In the factories, social clubs, and neighborhoods of Ybor City, several distinct ethnic groups evolved into a “Latin” community. Several factors aided this slow but eventual transition.
To begin with, the ethnic groups making up the majority of Ybor residents settled within a few blocks of each other, helping to facilitate cultural interaction. Additionally, the five mutual aid societies–Centro Asturiano, Centro Español, Círculo Cubano La Union Martí-Maceo, and L’Unione Italiana, born out of revolutionary struggles or the need for “mutual protection”–began to work together. The ethnic societies regularly provided each other support in times of need, sharing meeting facilities, loaning supplies or equipment for special events, and hosting dances that were open to all. It should be noted, however, that this interaction generally excluded the Afro-Cuban community of Union Martí-Maceo.
By the turn of the 20th century, Ybor City was a growing, cosmopolitan immigrant community. With the cigar industry as its stabilizing economic force, each of the neighborhood’s mutual aid societies provided a host of amenities with an especially wide array of cultural offerings, providing members a chance to socialize, debate politics, dance and see international performers. Socials, dances, and concert recitals were a regular part of life in Ybor City between 1900 and 1950 and, because dances were attended by a cross-section of Ybor residents, music was one key factor in unifying the various ethnicities of Ybor City into a “Latin” community.
0 comments:
Post a Comment