Living in America. A hundred years of Ybor City

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Description

This film celebrates the long and rich tradition of Latin culture in this country in its vivid portrayal of Ybor City, Florida. This multicultural community was founded in the 1880s, when Cuban, Spanish and Italian immigrants arrived to work in the thriving cigar factories. It flourished until World War II when the effects of assimilation, urban renewal and the decline in the cigar industry led to its demise. The film captures the colors, rhythms, and texture of this close-knit, ethnic enclave. Here people played dominoes over a cup of cafe con leche, socialized at the dance clubs, and took pride in a perfect, hand-rolled cigar. Although they experienced hard times and discrimination, they always had a protective community to fall back on.