"João "Jan" Rodrigues, born in Santo Domingo, was the son of a Portuguese sailor and of an African woman and was the first documented non-Native American to live on Manhattan Island."

He was the first Dominican to set up a bodega on Broadway.

The first one of one million of us..

Please he was just part of the ftotsom and jetsom yearning to be free......just another transient.....to call him Dominican is a big stretch....Now Cibby thats another story a founding father of the Republic of Washington Heights

We are all immigrants....that is how the world has been, currently is, and will always be.

Wow how do they know , there were no computers back then lol

TonyTunTun, =3***s

very nice story

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Rodrigues

I though guillermoan was joking but Jan did set up a shop "Today a plaque stands in Riverside Park in Manhattan in recognition of Jan Rodrigues, whom history records as the first merchant and non-Native American inhabitant of the island."

Rodrigues was well documented having being born in Santo Domingo, son of a Portuguese sailor and a mulatto Dominican woman of African-American-Taino descent.
He was known for his language abilities and taken to Manhattan as a translator, where he stayed as trader, having mastered the native American indian dialect.
He is the first documented immigrant to the island of Manhattan, again DR is No.1.
I also researched records of Taino indians brought as slaves to the USA port of Charleston,S.C. by the Spaniards as early as 1521, so even earlier than 1613 native Dominicans where landing in US soil.

Ya tu sabe & I bet they all wanted to go back when they retired.

Thanks Generoso for providing us with further information. I enjoyed and was fascinated by learning these extremely interesting facts.

guillermone

Dominicans should be proud of our recognition from the pale faces, now inhabiting in the native American island of "Mannahatta", as was known to the Lenape indians.

dreamkiller says: "to call him Dominican is a big stretch"

There's a difference between an ethnic group (nation) and a state, killer. Would you dare to say to the Catalans, Kurds and Basques that they aren't nations just because they don't have states of their own?

Lautaro
Now of course the question prevails, since Saint Domingue or Santo Domingo was the name of the entire island, at that time, which part did he actually immigrate from? The western part or the eastern part? lol.

@generoso

According to the wiki article, he was rainsed born and raised in Santo Domingo, so that would be the eastern side.

in either case in 1613 the whole island was was us. The frenchies were not a threat at this time. He is a native son of Quisquella.

From ,which parts of the island, he was.

What do you say to that Matasueno? Appropriate name. What"s your beef with Dominicans? If you know Guayacanes you know the island and its people. Are you telling me you've never been given the Taino treatment by a Dominican in all your time there? I notice a slight antipathy in your thoughts friend.

generoso,

He emigrated from the island when it was still under Spanish control on its entirety (albeit with the western towns destroyed, circa 1605, dumbest colonial measure, ever). The French would establish their illegal colony in the year 1629.

Lautaro
So we should EXPLOIT this arrival date and fact, since the "so superior" anglos, who are always demeaning our immigration and our race, did not arrive in US soil until November 11TH, 1621, (The pilgrims on the Mayflower) that is 8 years later, coño.
Commander, as usual you are DT's best "fact checker".

But he was a social climber and told everybody he was Portugese when he opened the bodega...LOL

Facts:

#1 -Rodrigues is a Portuguese last name,while Rodrguez is Spaniard,Same as Almeida,almeyda

#2-The Island of (Manhattan) was Dutch & colonized by them at that time,its name was New Amsterdam

#3- It became New York after the Duke of York (British) when the Dutch lost the sea battle to the British, long after that.

#4-Dominican Republic did not exist then but Hispaniola,made up of Quisqueya East owned by Spain & Haiti West occupied by France where slaves were kept to be sold to Spain DR or Quisqueya was a Spanish Colony then.

#5-Rodrigues came to New Amsterdam in a Dutch ship being the son of a Portuguese Maritime,
and the port was Dutch not British.

Facts:

#1 -Rodrigues is a Portuguese last name,while Rodrguez is Spaniard,Same as Almeida,almeyda

#2-The Island of (Manhattan) was Dutch & colonized by them at that time,its name was New Amsterdam

#3- It became New York after the Duke of York (British) when the Dutch lost the sea battle to the British, long after that.

#4-Dominican Republic did not exist then but Hispaniola,made up of Quisqueya East owned by Spain & Haiti West occupied by France where slaves were kept to be sold to Spain DR or Quisqueya was a Spanish Colony then.

#5-Rodrigues came to New Amsterdam in a Dutch ship being the son of a Portuguese Maritime,
and the port was Dutch not British.

