Latino Life Stories - Newark Public Library

Latino Life Stories

Latino Life Stories

Latino Life Stories

“Campaign – McCann ’85.” Eliú Rivera – Papers, Puerto Rican Community Archives at the Newark Public Library. OZ_SZ 1.

This project contains fifteen oral histories of pioneering leaders from New Jersey’s Latino community. The interviews contain a wealth of information on the early history of Latino communities throughout the state and the founding of several important Hispanic organizations during the second half of the twentieth century. The focus of these Oral Histories is the unique life experiences of the interviewees, which taken as a whole document the Latino experience and the foundation of a unified history of the Latino community. While the Oral Histories are as unique as their subjects, commonalities in their experiences, perceptions and struggles emerge. Latino Life Stories includes interviews with a former Executive Director of Puertorriqueños Asociados for Community Organization, Inc. (P.A.C.O.) in Jersey City; the first Latino Deputy Mayor of Newark; the founder of the Hispanic Association for Higher Education (HAHE) in New Jersey; the co–founders of Mercer County Hispanic Association (MECHA) in Trenton; former President and CEO of Focus Inc., the oldest community–based Latino organization in New Jersey; and other community advocates and activists in the fields of education, social work, religion, law enforcement, local politics, music and dance.

Prepared by Ingrid Betancourt, NJHRIC Director. October 2012
Updated by Juber Ayala, Archivist. January 2021

The NJHRIC at the Newark Public Library would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge, in addition to the credited participants of this project, the hard work of archival assistants, Juber Ayala and Crystal Izquierdo, and intern, Giselle Torres.

Access to full verbatim interview transcripts and audio recordings are available by appointment only. Contact an NJHRIC archivist at njhric@npl.org, (973)733–4791, or via mail, NJHRIC at The Newark Public Library, 5 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102 with your request.


INTERVIEWEES

Juan Cartagena, Esq. | Rev. Fernando Luis Colón, Jr. | José E. Delgado | Michael Fernández | Sister Deborah Humphreys | Casto Maldonado–López | Carmen L. Martínez | Jesús Padilla | Anna Rivera | Eliu Rivera | Hon. Joseph H. Rodríguez | Miguel E. Rodríguez | Irma Ruíz Gómez | Mariano Vega, Jr. | Virgen Vélez

Juan Cartagena, Esq.

Juan Cartagena, Esq.
President and General Counsel,
LatinoJustice, PRLDEF

  • Demographics — Jersey City, New Jersey
  • Law — Civil Rights
  • Race Riots — Jersey City, New Jersey
  • Puerto Rican Identity and Culture
  • Gentrification — Jersey City, NJ
Rev. Fernando Luis Colón, Jr.

Rev. Fernando Luis Colón, Jr.
Pastor, Primera Iglesia Cristiana Circulo De Oracion
Former City Council Member, Jersey City

  • Family and Community Life — Jersey City, New Jersey
  • Puerto Rican Community — Jersey City, New Jersey
  • Politics — Hudson County, NJ
  • Community Involvement Jersey City,NJ
José E. Delgado

José E. Delgado
Retired investigator for the Public Defender,
Former member of the Camden Board of Education

  • Bilingual Education
  • Politics — Camden County, New Jersey
  • Board of Education — Camden, New Jersey
  • Puerto Rican Identity and Culture
Michael Fernández

Michael Fernández
Executive Assistant to the President for External Affairs,
New Jersey City University
Chair, New Jersey Historical Commission

  • Higher Education
  • Family Life — New Jersey
  • Puerto Rican Migration
  • Politics — New Jersey
Sister Deborah Humphreys, SC

Sister Deborah Humphreys, SC
Councilor, Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
Co–founder, El Club del Barrio, Newark, New Jersey

  • Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth — New Jersey
  • St. Columba Parish — Newark, New Jersey
  • El Club del Barrio — Newark, New Jersey
  • Migrant Farm Workers — New Jersey
Casto Maldonado–López

Casto Maldonado–López
Former President and CEO of FOCUS, Inc.

  • FOCUS, Inc. — Newark, New Jersey
  • Community Involvement — Newark, New Jersey
  • Puerto Rican Migration
  • Puerto Rican Identity and Culture
Carmen L. Martínez

Carmen L. Martínez
Retired social worker, Camden, New Jersey

  • Puerto Rican Day Parade (San Juan Bautista Parade) — Camden, New Jersey
  • Puerto Rican Riots (1971) — Camden New Jersey
  • Family and Community Life — Camden, New Jersey
  • Youth Services (Health and Human Services) — Camden New Jersey
  • Our Lady of Fatima Church — Camden, New Jersey
Jesús Padilla

Jesús Padilla
Undersheriff, Civil Process Division,
Essex County Sheriff’s Office

  • Police Department — Newark, New Jersey
  • Race Riots (1967 & 1974) — Newark, New Jersey
  • Employment Discrimination
  • Community Involvement — Newark, New Jersey
Anna Rivera

Anna “Cuqui” Rivera
Community Organizer and Civil Rights Advocate

  • Family and Community Life — New Brunswick, New Jersey
  • Community Activism — Mercer County, New Jersey
  • Race Relations
  • Prisoners’ Advocacy — Department of Corrections
Eliu Rivera

Eliu Rivera
Former Executive Director, P.A.C.O. (Puertorriqueños Asociados for Community Organization, Inc.)
Chairman, Hudson County Freeholder

  • Family and Community Life
  • P.A.C.O., Inc.
  • Politics & Bilingual Services
Hon. Joseph H. Rodríguez

Hon. Joseph H. Rodríguez
Senior Federal Judge
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

  • Legal Advocacy — Camden, New Jersey
  • Law — Civil Rights
  • Politics — New Jersey
  • Community Life — Camden, New Jersey
  • Camden, New Jersey — History
Miguel Rodriguez

Miguel “Mike” E. Rodríguez
Former President,
Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce, Essex County

  • Family and Community Life
  • Puerto Rican Community — Newark, New Jersey
  • Race Relations — Newark, New Jersey
  • Hispanic–American Chamber of Commerce of Essex County — Essex County, New Jersey
Irma Ruíz Gómez

Irma Ruíz Gómez
Community Activist, Mercer Street Friends,
Founding Member of Mercer County Hispanic Association (MECHA)

  • Family and Community Life
  • Puerto Rican Community — New Jersey
  • MECHA (Mercer County Hispanic Association) — Trenton, New Jersey
  • Life in the Methodist Church
  • Demographics — Trenton, New Jersey
Mariano Vega, Jr.

Mariano Vega, Jr.
Former Jersey City Council President

  • Higher Education — Admissions
  • Social Services — Hudson County, New Jersey
  • Politics — Jersey City, New Jersey
  • Family and Community Life — Jersey City, New Jersey
Virgen Vélez

(Photo Not Yet Available)

Virgen Vélez
Director, Mercer County One-Stop Career Center,
Founding Member of Mercer County Hispanic Association (MECHA)

  • Family and Community Life
  • MECHA (Mercer County Hispanic Association) — Trenton, New Jersey
  • Mercer County One Stop Career Center — Mercer County, New Jersey
  • Demographics — Trenton, New Jersey
  • Politics — Mercer County, New Jersey
New Jersey Historical Commission New Jersey Council for the Humanities

This project was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State and the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

Additionally, any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the Newark Public Library or the New Jersey Research and Information Center at the Newark Public Library.