As you read through the text below, you will find links to audio snippets from an interview I conducted with Benjy recently. The text is a snapshot of some of the topics we covered in our talk. Click the play button to "Listen In!" and hear Benjy in his own words.
(Be patient - depending on your connection speed, download may be dealyed a few seconds)
Written by, Chuck Reese
enjamin Melendez was born in San Jaun, Puerto Rico, August 3, 1952. Shortly after Benjy was born, his parents, in search of better economic circumstances, migrated into the continental United States and settled in New York City. Listen in!
History tells it that Puerto Rico was ceded over to the United States On July 25, 1898, as one of the outcomes of the Spanish-American War. It jump started an era of economic stimilus, road building and school construction. One of the after effects was the introduction of the Anglo culture into the spanish culture. Listen in!
Benjy"s mother practiced embroidery, and also cooked for very important families in Puerto Rico. Listen in! His Father was a laundry man, that was his business. The family lived down the block from the Headquarters of Don Pedro Albizu Campos, President of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party.
Benjy would find out later on after he started the Ghetto Brothers that his Father used to cook and iron the clothes of Albizu Campos. Listen in! At this point Benjy was already developing his sense of nationalism and had been a strong admirer of Campos. Even though his father didn't agree with Campos's politics he recognized that Benjy was getting more involved in Puerto Rican Nationalism. That's when he opened up and discussed his relationship with Campos to his son.
Benjy's father was a very religious man, and always respected authority. Although he didn't see eye to eye with Campos he respected him. He told Benjy that Campos was a decent and fair man , who never imposed his ideology on anyone, but rather he encouraged independent thought. Allowing you to form your own opinion about the world. Campos was loved and respected throughout the spanish community. Listen in!
With the promise of a better life blossoming over the American horizon, Benjy's family was shocked to experience the same discrimination that the blacks, the irish and a host of other immigrant groups went through after reaching American shores. Listen in!