History Of the Rosado-Otero family Part 1

After reading my cousin Pat Otero's blog on her family, I decided to share my thought with you, the readers and the family, concerning some of the contributions that our family have made. First however, I must bring up to speed on how the Otero's came to NYC. The Otero's owe their fate to the oldest daughter of Eduardo Otero and Carmen Santiago named Angelica Otero. Eduardo and Carmen were from the town of Morovis, PR. Eduardo was born in 1865 and Carmen in 1888 They had 14 children! No TV! Ten females and 4 males. 2 Females died at the early age of 3 and 4 years old of childhood disease. I am sure many of the Otero's did not know that nor that Eduardo also had 4 Children from a previous relationship. 3 boys and one daughter They boys left to New Orleans back in 1920's looking for a better life and the family completely lost contact. The daughter (Stepdaugher) keep close to the family and after her mother past away, our grandmother Carmen took her in. Her name was Lydia LaFontaine (later married and became Lydia Sotomayor)No Internet in those days and maybe two people had a phone during those days in Puerto Rico, the Governor and a major landowner( Just Kidding). Anyway, Angelica was the oldest of the 12. The family in Morovis knew a family (Rivera) that had already established themselves in NY and sponsored Angelica to come over to find work. Things were pretty bad in PR during those days according to Angelica. She pack her bags, at the early age of about 1922 and took a ship to NY. A few days upon arriving in NY which she recounted was the most spectacular city she had ever seen, found a job as a seamstress in the garment district. I must mentioned by that time the Otero's had moved from Morovis, PR to Santurce, PR to a house with indoor plumbing!! Angelica stayed in NY working and send a few dollars back to PR to help the family. As her brother and sister were getting older, they began to work and contribute to the running of the house. Our Grandfather Eduardo, was Policeman, le left that position to become the Jail Warden for the town of Morovis. He held that job for a few years and later became an inspector with the weight and measurements with he held until he retired. (Please keep in mind that our grandfather was born in 1865 under the Spanish flag). Angelica continued to work for about 6 month when she heard that there was lots of work in California. She told me that she decided to get on a train and go out west. Angelica took a train to San Francisco on or about 1939. She got a job working with Del Monte canning prepared foods. This is where she told me she came across the Mexican culture and began her love for Mexican food and the Mexican culture. However, she felt she was to far away from her family, no friends, and a letter to PR from California could take up to two to three weeks long. She decided to go back to NY after only being in California about 5 month. If Angelica would have stayed in California, she would have begun to bring the family to California but because she was not happy with California, the Otero's began to immigrate to NY. That is what fate is all about. In my next blog, part 2 of the Otero's, where did we go from here?