Description:
Sara Acevedo, born in 1953 in the province of Las Villas (later Cienfuegos), Cuba, grew up in the town of Cruces, a semi-rural municipality located between Cienfuegos and Santa Clara and surrounded by sugarcane factories. Her maternal grandparents emigrated from northern Spain, while her father, a largely self-taught machinist, came from a Cuban family.
Acevedo's childhood unfolded during the Cuban Revolution and its aftermath. Raised in a devout Catholic household, she remained active in church life despite social and political discrimination against religious practitioners. She attended local schools in Cruces and later secondary institutions in Cienfuegos, excelling academically, particularly in mathematics and sciences. However, the political climate interrupted her education; because her family planned to emigrate, she repeatedly withdrew from high school and could not pursue university study, despite strong academic performance.
As a teenager, Acevedo endured mandatory agricultural labor programs, working in sugarcane fields for extended periods under harsh conditions. She later trained as a cartographic draftsman at a vocational school and secured employment with Cuba's Institute of Physical Planning, where she created blueprints and contributed to urban development projects under government oversight. Her family's opposition to the Castro regime--particularly her father's involvement in clandestine activities--led to prolonged separation; he fled Cuba when she was sixteen, while she, her mother, and brother remained for nearly eleven more years.
Acevedo emigrated in 1980, traveling first to Madrid before settling in Summit, New Jersey, and later Perth Amboy. She quickly entered the workforce at Ethylene Corporation in Murray Hill, where she advanced from machine operator to inventory control and production roles, managing complex industrial materials and financial ledgers.
Acevedo later spent fourteen years in religious life, performing missionary work in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Texas. After returning to New Jersey, she joined the Diocese of Metuchen, working at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal in Piscataway, where she conducts case investigations for marriage annulments. Throughout her life, Acevedo has pursued continuing education, completing multiple certification programs through the University of Dayton in catechesis, ministry leadership, and adult faith formation.
The Rutgers Oral History Archives received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. In the 2017-2019 cycle, this grant assisted the ROHA staff in making this oral history available to you for your use.