Facts:

#1 -Rodrigues is a Portuguese last name,while Rodrguez is Spaniard,Same as Almeida,almeyda

#2-The Island of (Manhattan) was Dutch & colonized by them at that time,its name was New Amsterdam

#3- It became New York after the Duke of York (British) when the Dutch lost the sea battle to the British, long after that.

#4-Dominican Republic did not exist then but Hispaniola,made up of Quisqueya East owned by Spain & Haiti West occupied by France where slaves were kept to be sold to Spain DR or Quisqueya was a Spanish Colony then.

#5-Rodrigues came to New Amsterdam in a Dutch ship being the son of a Portuguese Maritime,
and the port was Dutch not British.

Ok Ok Ok

Facts:

#1 -Rodrigues is a Portuguese last name,while Rodrguez is Spaniard,Same as Almeida,almeyda

#2-The Island of (Manhattan) was Dutch & colonized by them at that time,its name was New Amsterdam

#3- It became New York after the Duke of York (British) when the Dutch lost the sea battle to the British, long after that.

#4-Dominican Republic did not exist then but Hispaniola,made up of Quisqueya East owned by Spain & Haiti West occupied by France where slaves were kept to be sold to Spain DR or Quisqueya was a Spanish Colony then.

#5-Rodrigues came to New Amsterdam in a Dutch ship being the son of a Portuguese Maritime,
and the port was Dutch not British.

Thelmo call the nurse Shé double downed on your meds

Facts:

#1 -Rodrigues is a Portuguese last name,while Rodrguez is Spaniard,Same as Almeida,almeyda

#2-The Island of (Manhattan) was Dutch & colonized by them at that time,its name was New Amsterdam

#3- It became New York after the Duke of York (British) when the Dutch lost the sea battle to the British, long after that.

#4-Dominican Republic did not exist then but Hispaniola,made up of Quisqueya East owned by Spain & Haiti West occupied by France where slaves were kept to be sold to Spain DR or Quisqueya was a Spanish Colony then.

#5-Rodrigues came to New Amsterdam in a Dutch ship being the son of a Portuguese Maritime,
and the port was Dutch not British.

Facts:

#1 -Rodrigues is a Portuguese last name,while Rodrguez is Spaniard,Same as Almeida,almeyda

#2-The Island of (Manhattan) was Dutch & colonized by them at that time,its name was New Amsterdam

#3- It became New York after the Duke of York (British) when the Dutch lost the sea battle to the British, long after that.

#4-Dominican Republic did not exist then but Hispaniola,made up of Quisqueya East owned by Spain & Haiti West occupied by France where slaves were kept to be sold to Spain DR or Quisqueya was a Spanish Colony then.

#5-Rodrigues came to New Amsterdam in a Dutch ship being the son of a Portuguese Maritime,
and the port was Dutch not British.

Facts:

#1 -Rodrigues is a Portuguese last name,while Rodrguez is Spaniard,Same as Almeida,almeyda

#2-The Island of (Manhattan) was Dutch & colonized by them at that time,its name was New Amsterdam

#3- It became New York after the Duke of York (British) when the Dutch lost the sea battle to the British, long after that.

#4-Dominican Republic did not exist then but Hispaniola,made up of Quisqueya East owned by Spain & Haiti West occupied by France where slaves were kept to be sold to Spain DR or Quisqueya was a Spanish Colony then.

#5-Rodrigues came to New Amsterdam in a Dutch ship being the son of a Portuguese Maritime,
and the port was Dutch not British.

Wake up thelmo you are caught in the fast lane

My appology , the botton got stuck and the computer froze Perdoneme

OK Mr T...................pero Carajo ques esto? .........LOL !!!!

I thought your finger got stuck on the key and could not pull it out.

@MtThelmo

Some of your facts are incorrect if you mean that they were facts at the time of Rodrigues settlement in 1613

#2 New Amsterdam (current day New York City) was not officially founded/settled till 1624

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Island

#4 During 1613, The west side was not occupied by France... that occurred in 1659

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Domingue

#5 Please state where you see he returned.
According to the available sources, the reason he remained in Manhattan was because HE DID NOT want to go to Holland. He was picked up in Santo Domingo, so he probably learned the ship was not planning to take him back during the voyage and decided to stay in the American continent.

cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/honoring-a-very-early-new-yorker/

abclocal.go.com/wabc/feature?section=resources%2Flifestyle_community%2Fcommunity%2Fevents&id=7658816

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Rodrigues

lovingit:

#5-I didn't say he returned to Santo Domingo.Maybe he jumped ship and stayed in NYC(New Amsterdam)

#2- You mean it was settled by the English in 1624 while all the time prior was already Dutch settlement

#4- What do you call the Buccaneers and Filibusteers? Weren't they English and French Pirates?

