La Broa' • Broad Street | South Providence, RI
Known for its many bodegas, Chimi Trucks, and the red-white-blue stripe down the middle, Broad Street, aka La Broa’, is the main Latino neighborhood in Providence, RI. The stripe, which reflects the colors of the Dominican flag, is the parade route for the Dominican Parade and Festival. This event, which started in 1989, celebrates Dominican cultural pride with a day of music, food, and dancing. Today, the parade and festival are the largest Dominican event in New England — and some say the U.S. — where thousands gather every Summer to celebrate the contributions of the Dominican community to the City of Providence.
Due to its important place in Rhode Island Latino History, Lower Broad Street | La Calle Broa' has earned the title of the Latino Cultural Corridor of Providence.
In the early 1960s, the first Dominican bodega opened on Broad Street, when there were only a handful of Hispanics in Rhode Island. By the 1970s, more Dominican-owned bodegas and small businesses, as well as Spanish-language church-services, reflecting the growing Latino community sprang up on what became known as La Broa'. Soon, other Spanish-speaking families from places like Puerto Rico and Guatemala made the neighboring areas of Elmwood and the West End their home, forever changing the landscape of Providence.
Funds for these projects made possible with partial support by:
Providence
- Fefa's Market
- Antillas Restaurant
- Iglesia Hispana El Calvario
- Latino American Community Center
- Borinquen Street
- International Market
Blackstone Valley
Latino Places That Matter | Rhode Island