Worker in the Cane: A Puerto Rican Life History

Sidney W. Mintz humanizes the `cane worker' in this vibrant ethnography in which he combines knowledge gained during a formal research period (`48 - `49) with the autobiography of his key informant, Taso (Anastacio {Eustaquio} Zayas Alvarado). The critical core of this ethnography, the autobiography, was an afterthought. Shortly after the conclusion of his field work with Mintz, Taso joined the Pentacostal Church. Mintz was astonished and perplexed by Taso's decision since he thought he knew Taso and viewed him as a practical, intelligent man not vulnerable to seemingly irrational and spontaneous life choices. Mintz returned to P.R. in 1953 to unearth the reasoning underlying the conversion and in the course of his search (lucky for us) he assembled Taso's autobiography. Taso's life story is interwoven with Mintz's personal observations of Taso, interviews with Taso's wife, Elí (Elisabeth Villaronga Colón de Zayas) and Mintz's commentaries based on information gathered during the `48 -'49 research period. The combination of autobiography and ethnography brings Taso, his family and the neighboring Juaqueños to life. These are warm bodied human beings we can care about, not the deadwood of the traditional ethnography. May 22, 2000