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[Last name, First name], Oral history interview conducted by [Interviewer’s First name Last name], [Month DD, YYYY], [Title of Collection], [Call #]; Brooklyn Historical Society.

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Peter O. Mercado

Oral history interview conducted by John D. Vazquez

October 23, 1974

Call number: 1976.001.043

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0:05 - Introductions; arrival in NYC, looking for work, bringing family over to U.S.

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7:16 - Opening shop, siblings' marriages

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11:57 - Working for democratic club, notable figures

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20:32 - Nightclub, recollections of Jose Luis and Tony Santiago

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25:54 - Lack of difficulty finding a job, going to trade school after war service

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30:01 - Political affiliations

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37:10 - Formative years for Puerto Rican community, lack of unity in the modern day

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41:32 - Typical jobs for Puerto Ricans in 1940s, necessity of learning English, Brooklyn bodegas

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Interview Description

Oral History Interview with Peter O. Mercado

Peter Mercado arrived in Brooklyn from Puerto Rico at the age of eighteen on April 9, 1928. He was still a resident of the borough when interviewed in 1974. He was a small business owner in the Brooklyn community, formerly running a small storefront print shop at 314 Adams Street.

Peter Mercado, sixty-five when this interview occurred in 1974, emphasizes his well-informed view of the Puerto Rican community. He discusses his meeting with Carlos Tapia during the 1932 elections. He makes reference to the de Hostos Democratic Club; describing its activities and stating specific areas where Hispanic American votes were sought. Mercado recalls personalities such as politician Vito Marcantonio, businessman Don Parovereret, César Rodriquez, and Marino Rodriquez; both early businessmen in the Puerto Rican community in Brooklyn. He also makes reference to Jesus Colón and Gualda Rivera. Interview conducted by John D. Vasquez.

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

Mercado, Peter O., Oral history interview conducted by John D. Vazquez, October 23, 1974, Puerto Rican Oral History Project records, 1976.001.043; Brooklyn Historical Society.

People

  • de Hostos
  • Democratic Club
  • Denis, Antonia
  • Grevi, Santiago
  • Marcantonio, Vito
  • Mercado, Peter O.
  • Tapia, Carlos

Topics

  • Business enterprises
  • Emigration and immigration
  • Employment
  • Freemasons
  • Journalism
  • Periodicals
  • Politics and government
  • Puerto Ricans

Places

  • Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
  • Puerto Rico

Finding Aid

Puerto Rican Oral History Project records