Santiago Lopez Arenas is a fixture in the Sunset Park community. The street musician who's from Oaxaca, Mexico says he's been singing on the streets here since he first arrived more than 20 years ago.

"The music for me is beautiful," said Lopez Arenas, a Street Performer.

His voice and accordion add to the sights and sounds along the neighborhood's main commercial strip, Fifth Avenue. But Mexican influences weren't always present in Sunset Park. Brooklyn-born Robert Aguilar says he remembers being the only Mexican kid in kindergarten and his family not being able to find Mexican products in the neighborhood. His parents came from Puebla in 1972.

"We always joke with my friends that they were the first Mexican people in Sunset Park," said Robert Aguilar, a Sunset Park Resident.

His parents, Roberto and Anita, applied for their visas in Mexico City. Their plan was to work in New York, save money and go back to Mexico. But they stayed, had a family, obtained their citizenship and enrolled their children in dual language public school programs.

"The other Latino kids were Puerto Rican and I felt at home with the Puerto Rican kids. We all spoke Spanish," said Aguilar.

With Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Cubans, Sunset Park is a natural fit for Mexicans coming to New York. Still, it's a long way from home for Mexicans, many who immigrate from Puebla.

"They follow those networks to places where they're recruited to work, where they'll find housing, there's a family member that's already there. So, there isn't one explanatory factor that can explain the Sunset Park Mexican experience. They are numerous and they're interacting all at once," said Alan Aja, an Associate Professor at Brooklyn College.

Mexicans had the fastest population growth among Latino groups in the city from 1990 to 2010, according to the census. By 2015, they made up 22 percent of Latinos in Brooklyn. Aguilar is now bringing up his family in Sunset Park.

"We're just now a piece of everything that was before us. It's almost inspirational to be part of New York City history. All of the people from Puebla and other parts who have made Sunset Park their home," said Aguilar.

Aguilar highlights his community with a weekly podcast called "The Sunset Park Podcast" featuring activists, business leaders, elected officials and others who have contributed to the rich diversity of the neighborhood.