Torres-Ortíz Family Papers

The Torres-Ortíz family experiences and successes in a “separate but equal” United States highlights the privileges they brought with them from the island. It seems that the family not only self-identified; but were also often treated as white by other white Americans. Their higher economical standing also accounts for their unique experience in the US compared to other struggling Puerto Rican migrants. Each individual member of the family has her/his own story that contributes to the bigger picture of understanding daily life for Puerto Rican migrants in the United States during the mid-20th century.

Gerardo Torres Diaz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1891. Gerardo was born into an upper-middle class family due to his father, Sandalio Torres, being an attorney. Gerardo enlisted into the army in 1917. The details of his service are unclear, but he was one of the thousands of Puerto Rican men who were in the US military during World War I. As for his professional life, the jobs Gerardo held continued to improve as the years progressed. By 1928 he was working in the post office, the job he would keep until his retirement in 1955.

The mother of the family, Maria Louisa was born in 1899 in Puerto Rico to Felipe Ortíz who hailed from Spain, and Dolores Sedano who was born in the Dominican Republic. As an adult, she was politically active in Puerto Rico and in the suffragist movement. In 1931 she held the title of “Presidente Sub-Junta de Damas ‘Seccion Sur’” of the Liberal party of Puerto Rico. Maria Louisa and Gerardo wed in 1918 and would have four children. Their eldest, Gerardo Rafael Torres Ortíz was born in 1920, and went by the nickname Gerry. He attended the University of Alabama where he studied engineering. After college he was stationed in the Panama Canal working as an engineer for the US army. In Panama he met and married his wife Maye Mable Sanguinetti Torres. Victor Manuel Torres Ortíz was the second son born in 1921. Victor attended college at Spring Hill College in Alabama. During his military service he was part of the invasion of Normandy in 1944. Fabio Torres Ortíz was the last son born in 1928. His educational background is not clear but he was part of the military like the other men in his family. He also held a job at the post office in New York just like his father. In 1941 the Torres-Ortíz family permanently relocated to New York City. The following year in 1942 the last Torres Ortíz was born, Mary Louis. She went by the nickname of Cookie. Not much is known about Cookie other than the vast photographs of her in the collection and her marriage to Gilbert Shine in 1962.

By the mid-1950’s Gerry relocated with his new family to San Francisco. In February of 1955 Gerardo Sr. boarded a plane to join Gerry but shortly died of lung cancer the following month on March 23rd. Following his death the rest of the family moved to San Francisco. Gerry played a part in the restaurant business as proprietor of Scotty’s Drive-In. Victor became sports director and representative of KBRG. He helped to bring sports news to Spanish-speaking listeners in the Bay Area. In the late 1960’s Fabio became chairman of “The Latin American Fiesta,” where Latinas in the area were invited to participate in a beauty pageant to celebrate their culture.

The collection also houses the documents of extended family members such as Francisco “Frank” De la Torres, Lucy N. Torres and Alicia Thompson. It seems that Frank and Lucy were married but Alicia relationship to the immediate family is unclear.

Source / Recursos: Natalie Saldarriaga The American Immigrants (History Seminar: Family History, Professor Julia Stephens, Rutgers University, December 15, 2017