Samuel "Sammy" Yoro interviewed by Hana Yamamoto

In this interview, originally recorded in person, Samuel “Sammy” Yoro speaks with Watsonville is in the Heart team member, Hana Yamamoto. Sammy begins by discussing how his father, Sabino Ivanos Yoro came to the United States from the Philippines and eventually settled in Watsonville to work in the lettuce fields. Sammy talks about how he began working with his father harvesting produce in high school and he describes how working in the asparagus fields helped him become a better track and field athlete in high school. Sammy goes on to describe how the agriculture industry evolved over the years and notes the influence of Cesar Chavez on farm labor strikes. Sammy discusses his involvement with The Independent Farmworkers Union. Sammy also talks about his mother, Gregor Otero, who came to Watsonville from New Mexico to start a family and work in the canneries. Sammy reflects on how growing up in a multiracial community affected his views on his parents’ interracial marriage, and he remembers his mother’s involvement in Filipino community organizations.

Samuel "Sammy" Yoro

Hana Yamamoto

March 23, 2023

Watsonville is in the Heart (WIITH) is a community-driven public history initiative to preserve and uplift stories of Filipino migration and labor in the city of Watsonville and greater Pajaro Valley. All oral history interviews are donated to WIITH by the narrators. Copyright is held by WIITH. Oral history interview recordings and transcripts are available for unrestricted use and reproduction by educators and researchers. Please note that the recordings on this website are provided via Soundcloud. For access to oral history audio files, please contact the project director at wiith@ucsc.edu. If you are an oral history narrator and would like to remove your interview from the archive website, please contact the project director.

English

Oral History

Hana Yamamoto

Samuel "Sammy" Yoro

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