Homero Melendez

Interview Description

Oral History Interview with Homero Melendez

Ecuadorian American Homero Melendez served as president of the Comité Cívico Ecuatoriano, an umbrella organization that groups together all the Ecuadorian associations and clubs in the New York City area. Melendez immigrated to New York City in 1970, and lived for a time in Manhattan's El Barrio. From the mid-1970s to the time of the 1989 interview, he was a resident of the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, and he speaks of the changes he has seen there since his arrival; especially the influx of Ecuadorians. A certified accountant, Melendez found work in factories as a mechanic when he first arrived in New York. He began to study English, and became an accountant for the Malabe Shipping Company in Brooklyn, where he spent five years. In 1989 he was working as a manager for a large company that imports footwear from Spain.

In the interview, Homero Melendez gives a detailed account of the Comite Civico Ecuatoriano's history, fundraising activities, social events, and their efforts on behalf of the sick and needy in his home country. He describes the founding of the Ecuadorian Parade in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, which has a large Ecuadorian community. He names several Ecuadorian-owned businesses in his home turf of the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. In closing, Melendez relates some of his personal history; including career moves and learning English. Interview in Spanish conducted by Marcelo Herman.

Brooklyn Historical Society initiated the Hispanic Communities Documentation Project in 1988. Over fifty interviews were conducted to document the experiences of Brooklyn residents who arrived from Puerto Rico, Panama, Ecuador, and several other Central and South American nations in the latter half of the twentieth century. This collection includes recordings and transcripts of interviews conducted between 1988 and 1989. The oral histories often contain descriptions of immigration, living arrangements, neighborhood demographics, discrimination, employment, community development, and political leadership. Also included are photographs and printed ephemera.

Citation

Melendez, Homero, Oral history interview conducted by Marcelo Herman, March 10, 1989, Hispanic Communities Documentation Project records and oral histories, 1989.004.30; Brooklyn Historical Society.