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Rutgers Oral History Archives

  • Interviewee: Rodriguez, Benito
  • PDF Interview: rodriguez_benito.pdf
  • Date: June 3, 2018
  • Place: Keansburg, NJ
  • Interviewers:
    • Aziel Rosado
  • Transcript Production Team:
    • Aziel Rosado
    • Yazmin Gomez
    • Carolina Montes
    • Kathryn Tracy Rizzi
  • Recommended Citation: Rodriguez, Benito. Oral History Interview, June 3, 2018, by Aziel Rosado, Page #, Rutgers Oral History Archives. Online: Insert URL (Last Accessed: Insert Date).
  • Permission:

    Permission to quote from this transcript must be obtained from the Rutgers Oral History Archives. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Aziel Rosado: Hello, this is Aziel Rosado, I'm here with ...

Keira Rodriguez: Keira Rodriguez.

Benito Rodriguez: Benito Rodriguez.

AR: And today we are going to be conducting an interview for the New Jersey Latino History archives at Rutgers University. The time is 8:02 PM, and the date is June 3rd, 2018. So we're going to begin by asking when and where were you born?

KR: ¿A dónde y -- a dónde y cuándo estaba...?

BR: Yo nací en Aguada. Eh, barrio Rio Grande de Aguada. Aguada, Puerto Rico.

AR: Is Aguada where you grew up?

KR: Aguada es donde… ¿a dónde naciste? ¿a dónde creciste?

BR: En Aguada.

AR: Ok. What was it like living in Aguada? Can you describe it?

KR: ¿Cómo fue viviendo en Aguada? ¿Lo puedes describir?

BR: Fue bueno. Fue bueno. Pa' mi fue bueno.

AR: So let's get a little bit more into specifics. Can you describe the neighborhood... like anything about it?

KR: ¿Puede decir mas especifico, cómo fue el sitio?

BR: El sitio es bueno.

KR: ¿Puedes describir? ¿Bonito?

BR: Para mi era bonito. Para otros no se.

AR: Did you have any neighbors?

KR: ¿Tenía algunos vecinos?

BR: Mi familia. Mi tia y mi tío.

AR: Ok. What were your parents' names?

KR: ¿Cómo se llamaban sus padres?

BR: Mi mamá se -- mi papá se llamaba Valerio Rodriguez y mi mamá, Santiaga Mata.

AR: What did they do for a living?

KR: ¿Que hicieron para sobrevivir ... su trabajo?

BR: La agricultura.

KR: "Agriculture," he said.

AR: Okay, was that the main form of income in Puerto Rico? In Aguada? Was everyone working for agriculture?

KR: ¿La mayoría de la gente trabajaban en eso en Aguada?

BR: Sí, porque ahí no había compañías.

KR: Yes, because there were no companies there.

AR: Around what time period was this?

KR: ¿Cómo en qué tiempo era esto?

BR: Siempre ha sido así, siempre.

KR: He said mostly all the time it's been like that.

AR: So no companies ever came into Aguada, Puerto Rico?

KR: So ninguna...

BR: A donde yo vivía no... en Aguada...

KR: En Aguada, just in Aguada…

BR: En Aguada yo no sé, yo se del barrio mio, de Aguada, de Aguada, Puerto Rico.

AR: Okay. How did your parents meet?

KR: ¿Cómo su padres se conocieron? ¿Cómo se conocieron tus papas?

BR: ¿Quién... mi papá y mi mama?

KR: Sí.

BR: Bueno, yo en verdad no sé.

KR: He really doesn't know.

AR: That's ok, that's fine.

AR: Do you have any brothers or sisters?

KR: ¿Tienes algunas hermanos o hermanas?

BR: Tengo dos hermanas.

KR: Two sisters.

BR: Y tenía un hermano que lo mató un rayo.

K R: He had a brother, and he passed away by lightning.

AR: A lightning strike?

KR: A lightning strike, yes.

AR: Oh wow. Were you close with your brothers and sisters growing up?

