. The inaugural Unidos Jax dinner will be held at Deerwood Castle on Oct. 3.

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Jacksonville may not have the Hispanic population of other major metros in the state. But Southside City Council member Raul Arias says people are increasingly choosing Jacksonville because the factors like the lower cost of living, the waterways and even JAXPORT’s strong relationship with Puerto Rico.

This month, fintech firm WalletHub ranked Jacksonville No. 19 in the country for Hispanic entrepreneurs, up from No. 29 the year before.

“We have all these great highlights in Jacksonville that people are starting to take notice, and they are moving here,” Arias says.

‘Hispanic history is American history’

Arias and Arlington council member Ken Amaro are carrying on a legacy of Hispanic representation that dates back to Jose Huau, a Cuban businessman who was elected to the Jacksonville City Council in 1881. Arias, like Huau, was an entrenched entrepreneur prior to winning elected office.

Deegan hinted at Huau’s legacy during her prepared remarks when she highlighted that the current neighborhoods of Springfield and the Eastside were once Camp Cuba Libre, a military installation in 1898 where American soldiers camped prior to their deployment in the Spanish-American War. Huau’s efforts helped finance the war.

“Hispanic history is American history,” Deegan said. “The teachers who inspire our children, the health care workers who provide compassionate care, the entrepreneurs who fuel innovation, and the countless others who enrich the fabric of our community all deserve to be seen and heard. This is why our administration has spent so much time and energy in reaching out and creating a sense of belonging for all who call Jacksonville home.”

That’s part of the reason why the Deegan administration hired Yaya Cardona as hispanic outreach coordinator this year.

A growing part of Duval

Cardona says Jacksonville’s physical size means we have more space to welcome new people, including minorities. Jacksonville had 110,081 Hispanic residents as of the 2020 census. Cardona believes that 11.5% population figure has grown to 13% to 15%.

This year, as the Duval County School Board discussed on how to allocate resources for English language learners, board member Kelly Coker noted that earlier in her academic career, English language learners were mostly located in Englewood and Spring Park. Today, they are in need of services throughout all of Duval County.

Cardona says the most concentrated areas include the Westside’s 103rd Street corridor and Arlington. She is also starting to see more Hispanic families with young children moving to Nocatee in St. Johns County.

“Businesses and politicians are starting to notice, if you’re not advertising to us or welcoming us to your business, you’re missing out on over 68 million Hispanics who are in the United States,” Cardona says.

Last week, more than 90 businesses participated in the First Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural business expo, which the city of Jacksonville sponsored.

That type of partnership and attendance was unfathomable when Kellermann moved here in 2002, she says.

“I think the city is doing a fantastic job to be more inclusive and diverse as we go forward,” she says.