On a gray Thursday morning in Lower Manhattan, the echoes of Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy are more than just academic. Forty years after the 40th president cloaked hardline interventions in a folksy drawl, New York’s immigrant communities still feel the aftershocks. In neighborhoods from Jackson Heights to Washington Heights, families trace their roots—and their flight from conflict—to the covert wars and destabilizations that marked the Reagan era.

At Cafe Habana in SoHo, Nicaraguan-born owner Oscar Rivas remembers his family’s hurried arrival to Queens in the mid-1980s, a direct result of the Contra war fueled by U.S. support. “We watched our country unravel, and somehow, we landed here,” he says, wiping down a countertop as lunchtime regulars trickle in. His story is echoed by Salvadoran, Guatemalan, and Haitian New Yorkers whose journeys began in the turmoil of American-backed interventions.

This September, as the city’s schools reopen, teachers in Brooklyn’s District 15 are incorporating oral histories from refugee families into their world history curriculum. The aim: to give students a tangible sense of how foreign policy decisions made in distant Washington boardrooms have shaped the city’s own mosaic. “The curriculum comes alive when a student realizes their classmate’s grandfather fled the civil war in El Salvador,” says educator Maribel Torres.

New York’s cultural calendar this fall nods to these legacies, too. The Museum of the City of New York is hosting a film series later this month examining Central American diaspora stories, placing the city’s vibrant Latin American communities front and center. In the Bronx, a mural unveiled last weekend on Jerome Avenue depicts scenes of migration under a banner reading “We Are Still Here.”

As the political season ramps up and candidates court the city’s diverse electorate, the Reagan years remain a touchstone—one that is less about nostalgia and more about reckoning with the policies that shaped New York’s demography, activism, and global connections. For many New Yorkers, history is not past; it’s woven into the fabric of daily life, from the stories told at dinner tables to the city’s ever-evolving neighborhoods.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Ronald Reagan’s 1980s foreign policy impact New York City’s immigrant communities?

Reagan’s foreign policy led to U.S.-backed interventions in Central America and the Caribbean, causing many people to flee conflicts and settle in New York City.

Why did Oscar Rivas, owner of Cafe Habana, immigrate to New York?

Oscar Rivas immigrated to Queens in the mid-1980s due to the Contra war in Nicaragua, which was fueled by U.S. support.

How are New York City schools addressing the legacy of 1980s foreign policy?

Brooklyn’s District 15 schools are incorporating oral histories from refugee families into their world history curriculum to show how foreign policy shaped local communities.

What cultural events in New York are highlighting Central American diaspora stories?

The Museum of the City of New York is hosting a film series on Central American diaspora stories, and a new mural on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx depicts migration stories.

How do New Yorkers experience the effects of Reagan-era foreign policy today?

Many New Yorkers trace their roots and migration stories to conflicts caused by Reagan-era interventions, with these histories reflected in local culture, education, and neighborhoods.

Editorial Transparency. A first draft of this story was produced with AI-assisted writing tools, then reviewed for accuracy and tone by the named editor before publication. More on our process: Editorial Policy.