KR: ¿Era muy unido con los hermanos y hermanas?

BR: Sí. Con los hermanos y las hermanas.

KR: Con los hermanos?

BR: Todavia estoy unido.

KR: Yes, yes.

BR: Sí, todavia unido.

AR: Was family a big thing growing up? Were you guys always close or…?

KR: ¿La familia eras grande creciendo? ¿Eran unidos?

BR: Sí. Bastante grande y era bastante unidos también.

KR: Yes, pretty good and very close.

AR: Ok, now what was your first language?

KR: ¿Cuál era tu primer lenguaje?

BR: [laughter] Pues el español.

KR: Spanish.

AR: And did you grow up speaking Spanish and English or only Spanish?

KR: Cresiste ...

BR: El español, español.

AR: Okay, so …

KR: Spanish.

AR: Thanks, okay so eventually you did learn English, so why did you learn English?

KR: Eventualmente aprendiste a hablar inglés y ¿cómo y por qué aprendiste hablar inglés?

BR: Ok, yo me vine de Puerto Rico para acá y aquí aprendí un poco.

KR: Alright, so when he came from Puerto Rico to here, he learned it here.

BR: A little bit.

KR: A little bit.

AR: Ok, now, how did you learn it?

KR: ¿Cómo aprendiste?

AR: Did someone teach you? Or did you just learn as you came along?

KR: ¿Cómo lo aprendiste? ¿Alguien te enseñó …

BR: No tampoco.

KR: ... O en el trabajo?

BR: Cuando estábamos en el trabajo, aprendí más o menos, poco a poco. Fuí aprendiendo poco a poco.

KR: Alright, so when he was working little by little he learned.

AR: Ok, speaking of--so--what was the deciding factor to come to New Jersey? Why did you come to New Jersey?

KR: ¿Por qué te decidiste venir a New Jersey?

BR: Bueno, para tratar de ayudar mi papá. Buscando trabajo y tratando de ayudar a mi papá.

KR: He tried to help his parents and find a job.

AR: Okay well was that to send money back to Puerto Rico…?

BR: Sí…

AR: Or was that because his parents were coming here as well?

BR: No. Yo le mandaba algo. Le mandaba algo allá a Puerto Rico para ayudarlo.

KR: ¿Y tu papas querían venir acá o no?

BR: No, no.

KR: Alright, so yes, he used to send money there, but his parents didn't want to come.

AR: Ok, what do you remember about growing up in Puerto Rico? Can you describe anything?

KR: ¿Qué te recuerdas creciendo en Puerto Rico? ¿Puedes describir algo?

AR: That may have been different from the United States?

KR: ¿Algo que es diferente -- que a lo mejor era diferente de acá?

BR: Sí, muchas cosas.

KR: ¿Cómo?

BR: La gente que tratan bien a uno.

KR: He said...

BR: Y mucha cositas.

KR: ¿Cómo?

BR: Como... no, como te digo, la gente tratan a uno y eso…

KR: So mainly it's like the way people are and how they treat you. He finds it to be very different.

AR: Ok, so how is that different? How do people get treated in Puerto Rico versus how they're treated in the United States?

KR: ¿Cómo tú crees que es diferente como se trata allá opuesto acá en lo Estados Unidos?

BR: Bueno. En verdad no sé. Yo sé que cuando vas para Puerto Rico ves los cambios, puedes ver los cambios de aquí hace allá.

KR: Alright so he feels …

BR: Tratan bien a uno, las cosas son diferente cuando tu vas a comer. Muchos juguitos de mango. Muchos aguacates.

KR: Alright, so he said it is a little bit hard for him to describe. But he just said that it's very different. Then he also mentioned the eating.

AR: Ok, yes, so …

BR: La comida es diferente también.

KR: Yeah.

BR: La comida es diferente. Lechón asado, que aquí se consigue pero no sabe a lechón.
[laughter]

KR: [laughter] Alright so, pork. I honestly don't know how to say it.

