New York City's Puerto Rican population is long-established...and shrinking.

A woman waves the flag of Puerto Rico during a news conference on Puerto Rican statehood on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 2, 2021.

There's no doubt that Puerto Rican culture is one of the most dominant drivers of culture in New York City history — past and present. In fact, hundreds of thousands of Boricuas gathered in Manhattan this past weekend to celebrate just that at the Puerto Rican Day Parade.

But a recent study from The Center For Latino American and Caribbean Latino Studies finds the Puerto Rican population in the city is changing and shrinking. According to census data, the Puerto Rican population in the 5 boroughs fell by 20% between 2017 and 2022.

Aurora Flores Hostos, artist, activist, and author of books on Puerto Rico and its people, joined WNYC host Michael Hill. Flores Hostos is also the founding member of the salsa band Aurora and Zon del Barrio who will be playing on July 21st at the Harlem Meer in Central Park.