I never got a chance to talk to them. I was standing outside the store, waiting for passersby to walk into the frame, but as you can clearly see here, these guys saw my camera and started to ham it up. I'm assuiming they're Puerto Ricans.
Bethlehem Steel used to go as far away as Texas to recruit workers, so there has long been a Mexican presence in Allentown, but there are now many Puerto Ricans as well.
Here's a corrido about Mexicans coming to PA to work for Bethlehem Steel:
Corrido Pensilvanio
El día 28 de abril A las seis de la manaña, Salimos en un enganche Pa’l estado de Pensilvania. Mi chinita me decía, Yo me voy en esa agencia, Para lavarle su ropa Para darle su asistencia. El enganchista me dijo, No lleves a tu familia Para no pasar trabajos En el estado de West Virginia. Pa’ que sepas que te quiero Me dejas en Fort Worth, Cuando ya estés trabajando Me escribes de donde estés. Cuando ya estés por allá Me escribes, no seas ingrato, En contestación to mando De recuerdo mi retrato. Adiós estado de Texas Con tu vas tu plantacion, Yo me voy pa’ Pensilvania Por no piscar algodón. Adiós, Fort Worth y Dallas, Por no de mucha importancia Yo me voy pa’ Pensilvania Por no andar en la vagancia. Al llegar al steel mill worque, Que vemos la locomotora Y salimos corriendo Ochenta millas por hora! Cuando llegamos allá Y del tren nos bajamos, Preguntan las italianas, ¿De dónde vienen mexicanos? Responden los mexicanos, Los que ya saben “inglear,” Venimos en un engache Del pueblo de Fort Worth. Estos versos son compuestos Cuando yo venía en camino Soy un muchacho mexicano Nombre das por Contestino. Ya con ésta me despido Con mi sombrero en la mano, Y mis fieles compañeros Son trescientos mexicanos.
***
On the 28th of April At six o’clock in the morning We set out under contract For the state of Pennsylvania. My little sweetheart said to me, “I’m going into that office, And say I’ll wash your clothes And take care of you.” The contractor said to me, “Don’t take your family Or you’ll pass up this job It’s in the state of West Virginia.” “So you’ll know that I love you, When you leave me in Fort Worth, And you have started working, Write me from where you are. “When you are there Write me, don’t be forgetful; In reply I will send you My picture as a ‘forgetmenot’.” Goodbye, state of Texas, With you goes your plantation I’m going to Pennsylvania But not for picking cotton. Goodbye, Fort Worth and Dallas, You’re not much to me now, I’m going to Pennsylvania To be a vagrant no more. When we got to the steel works We saw the locomotive And we came running At eighty miles an hour! When we arrived there And got off the train, The Italian girls asked us, “Where do you come from, Mexicans?” The Mexicans reply, Those who know how “to English,” “We come out under contract From the town of Forth Worth.” These verses were composed When I was on the way; I’m a Mexican boy, Call me “Contestino.” And with this I take my leave With sombrero in my hands, And my faithful companions, Three hundred Mexicans.
–from Paul S. Taylor’s Mexican Labor in the United States, Vol II (Berkeley: University of California, 1931)
2 comments:
I see they were more than happy to take the time for a picture. What is their story?
Hi Sylvester,
I never got a chance to talk to them. I was standing outside the store, waiting for passersby to walk into the frame, but as you can clearly see here, these guys saw my camera and started to ham it up. I'm assuiming they're Puerto Ricans.
Bethlehem Steel used to go as far away as Texas to recruit workers, so there has long been a Mexican presence in Allentown, but there are now many Puerto Ricans as well.
Here's a corrido about Mexicans coming to PA to work for Bethlehem Steel:
Corrido Pensilvanio
El día 28 de abril
A las seis de la manaña,
Salimos en un enganche
Pa’l estado de Pensilvania.
Mi chinita me decía,
Yo me voy en esa agencia,
Para lavarle su ropa
Para darle su asistencia.
El enganchista me dijo,
No lleves a tu familia
Para no pasar trabajos
En el estado de West Virginia.
Pa’ que sepas que te quiero
Me dejas en Fort Worth,
Cuando ya estés trabajando
Me escribes de donde estés.
Cuando ya estés por allá
Me escribes, no seas ingrato,
En contestación to mando
De recuerdo mi retrato.
Adiós estado de Texas
Con tu vas tu plantacion,
Yo me voy pa’ Pensilvania
Por no piscar algodón.
Adiós, Fort Worth y Dallas,
Por no de mucha importancia
Yo me voy pa’ Pensilvania
Por no andar en la vagancia.
Al llegar al steel mill worque,
Que vemos la locomotora
Y salimos corriendo
Ochenta millas por hora!
Cuando llegamos allá
Y del tren nos bajamos,
Preguntan las italianas,
¿De dónde vienen mexicanos?
Responden los mexicanos,
Los que ya saben “inglear,”
Venimos en un engache
Del pueblo de Fort Worth.
Estos versos son compuestos
Cuando yo venía en camino
Soy un muchacho mexicano
Nombre das por Contestino.
Ya con ésta me despido
Con mi sombrero en la mano,
Y mis fieles compañeros
Son trescientos mexicanos.
***
On the 28th of April
At six o’clock in the morning
We set out under contract
For the state of Pennsylvania.
My little sweetheart said to me,
“I’m going into that office,
And say I’ll wash your clothes
And take care of you.”
The contractor said to me,
“Don’t take your family
Or you’ll pass up this job
It’s in the state of West Virginia.”
“So you’ll know that I love you,
When you leave me in Fort Worth,
And you have started working,
Write me from where you are.
“When you are there
Write me, don’t be forgetful;
In reply I will send you
My picture as a ‘forgetmenot’.”
Goodbye, state of Texas,
With you goes your plantation
I’m going to Pennsylvania
But not for picking cotton.
Goodbye, Fort Worth and Dallas,
You’re not much to me now,
I’m going to Pennsylvania
To be a vagrant no more.
When we got to the steel works
We saw the locomotive
And we came running
At eighty miles an hour!
When we arrived there
And got off the train,
The Italian girls asked us,
“Where do you come from, Mexicans?”
The Mexicans reply,
Those who know how “to English,”
“We come out under contract
From the town of Forth Worth.”
These verses were composed
When I was on the way;
I’m a Mexican boy,
Call me “Contestino.”
And with this I take my leave
With sombrero in my hands,
And my faithful companions,
Three hundred Mexicans.
–from Paul S. Taylor’s Mexican Labor in the United States, Vol II (Berkeley: University of California, 1931)
Post a Comment