Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2023/Fall/Section18/Life History of Fernando Lemos

Early Life & Childhood
Born on May 30th, 1870, in Havana, Cuba; Fernando Lemos was forced to work and provide for his family from the early age of 14. He was the son of two Cubans, although not much is said about his mom, his dad was a truck driver in order to provide for his low-income family. Fernando lived in a recreational and educational community, composed only of Cubans, and this is where he went to school. He attended this school until the age of 13, and when he turned 14, his father placed him in a factory to learn the trades of cigar-making, which Cubans were known best for during this time. He mastered this trade, and at the age of 18 he went with his uncle to Tampa, Florida in order to join the workforce.

Adult & Later Life
After the move, he met his current wife, name not mentioned, at this same cigar factory and they both continued in the industry for over 30 years. Lemos worked at the Vincente Martínez Ybor cigar manufacturer, which was one of the first factories of its kind to have success in Tampa during this time period. In 1921, a huge strike was declared in Tampa over the cigar-making industry, prompting Fernando to buy a truck and begin moving furniture as a career. This decision ultimately ended his employment, ten years later, as all the stress and strain of lifting heavy furniture caused him to rupture a vein in his neck. Even after being fully healed five years later, he could not find any jobs due to the rising rates of industrialization. Cigar-making machines devastated the industry, causing many immigrants to return back home because work was the sole reason for their move to the United States. The couple never had any kids, and this is something that they will always regret, as they have no one to take care of them and are relying entirely on relief funds.

How Industrialization Affected Migrant Workers
The industrialization and mechanization of the United States displaced many workers, and caused disparity for many immigrant employees as the sole purpose for their migration was for better working opportunities. Many Cubans, especially during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were frequently migrating to America in order to pursue their expertise in the cigar-making industry. As the rise of mechanization began, “...machines had replaced highly skilled craftspeople in one industry after another.” This phase of America displaced a profound number of migrant workers, as their skills had been replaced by machines, which allowed employers to no longer hire workers. The Industrial Revolution in America created many problems for employees, through economic disparity and job-loss, as it "...established a firm foothold in the U.S., and for years thereafter it was not uncommon to find situations where men were displaced from their jobs or skills or both." Many people expected the job displacement that was to come, but there was nothing that they could do to stop it. This mechanization created huge problems all over the country, but only problems for the employees. It was good for the company overall, reducing labor costs and maximizing output, but this should not diminish the affects that it had on the daily lives of individuals. The employees in this industry saw what was to come, as "...many felt that these changes, at the industry and society level, were occurring too rapidly.” The employees saw these changes coming, and it was happening so fast that they had no control over their ultimate unemployment. With employment being the sole reason that many foreigners came to the United States, they face economic despair and are no longer able to support themselves in America.

Poor Working Conditions in Cigar Factories
The working conditions for migrant workers were very poor, especially in the cigar-making industry, as workers were constantly taken advantage of by their bosses and people in power. These workers were subjected to relentless periods of overworking, stress, and minimal pay for the great lengths they went to produce fine quality cigars. These poor working conditions led to many “control strikes”, defined as “efforts by workers to establish collective control over their conditions of work.” These strikes prompted as many as 10,000 employees to walk out of their workplaces, causing many cigar factories all around Tampa to close down for months at a time. These strikes were caused by unfair wages, overworking, lack of respect in the workplace, and employees being taken advantage of. Majority of workers in this industry were minorities, so they just had to put up with these poor treatments, as this was the only job that they could hold. The companies showed very little respect for their workers, and never paid them fairly for their work, causing these employees to have a very low standard of life. During the peak of these hardships "...the cost of living had risen 135 percent since 1915 while in Tampa cigar workers had received wage increases of only twelve and one-half percent during the same period.” These workers could not afford to live anywhere, and the management refused to do anything about it. The cost of living was insurmountably higher than any paycheck that these employees received, being one reason that led to these walkouts. The strikes proved to be very effective, as employees would not return to work unless something about the unjust conditions in the workplace changed.