AR: Yeah, that is fine. Which goes into my next question. What type of food do you remember eating in Puerto Rico?

KR: ¿Que comidas te recuerdas comer haya en Puerto Rico?

BR: [laughter] Arroz con gandules, y lechón asado y pasteles.

KR: Rice and peas and pasteles.

AR: Did you grow up listening to any type of music?

KR: ¿Creciste escuchando alguna música?

AR: ...In Puerto Rico?

KR: ...En Puerto Rico?

BR: Si, se oia musica. La salsa, y bolero, y todo.

KR: Mainly salsa.

BR: Y merengue...

KR: Merengue.

AR: Did you go to school in Puerto Rico?

KR: ¿Fuiste a la escuela?

BR: Si, pero muy poco.

KR: He did go but very little.

AR: How long?

BR: Yo fui hasta cuarto año, cuarto grado nada más.

KR: Fourth Grade. He only went into fourth--up to fourth grade.

BR: Tuve que dejarlo. No fui a las escuela porque tenía que ayudar mi papá también allá, a trabajar.

KR: Alright, so the reason that he didn't go to school is because he needed to help his parents.

AR: Okay and did that affect how your family viewed you? Did they value education highly?

KR: ¿Eso afecto como tu familia te vio?

BR: Bueno, yo creo que sí porque en verdad, verdad ahora me esta afectando a mi tambien.

KR: Y tu familia? You know, creía mucho en tu educación?

BR: Ellos casi no, no--también no estudiaron mucho.

KR: Yeah, so he said yes and he now finds that, yes, of course it's affecting him now, it affected him throughout him growing up and no. His parents didn't really go to school that much so it wasn't a big thing.

AR: Ok, was it usual for people to leave school early to work in Aguada?

KR: En ese tiempo, ¿era usual que la gente se fueran de la escuela temprano en Aguada?

BR: Sí, si. Yo creo que si, yo creo que si.

KR: Yes. Common.

AR: OK. Can you tell us about the types of work that you did when you left school?

KR: ¿Me puedes decir qué tipo de trabajo hiciste cuando te fuiste de la escuela?

BR: Si yo trabaje en lo que se llama la caña. Sembrando agricultura. Sembrando.

KR: Agriculture, meaning like planting.

BR: Yeah.

KR: Caña, I don't know what that is, I'm sorry. ¿Que es caña?

BR: Cómo se hace la azucar.

KR: Oh, caña is like what sugar is made of.

BR: De eso viene... venía. Porque ahora no hay caña.

KR: Now they don't have it. This was like back in the days.

BR: [laughter] Pesqué cangrejo…

KR: [laughter]

AR: Around what year is back in the days?

KR: Como a que…

AR: What years?

KR: ¿En qué años tu dice... cuando dice que eso fue anterior, los años atrás?

BR: Cuando yo tenía ya ochos o nueves años yo empecé a trabajar en eso.

KR: When he was about eight to nine years old he started working.

AR: And what year was that?

KR: Qué edad--I mean, qué año fue eso?

BR: Yo no se. Naci en el 51.

KR: Well I was born, he said I was born in '51, 66 now.

AR: Ok, ok. So around the 1960s you left school and started working?

KR: Yes. 1960.

AR: Okay. Perfect. Now, when did you decide to go to New Jersey?

KR: Like what year?

BR: Yo viné como….

AR: His age.

KR: ¿A qué edad te decidiste venir a New Jersey?

BR: Casi como a los 18 años.

KR: He came around one eight-one eighteen- eighteen years old.

AR: Ok. And why at that point did he decide to come? What was the deciding factor at eighteen that made him come?

KR: ¿Y porque a ese tiempo de decidiste venir para acá?

BR: Bueno, a ese tiempo se podía trabajar aquí en New Jersey. Porque si viene uno a los catorce años no se puede trabajar.

KR: Because at that time, he knew that he was able to work out here because if he would've came when he was fourteen he wasn't going to be able to work out here.

AR: Ok and what did your family think about you leaving to the United States?

