Catalog ID:
ORH-006-0010
Creator:
Lugo, Socorro "Soki"; Lugo, Jose
Archives Field 21:
AUDIO Click to Play
Scope & Content:
Date of interview: Monday, February 12, 2024
Location of interview: Shelton, CT (their home)
Duration: 1 hour, 6 minutes
Languages: English
Socorro and José Lugo are a married couple, living in Shelton, Connecticut, but having spent a large portion of their lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Socorro (Soki) was born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, on January 20, 1944. One of four siblings, she is the sister of the late activist Cesar Batalla. Her father came to work for General Electric in 1954, and sent for the rest of the family. They settled in the East Side neighborhood of Bridgeport, which Soki recalled with fondness, particularly Main Street which used to be filled with Puerto Rican-owned small businesses. She recalls arriving in Bridgeport as the Puerto Rican community there was beginning to grow, and recalls there also being Cubans in the city around this time. Soki attended St. John's, an all-girls Catholic high school, where she graduated in 1961.
José, meanwhile, was born in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, on January 1, 1942. The youngest of his siblings, he was the last to come from Puerto Rico to Bridgeport (his oldest half-sister having arrived in the 1940s on the famous Marine Tiger ship, first to New York, then Stamford before reaching Bridgeport). When José arrived in 1959, at the age of 17, he was less than impressed with the city of Bridgeport. He attended Bassick High School and lived with his mother and sisters in the West Side neighborhood. He had to, more or less, teach himself English, alongside roughly 10 other Puerto Ricans who'd recently arrived at Bassick. Becoming involved in the high school's baseball team was what finally enabled him to build community, though he had to stop in his senior year in order to continue working at a local bike shop to support his household.
Soki and José met in 1958, but didn't officially start dating until 1961. José had attended Bassick with Soki's brothers, which gave him an "in" with her. The two married in 1965 and had two sons (1968 and 1971). They lived in Bridgeport, then Stratford briefly to take care of Soki's mother before her passing in 1968. Finally, in 1974, after saving up enough money to purchase a lot, they moved to Shelton, Connecticut. While the move which was initially baffling to their family members, Soki and José felt it was logical in light of the lack of affordable housing in Bridgeport, and their desire to raise their children on more open land. José worked a few other jobs before finding steadier work with UPS in 1970, who he worked for until his retirement.
Soki and José paint a picture of the landscape of Bridgeport in the 1960s. Being a manufacturing city, they cite such factories as Bryant Electric, Warner's, Costco, General Electric, Dictaphone, Seaside Blouse, and Levine Coat being among those hiring the incoming Puerto Rican population. Likewise, they recall having initially made weekend trips to New York to attend concerts and clubs, as Bridgeport's nightlife took a while to take off.
Soki and José reflect fondly on Soki's brother Cesar's community activism (particularly his work with disabled children). They lament his early death, which they attribute to Cesar's service in the Vietnam War and probable exposure to Agent Orange (citing other friends who served with similar ongoing health issues). They also reflect on their continued ties with Bridgeport for fun and to build community, despite having moved to Shelton in the 1980s.
Location of interview: Shelton, CT (their home)
Duration: 1 hour, 6 minutes
Languages: English
Socorro and José Lugo are a married couple, living in Shelton, Connecticut, but having spent a large portion of their lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Socorro (Soki) was born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, on January 20, 1944. One of four siblings, she is the sister of the late activist Cesar Batalla. Her father came to work for General Electric in 1954, and sent for the rest of the family. They settled in the East Side neighborhood of Bridgeport, which Soki recalled with fondness, particularly Main Street which used to be filled with Puerto Rican-owned small businesses. She recalls arriving in Bridgeport as the Puerto Rican community there was beginning to grow, and recalls there also being Cubans in the city around this time. Soki attended St. John's, an all-girls Catholic high school, where she graduated in 1961.
José, meanwhile, was born in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, on January 1, 1942. The youngest of his siblings, he was the last to come from Puerto Rico to Bridgeport (his oldest half-sister having arrived in the 1940s on the famous Marine Tiger ship, first to New York, then Stamford before reaching Bridgeport). When José arrived in 1959, at the age of 17, he was less than impressed with the city of Bridgeport. He attended Bassick High School and lived with his mother and sisters in the West Side neighborhood. He had to, more or less, teach himself English, alongside roughly 10 other Puerto Ricans who'd recently arrived at Bassick. Becoming involved in the high school's baseball team was what finally enabled him to build community, though he had to stop in his senior year in order to continue working at a local bike shop to support his household.
Soki and José met in 1958, but didn't officially start dating until 1961. José had attended Bassick with Soki's brothers, which gave him an "in" with her. The two married in 1965 and had two sons (1968 and 1971). They lived in Bridgeport, then Stratford briefly to take care of Soki's mother before her passing in 1968. Finally, in 1974, after saving up enough money to purchase a lot, they moved to Shelton, Connecticut. While the move which was initially baffling to their family members, Soki and José felt it was logical in light of the lack of affordable housing in Bridgeport, and their desire to raise their children on more open land. José worked a few other jobs before finding steadier work with UPS in 1970, who he worked for until his retirement.
Soki and José paint a picture of the landscape of Bridgeport in the 1960s. Being a manufacturing city, they cite such factories as Bryant Electric, Warner's, Costco, General Electric, Dictaphone, Seaside Blouse, and Levine Coat being among those hiring the incoming Puerto Rican population. Likewise, they recall having initially made weekend trips to New York to attend concerts and clubs, as Bridgeport's nightlife took a while to take off.
Soki and José reflect fondly on Soki's brother Cesar's community activism (particularly his work with disabled children). They lament his early death, which they attribute to Cesar's service in the Vietnam War and probable exposure to Agent Orange (citing other friends who served with similar ongoing health issues). They also reflect on their continued ties with Bridgeport for fun and to build community, despite having moved to Shelton in the 1980s.
Interviewer:
Interviewed by Amanda Rivera
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