At first, it was hard for me to leave Colombia because I had a wife and eleven children who couldn’t come with me. Lyon needed skilled workers but didn’t want us to bring our families at first. They promised to help me bring mine later, after I had worked for a while. I found a small apartment near the mill so I could walk to work every day. I often worked long hours—sometimes up to twelve hours a day. They paid me about $2.20 an hour, and I sent nearly all my earnings to my wife in Colombia. I kept just enough for rent and food, saving the rest so my family could one day join me in Central Falls.

I didn’t know English, but all the Colombians spoke Spanish to each other, so we got by. Jay spoke Spanish too, and he often stopped to talk with us—sometimes about our work, sometimes about our families back home. Because of that, I didn’t feel I needed to learn much English. We spent most of our time at our machines and didn’t have many chances to talk to the American or Portuguese workers.

I learned just enough English to understand machinery terms—words I needed to fix the looms when something broke. Still, it was difficult to get around without knowing the language. Back then, if you didn’t speak English, simple things like going to the doctor or buying groceries could be a challenge.

There was a market in Providence where some of us Colombians went to buy Latin American food. It was owned by a Cuban family, though I don’t recall the name. Another store, Fefa’s Market, was further down Broad Street. We went there to shop and speak Spanish, because we always met other people who spoke our language. There were a few Puerto Ricans too, and they liked chatting with us as much as we enjoyed talking with them.

It’s hard to imagine now what life was like then. Central Falls has changed so much. Today there are many Latino markets, restaurants, and record stores, and Spanish is heard everywhere. There are people from all over Latin America now—not just a few families like when I first arrived. Life is very different for my children, and I am proud and happy that they don’t face the same struggles we did in the 1960s.

By the early 1970s, my entire family had joined me in Central Falls. Today, they are all busy working, studying, and raising their own families. I retired from Lyon in 1984, after eighteen years of work, and I’m still very active, enjoying everything life has to offer. ◼︎