KR: Y ¿qué tu familia pensó cuando le dijiste que quería venir para los Estados Unidos?

BR: Ellos estaban bien porque vine para la casa de mi hermana.

KR: They were actually okay with it because he came to his sister's house. So they were comfortable with it.

AR: And when did your sister come to the United States?

KR: ¿Cuándo tu hermana vino para acá?

BR: Ya ella estaba aquí cuando...

KR: ¿Como cuántos años a lo mejor... antes de que tu...?

BR: Yo creo que…

KR: His sister was already here.

BR: Yo creo que como... Yo no se si... Yo se que hacia bastante tiempo estaba aquí y mi cuñado estaba aquí.

KR: Yeah he said he doesn't really …

AR: She was born here?

BR: Who, mi hermana? No. She born in Puerto Rico.

AR: And you don't remember what age she went to the United States? Was it young or older?

KR: ¿Tu no te recuerda qué edad ella vino para acá?

BR: Ella vino para acá cuando ya se casó.

KR: She had already gotten married.

AR: Ok, do you have any favorite childhood memories that you would like to share? Can you think of one?

KR: ¿Tienes una memoria que son favoritas cuando era joven? ¿Qué te gustaría compartir?

BR: Cuando…En verdad no. No, me gustaba pescar.

KR: He used to like fishing.

AR: Ok, and is fishing something that like a lot of people would do in Puerto Rico? Or was there any other activities that people did?

BR: Si. Yo iba a la playa en Puerto Rico.

KR: He used to also go to the beach a lot.

AR: Okay cool, now one of these questions is--was there any political activism going on in Aguada? Meaning there was any riots or marches or just any forms of activism in general?

KR: ¿Allá en Puerto Rico era político? ¿Habían algunas …

AR: Riots?

KR: ..."riots" como la gente protestando? Cosas aci?

BR: No, la política siempre habido protestas y eso pero yo no estaba metido nunca en política.

KR: In politics there were always, like, protests and things like that but he wasn't really into it so he doesn't really know much.

AR: OK. So, did you ever want to go to college?

KR: Alguna vez pensó que quería ir al colegio?

BR: No, no.

KR: No.

AR: Was that in part because your family didn't really see the value in education?

KR: Y eso fue en parte era porque su familia no...

BR: Ellos no se preocuparon de eso mucho porque en verdad ellos no fueron también.

KR: It wasn't a big thing for them again because they really didn't go to school, so.

AR: Okay.

BR: Bueno, yo hice lo que se pudo, anyway.

KR: But he said he did what he could do.

BR: Por eso que yo le digo a ellos que estudien. Que estudien por eso.

KR: Mainly now this is why he always stresses the issue of his grandkids going to college and you know, follow up in your studies and doing well.

AR: And around what year did you come to the United States? It was around the 1970s?

BR: Mas o menos '69...

KR: 1969.

AR: Can you describe coming to the United States? Like the flight, was there a lot of Puerto Ricans migrating to the United States as well?

KR: En el vuelo, ¿habían muchos Puertorriqueños viniendo para acá?

BR: Sí. Siempre de Puerto Rico pa' acá siempre hay muchos.

KR: Yes, always. From Puerto Rico to here there's always a lot of Puerto Ricans coming here.

AR: Here as in New Jersey specifically?

KR: Sorry yes, New Jersey.

BR: Sí yo vine a New Jersey, sí.

AR: Do you know why so many came to New Jersey?

BR: Bueno, quizas les gustan New Jersey más que New York. Eso es así, no se porque.

KR: Maybe more--because he doesn't know why but maybe they like New Jersey more than New York.

BR: Yo mismo me gusta mas a New Jersey que a New York. Pero hay muchas gente que le gustan New Jersey…

KR: For example, I like more New Jersey than New York.

AR: Right, ok so it revolves around preference.

KR: Preference.

AR: Puerto Ricans have been migrating to New York and New Jersey in big numbers. Ok, so what was--how was it being a Puerto Rican and coming to the United States? Did anyone ever treat you differently?

