September 2023

According to a Wikipedia search, the South Bronx was originally called the “Manor of Morrisania”, and later “Morrisania.” It was also famous as the private domain of the powerful and aristocratic Morris family, which includes Lewis Morris, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Governor Morris, the penman of the United States Constitution.

As a point of historical reference, we settled in the South Bronx circa mid 1960s and it was populated largely by working-class families. Its image as a poverty-ridden area developed in the latter part of the 20th century. Research shows that there were several factors contributing to the decay of the South Bronx, namely the societal trends known as: “white flight”, “landlord abandonment”, economic changes, crime, demographics and also the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway.  

Upon our arrival from Cuba, my parents lived in a low cost basement apartment given my father’s first job as a “building superintendent” or commonly known as the “Super” among tenants.  His duties included handyman repair services, boiler maintenance, sweeping the sidewalks during most of the year and shoveling snow off the sidewalks during the harsh winters.  Another one of my Dad’s duties included taking out the building trash and maintaining the cement grounds to keep a neat appearance at all times.  There’s no doubt this was a low wage position but my Dad quickly took on other part-time jobs to provide for his family of four such as janitorial duties (i.e., scrubbing toilets, mopping / waxing floors). These were also an opportunity for my father to practice his spoken English as a second language.  We learned later in life that my Dad had completed about an 11th grade education where he also took beginner English classes in Havana.  He quit school to help out at my paternal grandparents farm in the outskirts of Havana in a neighborhood called “Diezmero”.  My mother completed 8th grade and then began working as a seamstress apprentice at a swimsuit factory near Havana.

My parents always lectured the kids about the importance of “education” as the key to a successful future in America.  As children it became an annoying part of our upbringing but, in retrospect, we were all grateful for this passion they instilled in us for lifelong learning.  It was definitely a key for our advancement as productive citizens in this new country.

By the mid 1960s, my parents had saved enough money for a downpayment and fulfillment of their first single family home ownership dream. Definitely a testimony to their sacrifices and hard work to be able to qualify for their first and only mortgage on a $20,000 three story home in the suburbs of the South Bronx.  This single family home was in the Clason Point / Shore Haven section of the Bronx.  Shortly after my parents closed on this property, I vividly recall making weekend trips to the house with my Dad under the guise of checking on the property and conducting a few “maintenance walkthroughs”.  We may have picked up a few things but in reality, my father spent a bulk of our weekends studying New York City road maps in preparation for his next part time gig as a New York City yellow cab driver.

My sister and I were in awe as we no longer had to share an apartment makeshift bedroom in the middle of the living room but we each had our own bedroom on the 2nd floor of this 2,600 sq ft multi-family home built in 1925 on a 5,000 sq ft lot!  We felt like our family had won the lottery – ready for this new chapter in our new Bronx neighborhood!