If you remember your history they were plundering the Spanish Gold and wealth, while based in

the West Indies(Smaller Antilles) backed up by their respective Gvts.While Holland then

FLANDES was part of Spain and fought Spain with tooth and nails to free themselves from Spain,

like the Catalanes and Basques, even if they had to join the English,French Pirates.Kid yourself

not the Dutch or FLANDES known then had a very good navy, when they faced the British but lost

& part of its Empire including NEW AMSTERDAM now NYC AFTER THE DUKE OF YORK. Had

they stayed under Spain they would had probable never lost to the British with their combined

fleet.

WOW!!! history is really a make up , politics and much more craps... Where were Dominican Republic in 1613 ?the island was name Haiti by the Tainos, ST Domingue by the French, Hispaniola by the Spain sure they were all talking about the same Island , but were they refering to the same country? lies and lies Santo Domingo was St Domingue? America was USA ? Portugal was Spain? Belgium was France ? History is what related TIME and EVEN. When time and event are bent and manipulated I call it plain POLITICS . lol lol Good luck on your new UN-discorvered discovery , I am careless about one thing if Juan Rodrigues or Rodriguez were asked for his nationality or origin what do you think he would have answered ?

@ Aytizekle, just a couple of points:
1.
You are curious, not careless of what Rodrigues would call himself.
Being that his mother was part Taina I would imagine he was aware of his native roots and refer to himself as such.
2.
The Tainos called the western mountainous part of the island only as Ayti, the name of Quisquella was the name for the island.
3.
Bienvenue au notre converasacion mon frere. Il est bonne que nous parlons l'une avec l'autre. Quelle ville est que vous demeure?

I bet he still opened a bodega When he arrived

Not a bodega(WINE CELLER) but a PULPERIA,since a bodega would had cost him too much !

Dear venganzaderafael, get your facts right and them we talk. We have been taught nothing other them lies in our schools. History is much of a convenience...

Well, one thing is certain, AytiZekle, the guy in question didn't speak a lick of kreyol (as the language didn't exist in the first place) so there's no way in hell he could have been a "Haitian" in the modern sense of the word, unless you're implying that the guy was Taino, of course. Not a chance for you to BS your way out of this one, mon ami.

Aytiz, what facts are you questioning? That MY Taino ancestors called the island Quisquella ? Look it up if you doubt me.

Who Claim he was Haitian? and or Taino? by the way where Haiti weren't part of Quisqueya or Boyo ?who is fooling who? for the sake of history and respect of self say the truth, give credit to who credit belong to . I don't understand why Haitians cannot be part of Taino heritage ? my ancestors was part Taino and I am Haitian .

1613 , there was no Haitians and even nor Dominicans.

@AytiZ,
Actually there is no reason why there can not be Taino strains in the Haitian make-up. The French colony of Saint. Domingue was not officially recognized until the treaty of 1697 between France and Spain. However the colony had been forming for several decades before official recognition. The french had been importing Africans to work the sugar plantations almost from the startt of their illegal
Settlement on the abandoned western side of the island.. (Most idiotic move by the Spaniartds in the history of colonization). Many of the slaves would run away and settled in the numerous mountain valleys where they could have mixed with remnants of the Tainos who had in turn ran away from the Spaniards. By this time in Spanish Santo Domingo there were only a handful of pure-blooded Tainos left as the Spaniards had intermingled them into near extinction.

In time the descendants of the runaway slaves in these mountain enclaves were absorbed by the two colonies.

In the mid 1990's a study was undertaken to find out what happened to the Taino population. Studies were done analyzing the DNA of townspeople in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The results on both countries showed 60% of those tested had Taino DNA. I'm sure if a sample study were done in Haiti, Taino DNA would be present in some Haitians.

This would actually be good as Dominicans would have to recognize
Another ethnic strain besides the Afrtican in common with the people of Haiti. We still don't like the french connection you people have. Hahaha! Just kidding Z.

venganzaderafael:

I could not have agreed with you more.When you stop to think ,it does make sence.Thanks

vengan... I think that you are more educated than average people on this site . People like you worth time spent online .
good luck !!!!