KR: ¿Cómo era viniendo de Puerto Rico acá a los Estados Unidos? ¿Alguien lo trato diferente?

BR: No, a mi siempre me trataron bien porque me he llevado bien con todo el mundo.

KR: They basic--they always treated him well because he got along with everybody.

AR: Have you ever experienced any form of discrimination or racism because you were Latino?

KR: Alguna vez experiencias…?

BR: No, en ese tiempo no. En ese tiempo, no. Quizás ahora hay discriminación. Pero en ese tiempo se podía salir aquí por donde quieras...

KR: At that time he didn't, maybe now there is but at that time he was able to go anywhere. He didn't see a difference.

AR: And where specifically to--in New Jersey did you come to first and where did you end up?

KR: Y específicamente ¿en dónde en New Jersey fuiste y a donde?

BR: Yo vine directamente de Puerto Rico a Newark.

KR: Newark, he went to Newark. Y ¿a dónde, a dónde fue el último sitio?

BR: No, yo siempre e vivido en Newark y ahora que vivo aquí...

KR: Always in Newark, and now he lives here in Keansburg.

AR: And you settled down in Newark, one because of the airport and because of your sister?

KR: Y te…

BR: Yo vine de Newark para el aeropuerto de ahí a casa de mi hermana.

AR: Okay.

KR: Yeah so he came to Newark, to the airport and from there to his sister's house.

AR: Did you experience any culture shock coming from Puerto Rico to the United States? Was there a really different way of living?

KR: Experimentastes algún – algo en la cultura que era diferente de allá de Puerto Rico acá?

BR: Sí.

KR: ¿Al principio?

BR: Al principio sí es duro venir de Puerto Rico para acá. Venir para acá y estarte con los Americanos que uno no sabe como van a tratar a uno y como...

KR: Yeah, he…

BR: Tu sabes, tenía que bregar con ellos.

KR: Yeah, it was difficult in the beginning because the Americans--he didn't know how they would treat him and how they would treat him.

BR: A cualquier persona que venga nuevo de Puerto Rico o de cualquier sitio llegan a los Estados Unidos siempre van a tener un poco de miedo.

KR: For every person coming from Puerto Rico or any other place, they're always going to be a little bit afraid.

AR: Ok, so did that make adjusting to living in New Jersey hard? Did it take you a long time to find your place?

KR: So por eso ¿fue difícil acostumbraste aca en New Jersey?

BR: Un poquito difícil. Pero como yo viví con mi hermana y ahí estaba el primo mio, y mi cuñado, y el hermano del cuñado mio.

KR: Alright so it was a little bit difficult but mainly what he's saying is that his family was here so that made it easier.

AR: Okay and since you were with your family did you spend a majority of your time with them? Or did you go out and do your own thing?

KR: Si como estabas con tu familia, ¿siempre estabas con ellos o hacia su propia cosas?

BR: No. Yo hacia las--como estaba con ellos y cuando tenia que hacer mis cositas, yo hacía mis cosas.

KR: Yeah, he was with them but he also did his own thing when he had to but …

AR: Did you ever have any-- did you ever get married?

KR: Alguna vez te casaste?

BR: [laughter] No me case. Yo no era casado. Pero viví con una mujer que era cubana. Nos dejamos y ahora con tu abuela.

KR: So he never got legally married but he was living with a woman--she was Cuban and then he met your grandmother and got separated.

AR: Okay and how many--how did you come to meet your first--how did you come to meet Nereida? [Editor's Note: Nereida is the name of the mother of Benito's daughter. She also migrated from the island of Puerto Rico to Newark, New Jersey.]

KR: That's not his first. ¿Cómo--cómo conociste a la abuela de Aziel, Nereida?

BR: Bueno, yo la conocí cuando andaba con mi compadre y manejando y la vi por la ventana de un building y ahí le dije a mi compadre que esa iba ser mia.

