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Ybor City is an area of Tampa known for its historic cigar-making industry and the Latin culture that has flourished there since the late nineteenth century. WPA-era studies of family organization, social clubs, industrial life and folklore are included among the holdings of the UCF archives.
Industrial Life
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"In the better factories, those specializing in hand-made clear Havana products, the finest grade of Cuban tobacco is used. This is called vuelto abajo. Cigars made from this leaf are so popular that the royalty of Europe, such as Alfonso of Spain, Albert of Belgium, Franz Joseph of Austria, and Edward of England looked to Tampa for their cigars. Two manufacturers were even knighted for the excellence of their products." 1 |
Folklore
"Once upon a time there was a little monkey and he decided to have a little fun. So he went to the barber shop and stole a pair of scissors. Then he cut off his tail into small little pieces, and made some 'Chicharrones' (crackling meat). He placed them in a basket and went out into the streets singing:
'Chicharroncitos vendo yo
Muy sabrosito'.
Crackling meat I sell
Very delicious.
Soon a man called him, and purchased a nickel's worth. Many others bought this crackling meat, until he had none. So then he seated himself on top of a pole and started to sing:
'Chicharroncitos
Han comido
De mi rabito'.
Crackling meat
You have eaten
From my little tail.'
When the people heard this, they became very furious, and chased the little monkey all over town, throwing bricks at him." 2
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1"Ybor City, Tampa's Latin Colony": p.3.
2"Folklore Ybor City, Florida": p.5.
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