Oral history interview with Deland Rivera, 2016

Biographical Note

Deland Rivera was born in 1957 and moved into Blennerhasset apartment at 507 West 111th Street at the age of five with his two other brothers, mother, and father. He attended Ascension school during at that time. His mother and father worked in various careers including beautician, owner of a Cuban restaurant on 151st Street, and owning three properties, including locations in the Bronx. The family changed their name to "Wheeler" to distance themselves from their Cuban heritage and Fidel Castro, but Rivera would eventually change his name back to Rivera at 50 years old. Rivera and his wife eventually moved to the Country Club neighborhood in the Bronx, and he also owns a home in Florida. Rivera has made a living as head of a moving and storage company

Scope and Contents

Deland Rivera shares his experiences living in the Blennerhasset building at 507 West 111th Street in Morningside Heights, New York City. His family initially lived in the neighboring building 503 West 111th, and he was five years old when they moved into the Blennerhasset. He describes activities and interpersonal dynamics in his family with three brothers, mother, and father. He shares anecdotes about the games and activities of neighborhood children. Rivera remembers squatters who moved in who identified as Dominican: the squatters took care of the old rental building and did renovation and repair. Rivera describes meeting his wife while staying in Florida. He describes a family disagreement about selling their apartment in the Blennerhasset, and real estate market conditions at that time. He also speaks about his family's experience joining the coop and conflict around deadlines. Rivera discusses aspects of heritage and assimilation in his Cuban and Puerto Rican family: relationships with language, names, and music. The interview concludes with a discussion of dramas caused by money and additional memories of being a child at Blennerhasset

Subjects

• Home ownership--Social aspects.
• Interviews.
• Morningside Heights (New York, N.Y.)--Buildings, structures, etc.
• Morningside Heights (New York, N.Y.)--History.
• New York (N.Y.)--History.
• Oral histories (literary works)
• Phillips, Tom, interviewer.
• Rivera, Deland--Interviews.
• Squatters--New York (State)--New York.

Access Conditions

Copyright by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, 2018