Gumercindo Martinez

Interview Description

Oral History Interview with Gumercindo Martínez

Gumercindo Martínez was born in 1935 in Salinas, Puerto Rico. At the age of eighteen, he joined the United States Army and moved to Brooklyn, New York. He came from a modest upbringing, had six siblings, and his father was a sugar chemist at the Aguirre sugar mill in Salinas, Puerto Rico. Martínez was an active community member and politician. He studied at a commercial high school and became an office clerk before starting a career in politics. He occupied the positions of Assistant Administrator of the Board of Elections and Commissioner of the Board of Elections in Brooklyn. At the time of the interview, Martínez was director of the Bronx Model Cities program. He was married to Teodora Martínez, who was also active in political and civic activities.

In this interview, Gumercindo Martínez briefly narrates his first experiences in Brooklyn, New York, living conditions in 1950s Brooklyn, and his family's economic conditions. He discusses his political career and goes into detail on his accomplishments as part of the Board of Elections and as director of Bronx Model Cities. He focuses his narrative on voter registration campaigns, discrimination in the polls, and the need for Puerto Ricans to be more invested in United States politics while living in the U.S. Martínez also talks about the history of Los Pioneros and their first march to commemorate Antonia Denis. He mentions many Puerto Rican organizations such as the Puerto Rican Democratic Club, the Betances Democratic Club, La Casa Borinquen, El Bello Ideal Puertorriqueño and La Federación de Sociedades Hispanas; although he does not go into detail on any of these. The narrator also talks about his wife, Teodora Martínez, and lists several of her positions and accomplishments in politics. Interview in Spanish conducted by Jaime Barreto.

This collection includes recordings and transcripts of oral histories narrated by those in the Puerto Rican community of Brooklyn who arrived between 1917 and 1940. The Long Island Historical Society initiated the Puerto Rican Oral History Project in 1973, conducting over eighty interviews between 1973 and 1975. The oral histories often contain descriptions of immigration, living arrangements, neighborhood ethnicities, discrimination, employment, community development, and political leadership. Also included are newspaper clippings, brochures, booklets about Brooklyn's Puerto Rican community, and administrative information on how the project was developed, carried out, and evaluated.

Citation

Martinez, Gumercindo, Oral history interview conducted by Jaime Barreto, October 15, 1974, Puerto Rican Oral History Project records, 1976.001.039; Brooklyn Historical Society.