Some of the collections provide a window into the lives of early migrants “Pioneros” like Jesús and Joaquín Colón, Concha Colón, Pura Belpré, Erasmo Vando, Felipe N. Torres have left evidence of their lives and activities in their papers which can now be used to reconstruct the past.

They can help answer questions about the early migrants such as :

• When did Puerto Ricans first arrive in New York?
  
• How did they get here?
  
• Where did they live?
  
• What jobs did they get?
  
• How did they maintain their customs?
  
• How did they dress?
  
• How did they celebrate?
  
• What does all this have to do with current times?