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Prior to the arrival of the cigar industry in 1890 and the immigrants that followed Tampa was nothing more than a small southern back-water settlement with all the Jim Crow laws that went with it. Strangely enough, the immigrants had a relatively easy time of it...especially the Spaniards for some reason. Even though schools were segregated along racial lines there was no attempt to segregate along the lines of ethnic heritage. Culturally, the Spaniards were probably the first to assimilate......several prominent Spaniards married daughters of old Tampa Anglo families early in the last century. The only group to suffer under Tampa's segregation laws were Afro-Cubans. Sadly, upon arriving in Tampa in the early 1900's many were faced with a dilemma...they could not attend the same schools as their white Cuban or Spanish friends and they did not want to attend the black schools, feeling culturally different from black Americans. As a result by the time of the Great Depression most Afro-Cubans had left Tampa for New York. During the last 20 years or so many of their children have returned to a different Tampa and have rejuvenated their social club, La Union Marti-Maceo.
As for religion, in a nutshell, most of the Asturianos in Tampa were not very religious, my family included. My grandfather often said one of the main reasons he left Spain was to escape what he saw as repression of the people by the Catholic Church. I'm only sharing my personal observations and do not wish to be insensitive to anyone's spiritual beliefs.
To my hermanos from WV....what was your experience with the church and spirituality in general within your immigrant community?
In summary, the Spanish community in Tampa was clearly accepted as white, in a legal sense, but there was some cultural prejudice,somewhat analogous to being Irish in Boston during the 1800's, but assimilation was fairly rapid.
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Tony Carreno/Tampa Florida
How were hispanics treated during the civil rights movement? Compared to whom? Blacks? Well compared to black folks hispanics got treated like kings.
I know a very charming couple, both in their 70's now. The wife is distantly related to my spouse. Both are from old old OLD-line Mexican-American families in Southern Cal., mostly predating the arrival of the Americans.
The wife in her childhood attended a completely 'mixed' grade school....whites, Filipinos, Japanese, blacks, Mexicans. The husband, who grew up about 20 miles away, attended a 'segregated' (by custom...not by law) school....Mexicans and Indians only.
Interestingly, the wife attended college and came out near the very TOP of her class. Her instructor said she'd 'ace' the hiring requirements for the City of Long Beach accounting dept...but that "just now, Long Beach isn't hiring Mexicans". The instructor DID help her land a job with a large private employer, where she stayed many years and rose far in the organization.
'Segregation and oppression', as it was known in Alabama or Mississippi? No, certainly not....BUT there was a certain amount of 'profiling' here, for sure...
I read a lot of accounts of Spanish inmigrants from Asturias, Spain, in North Virginia.
There was a large group there working in Zinc smelting. They had problems with the KKK because the KLAN considered they were Catholics and "radicals". 1900-1920.
I read a lot of accounts of Spanish inmigrants from Asturias, Spain, in North Virginia.
There was a large group there working in Zinc smelting. They had problems with the KKK because the KLAN considered they were Catholics and "radicals". 1900-1920.
We Catholics have ALWAYS had a rather cold reception from that segment of society. I grew up in an isolated timber town on the Oregon coast, populated by a large number of 'Southern types' who'd migrated there during the great depression, or post World War II. There were MANY 'Catholic' jokes, a lot of disparging comments, and I vividly recall as a young boy during John F. Kennedy's campaign, that US quarters were in circulation, bearing a crude red 'cardinal's biretta' cap on the head of George Washington. Apparently some 'yahoo' had sat up all night producing these things using red fingernail polish..and they always got a 'chuckle' among the rednecks at the grocery store. These folks were TERRIFIED at the prospect of a Catholic president, assuming such a person would have 'divided loyalties' and would 'take his orders from the Vatican'...and he MIGHT even 'worship the Pope'. Hard to believe such ignorance occurred in my own lifetime.
These southerners (most of whom apparently professed to be of the baptist religion) made no secret of their mistrust of us "Cat-lickers", and the sheer ignorance was sometimes breath taking. Being a child, I generally just said nothing...but I DID feel the shame.
The KKK, as you probably know, had a huge surge in membership back in the 1920's and 30's. It moved far beyond its original rural Southern roots, to include 'nativist' Americans in a wide part of the nation. Oregon and California had quite a membership, I understand.....and there were occasional 'Klan' parades held in cities FAR from the South. It became a sort of 'catch-all' group opposing NOT only blacks, but anyone or any THING not 'quite American'....racial minorities, Jews, 'Eye-talians', Irish, Catholics....people with 'long, funny names'.....ANYBODY who was seen as 'diluting' the cause of white, Protestant America.
In my small town, a rumor had it that one of our prominent dentists had once secretly participated in a 'KKK' parade...someone saw his hand protuding from his 'uniform', and it bore some sort of distinctive ring the man always wore. Happened before I was born, so can't verify that.
But the incident you describe doesn't surprise me...the South (except for parts of Lousiana, Texas, Florida, etc) has ALWAYS had a rather 'wary' view of Catholics....although I'm told that's slowly changing.
There are no Latinas from Spain, except a girl sired from recent waves of Non-White Hispanics from Latin America. In Spain, "Latino" refers more or less to Non-White Hispanics.
Correction: under US law; a Hispanic/Latino is someone from either Latin America or Spain. Needless to say; Pilar (her actual name) was most definitely a Hispanic despite having no indigenous American, etc. heritage.
I read a lot of accounts of Spanish inmigrants from Asturias, Spain, in North Virginia.
There was a large group there working in Zinc smelting. They had problems with the KKK because the KLAN considered they were Catholics and "radicals". 1900-1920.
Yet Leander Perez was (probably) in tight with the KKK.............go figure.
What about dark Hispanics, were they considered black?
I think your question is more about before the Civil Rights movement rather than during.........yes, people who looked black or who were known to be of African ancestry were treated no different than American blacks. This was definitely the case in Southern cities (Tampa, Miami, New Orleans). Black Latinos fought in segregated "Negro" units (or served in "Negro" roles on Navy ships) in WWI and WWII.
You can be Hispanic and be Nordic White since Spain suffered many Germanic invasions and immigration from Northern Europe, but I guess that the typical steorotype is the typical Mediterranean inhabitant, just like Italians.
I guess that Catholic schools didn't practice Jim Crow.
In defending segregation, Perez said: Do you know what the Negro is? Animal right out of the jungle. Passion. Welfare. Easy life. That's the Negro.
The American Civil Rights Movement, according to Perez, was the work of "all those Jews who were supposed to have been cremated at Buchenwald and Dachau but weren't, and Roosevelt allowed 2 million of them illegal entry into our country."
In 1960, while opposing desegregation of local public schools at a New Orleans rally, Perez said: Don't wait for your daughter to be raped by these Congolese. Don't wait until the burrheads are forced into your schools. Do something about it now.
In response, Archbishop Joseph Rummel excommunicated Perez on April 16, 1962. Perez responded by saying the Catholic Church was "being used as a front for clever Jews" and announced that he would form his own church, the "Perezbyterians."
He eventually reconciled with the church before his death and received a requiem mass at Holy Name of Jesus Christ Church at Loyola University in New Orleans. He is interred at his home in Plaquemines Paris
Yes, Judge Perez was one vile human being, and so were his brothers and sons.
Location: West Los Angeles and Rancho Palos Verdes
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Originally Posted by ArizonaBear
Ironic: I knew a 'Latina' from Spain; born and raised------------she was definitely Nordic White as well (blonde hair, blue eyes and white skin).
Is that the one who also lived in Argentina?
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, and it bore some sort of distinctive ring the man always wore. Happened before I was born, so can't verify that.
