1972: The first bilingual anthology of Puerto Rican poetry is published, The Puerto Rican Poets, beginning the second wave of Nuyorican literature. Cruz is among those included.

1989: The Nuyorican Cafe in New York City opens, giving Puerto Rican writers, poets, and performers wider exposure.

1972: Almost one-and-a-half million Puerto Ricans live in the United States, up from only 301,000 in 1950.

1989: The number of Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. has grown to 2,300,000, with most of them living in New York City and northern New Jersey.