founded in 1969 by a group of puerto rican artists, educators, community activists and civic leaders, el museo del barrio is located at the top of museum mile in east harlem, a neighborhood also called 'el barrio'. originally, the museum was a creation of the nuyorican movement and civil rights movement, and primarily functioned as a neighborhood institution serving puerto ricans. with the increasing size of new york's latino population, the scope of the museum is expanding.