In the Age of Steel: Oral Histories from Bethlehem Pennsylvania -- Ceferino L. Orta

Annotation Ceferino L. 'Sticks' Orta (August 26,1901-December 6, 1997), born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was the son of Pascual and Dolores Orta, née Lozada. He was married Maria Orta, who died in 1994. Orta emigrated from Mexico City and started as a laborer in 1926 with Bethlehem Steel and later became a pickler in Cold-rolled Steel, retiring in 1966. He was president of the Mexican Aztec Society of Bethlehem, a social organization that also provided mutual benefits to its members. In this interview he discusses his reasons for coming to Bethlehem, working conditions, Bethlehem Steel's labor camp for Mexican workers, working during the Depression, and his views on changing attitudes about work. This interview is part of a series of interviews conducted by Lehigh University students and faculty from 1974 through 1977 focusing on retired Bethlehem Steel workers, business people, and the heirs of industrial magnates. The project was co-sponsored by Bethlehem Steel Corporation, who provided contact information for retired steel workers. An oral history interview is an act of memory and hence both highly selective and highly subjective. While it accurately reflects what a narrator remembers (or chooses to tell) of his or her experience and viewpoints, it may not accurately represent what actually transpired or what another person may have experienced. As such users should subject interviews to the same degree of critical scrutiny they would any other historical source.