Puerto Rico may be several thousand miles away from Michigan geographically, but its ties to Detroit’s Puerto Rican community remain strong. After Hurricane Fiona wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico in September, Southwest Detroit residents quickly came together at the weekly Fantazma Market, hosted by the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC), to raise funds for disaster relief.

Fantazma Market vendor

An artisan sells their handmade jewelry at the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation’s Fantazma Market, where Detroit residents gathered to fundraise for Puerto Ricans impacted by Hurricane Fiona. | Photo by One Detroit

The Fantazma Market, a small business and entrepreneur program located inside the DHDC features Hispanic artists and vendors, performers and pop-up kitchens weekly. The DHDC has been servicing Southwest Detroit and select downriver communities for the past 25 years.

One Detroit’s Chris Jordan took a visit to the Fantazma Market Salsa Bachata night for an inside look at the weekly market turned fundraiser for Puerto Rico. Jordan talks with Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation Social Entrepreneurship & Wealth Building Manager Anita Zavala about the devastation Hurricane Fiona left behind only two years after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017.

La Casita Cimarrón y Yuketi de Detroit Co-Director Raeul Echevarria talks about the importance of sending relief to the organizations and people in Puerto Rico making a difference. Plus, artists performing at the market share how their music is helping the fundraising efforts.

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