KR: Alright, so he was driving and he was with his "compadre" and he saw her in a building like a window of a building and he told his "compadre" that she's going to be his.

AR: Really?

KR: And that's it.

AR: And how did you go about making her yours?

KR: ¿Y como hiciste para que ella sea suya?

BR: Bueno pues hablándole y yendo; pasando todo los dias por ahi.

KR: Talking to her and then he always used to go by there every day.

AR: How many children did you have--do you have?

KR: ¿Cuántos niños tienes?

BR: [Laughter] ¿Cuántos niños? Only one.

KR: Only one.

AR: Okay and while you were in Newark did you see any notable changes in the Puerto Rican population, meaning that when you came did you see that there was a lot or a little or did they change over time?

KR: ¿Cuándo viniste notaste que los Puertorriqueños habían muchos, habían pocos o cambiaron en tiempo?

BR: Había bastante, había bastante Puertorriqueños. Y todavía y hay bastante.

KR: There was plenty of Puerto Ricans and nowadays there's a lot.

AR: So do you think it's the same amount of Puerto Ricans in Newark today as opposed to when you came? Or do you think it's different?

KR: ¿Piensa que es igual o ahora es diferente?

BR: Es que ahora como hay muchos hispanos--de otra nacionalidad, pues hay muchos hispanos. Lo que yo se hay muchos hispanos.

KR: Pero Puertorriquenos.

BR: Puertorriqueños hay bas--creo que hay bastantes.

KR: ¿Igual or más?

BR: Yo creo que hay más.

KR: Alright. He said there's a lot of Spanish people in Newark, he says there's a lot of them, but he thinks there's more than when he came. [Editor's note: The "more" is in reference to the Puerto Rican population in Newark.]

AR: Okay, now, do you feel that your Puerto Rican background influenced the way you raised your children?

KR: ¿Siente que viniendo de Puerto Rico influenció como educastes o como le enseñastes a tus hijos?

BR: Sí porque yo no sé mucho. Porque aquí tú naciste aquí. Y no se como allá en Puerto Rico pero todo depende los padres.

KR: He said he doesn't really know, but I was born here.

AR: Okay, and did you teach your children Spanish?

KR: ¿Le enseñastes a tus hijos o a tu hija español?

BR: Sí. Siempre, siempre le hablaba español porque no hablo mucho ingles pero siempre le hablaba español y le decía ve la televisión en español que te va ayudar bastante. El inglés tu lo vas aprender en la escuela.

KR: He said always. He said he spoke to me in Spanish mainly because he didn't know English, but he always used to say "watch TV" and you know-again speaking to me in Spanish-he said, "You will learn English in school."

AR: Okay, and do you feel that you've maintained any connections with the island? Have you kept in touch with family out there?

KR: ¿Sientes que mantenistes una conexión con su familia? ¿Llamas alla?

BR: Sí. Mi familia siempre a sido unidos. Siempre la llamo a mi hermana que está allá; la llamo cada dos semanas o cada semana. Siempre. Haber como estan.

KR: Yes, his family was always very close so he calls his sister all the time. Maybe every week or every second week but yes.

AR: Okay which leads into my next question, how did you experience Hurricane Maria? Did you have family out there? Were they out there during the time of the storm? [Editor's Note: Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September 2017 and is widely thought to be the worst natural disaster in Puerto Rican history.]

KR: ¿Cómo experimentastes a el huracán Maria? ¿Tenía familia allá?

BR: Sí, tengo a mi hermana. Tengo a mi hermana se quedó sin luz y tengo mi sobrino.

KR: Yes, his sister, nephew, and nieces and, yes, they were without light.

AR: So they experienced the power outages, was there anything else?

KR: Power outages. ¿Había otras cosas que ellos experimentados con Huracán maria?

BR: Bueno, ellos no tuvieron ningún accidente. Pero sí, no tenían luz, no tenian agua.

KR: Yeah, so no accidents, but they didn't have any power and they didn't even have water.

AR: Okay, so can you tell me how your experience with other Latinos in New Jersey was? Was there anything that set it apart from any other minority?

