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“Señora Santana”

Grades 9-12

Extension Activity: What Makes a Home?

Ybor City became home to thousands of migrants from Cuba, Spain, Italy, and other locations. The focus of our exploration has been the Cuban immigrants who built Ybor City into a thriving community. In this lesson, we will engage with some of the ways that Cubans in Ybor City formed a community in a “new” land.

1. Interview transcript of “Mr. Pedro Barrios”
   This “autobiography” was captured around 1935 by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project. In this text, Barrios reflects on his experiences living in Ybor City. If time is limited, it may be advantageous to limit the exercise to the first five pages.

1. Create small groups. Divide the class into groups of three or four students each. This can vary based on the size of the class.


2. Analyze and discuss. Share a copy of the “Mr. Pedro Barrios” interview transcript with each student. Within each group, have students discuss the interview while considering the following questions:
   1. When and where was Mr. Barrios born?
   2. What kinds of jobs did he perform?
   3. How does he describe Ybor City during his time living there?
   4. What are the traditions or experiences that he seems to participate in or enjoy?
   5. How have the Cuban immigrants built a “community” in Ybor City?
   6. What intentional decisions did members of the Cuban community make to keep their traditions alive?
   7. Did any of Mr. Barrios’ reflections surprise you?
   8. How did the transcript impact or influence your reading of the interview?
   9. What questions do you have after reading this account?


3. Share with the class. Have representatives from each group reflect on their responses to the questions.


4. Creative writing exercise: One-minute memories. Have students work individually or in groups to write a short piece (a poem, song, or prose) about a memory or “meditation” on home and community. Have them consider the following questions:
   1. Which traditions do I most look forward to during holiday observances?
   2. What unique traditions do I have with my friends or family?
   3. What music, dance, or artistic expressions make me feel most connected to other people?
   4. What activities do I participate in that make me feel most vibrant and excited?
   
   
5. Share with the class. Have students share their “one-minute memories.”


6. Reflect on the activity. Have students think about the following questions as they reflect on the activities:
   • Were any of the memories or reflections of your peers similar to your own? If so, what resonated with you?
   • Can you think of a time when you had to “make a home” away from home?
   • Why do you think a WPA worker would record a story like Mr. Barrios’s?
   • If you were a WPA worker today, whose story would you seek to record?