Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2023/Fall/Section20/Jose Ramon Sanfeliz

Overview
Jose Ramon Sanfeliz was born in 1870 in Havana, Cuba. At the time of his interview he resided in Tampa, Florida.

Early Life:
From the early age of ten, Jose spent his childhood at a cigar factory striping tobacco from its stem. Jose would then go to night school after work at the factory.

Adult Life:
In 1890, Jose found his way to Florida, where he worked at several cigar factories. As war broke out between Cuba and Spain, Jose organized the “24th of February '' club to raise funds for the war. Jose went on to create many more clubs in an effort to support his home country. Jose then married Carrota Sanfeliz in 1896 and had eight children, five of whom survived. Strikes in the cigar factory became common as workers demanded heightened privilege. Many relocated, including Jose who returned to Cuba. Jose, however, had grown accustomed to life in the United States and went on to work many different jobs in tailoring and the sugar industry before he finally returned to work at a cigar factory in Tampa.

Cuban Immigration:
During the 1900s, Cuba was withstanding much political turmoil. The desire for immigration stemmed from "political rather than economic roots." As Spain began to take control of Cuba, enslaved Africans and Spanish settlers started to replace the native workers. This led many natives to be short of employment. Many conflicts regarding tariffs and trade agreements arose with Cuba's sugar and tobacco trades causing much financial upheaval. As factories changed location due to new tariff laws, it grew difficult to maintain or find employment. Many Cubans fled to the US, specifically Ybor City, in search of employment and a better life as it became known as the new hub of the Cigar industry.

Ybor City:
In 1990, Ybor City’s population doubled due to the influx of immigrants from Cuba, Europe, and China. Ybor City was a hub of diversity immersed in the primarily white south with a rich culture. Many Hispanic immigrants worked in the cigar industry, crafting cigars and their ornate packaging boxes. Immigrants often came together to form ethnic clubs and organizations that "offered their members cooperative medical plans and charitable services." Having resources like these gave immigrants a reliable backbone to rely on in this time of adjustment and change. Ybor City was a densely populated area filled with poverty. The city's infrastructure was poorly built; however, the rich culture brought through the city's diversity brought it back to life.

Cigar Factories:
While cigar rolling is a tedious job that requires precise attention to detail and long hours, cigar factory employees viewed their job as an art form rather than labor. Bringing their culture from Cuba, many of the workers found themselves at home in a place far away. Surprisingly, cigar factory workers had special privileges, allowing them to smoke as many cigars as they wanted per day and take any leftover tobacco home for their own use. “ The most unusual of these privileges, one imported from the more established factories in Cuba and Key West, was the practice of having a lector, or reader, paid directly by the workers themselves, read to them as they worked.” It was when the privilege of lectors was removed that caused strikes and upheaval within the industry. The lectors had contributed to much of the workers’ political beliefs and knowledge.

Cuban Treatment and Jim Crow Laws:
After Jim Crow laws went into effect, the treatment of Cubans changed. Local officials began to enforce segregation both in a social and political aspect, separating the day-to-day activities of black versus white Cubans. Many Cuban institutions, such as schools and hospitals, became segregated, calling for the development of mutual aid societies and clubs for Cubans to help each other during this time of adversity. These "Mutual aid societies were the backbone of immigrant groups in the United States.”