KR: Puede decir ¿cómo era tu experiencia con algún otro latinos? ¿Puertorriquenos?

BR: Sí, yo tenia mi compadres. Siempre estábamos en los desfiles puertorriqueños y eso. Y no teníamos ningún problema. Siempre ha sido unido.

KR: Y con otros Latinos?

BR: Con otros Latinos si, yo tengo a mi amigo George que siempre trabajamos juntos.

KR: Pero había alguna diferencia?

BR: No, no. Yo nunca he tenido problemas con nadie, ni nada. No a habido nada diferente.

KR: Okay, so he said basically no.

AR: Okay, and when you first started working in Newark, where did you work?

KR: Cuando tu primero trabajaste en Newark, ¿a dónde trabajaste?

BR: [laughter] Este, yo trabaje en Linden, a trabajar en una fábrica de harina.

KR: So he used to go from Newark to Linden and it was harina company …

BR: Sí.

KR: A flour company.

BR: Yeah.

BR: Y de ahí dejé el trabajo y trabaje también en un restaurante en la ruta 22.

KR: From there he left that job and then he also worked at a restaurant on Route 22.

BR: Ahí no me querían pagar. Dejé el trabajo también. Y después me fui para la fábrica de Roselle paper.

KR: So they really didn't want to pay him well, so then from there he went over to Roselle Paper Company.

AR: Who was your boss at Roselle Paper Company?

KR: Quien era su jefe en Roselle Paper Company?

BR: El mio era "Tobia."

KR: "Tobia," that was his boss.

AR: Was he Puerto Rican as well?

KR: ¿Era Puertorriqueno?

BR: No, era Judio.

KR: No, he was Jewish.

AR: Okay, and did that ultimately affect you in your workplace? Did they only speak English? Did they speak Spanish as well?

KR: ¿Eso te afecto en el trabajo? ¿Ellos nada más hablaban en inglés o hablaban español?

BR: No. Ellos hablaban en inglés y en judío y eso. Pero eso no me afectó. Con ellos nunca me afecto.

KR: No, they only spoke English and their language but no, it did not affect him.

AR: And how long did you work there?

KR: Cuantos tiempo trabajó allá?

BR: 44 años.

KR: 44 years, about 44 years.

AR: Ok, alright, so that concludes my interview. I want to thank you guys for participating. As you guys know, and I said in the beginning, this will be going for the New Jersey Latino History Archive at Rutgers University. As well- also just wanted to let you guys know that once we transcribe it, meaning that we type everything down, we will send it to you guys. We will give you the opportunity to read through it, and also edit it as you guys would like. So if you want to remove anything that can be done. With that being said, I want to thank you guys.

-------------------------------------------END OF INTERVIEW---------------------------------------------

Transcribed by Aziel Rosado
Reviewed by Yazmin Gomez
Reviewed by Carolina Montes
Reviewed by Kathryn Tracy Rizzi

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"HERE IS A BULLETIN...": Memories of the Day Camelot Died

 

This month marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.

Images from that day and the events that followed remain etched in our collective consciousness—the open-top Presidential limo traveling down the people-lined streets of Dallas; President Lyndon Baines Johnson taking the oath of office on Air Force One beside a shaken First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy; John, Jr. saluting his father's passing casket at the funeral in DC.

Those who lived through that traumatic period can recall both their initial shock and the nuances of their reactions.

In "HERE IS A BULLETIN...": Memories of the Day Camelot Died, ROHA presents a sampling of stories related to the Kennedy tragedy, a touchstone event for multiple generations.

The Rutgers Targum (campus newspaper) cover from its November 22, 1963 issue. (Image courtesy of Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.)

 

Voices of Veterans Banner 1

Voices of Veterans

 

Voices of Veterans is an online exhibit showcasing passages from oral history interviews of veterans who served in the Second World War and in wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan. ROHA created this exhibit in commemoration of Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT MORE ONLINE EXHIBITS 

 

 

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