ESPANOL
Tony Ibarría Addresses The Conference on Dominican Affairs
Tri-state Area.– “This country is a wonderland”, said Tony Ibarría to hundreds of students at the 16th Conference on Dominican Affairs, held Sunday, February 28, 2016 at the Rutgers Paul Robeson Campus Center en Newark, NJ.
“I would like to thank Maria Teresa Montilla and her husband and this Conference’s coordinating team for inviting me. I have known Maria Teresa for a long time, and known her to be a very talented and noble woman.”
“I came her, from Cuba, very young; came chasing a girl. I’ve been married to that girl for 60 years.
When I first arrived, I was a barber.
I had no education, only went to 4th grade, didn’t speak English, and worked in a factory. I earned $0.90 per hour. I was a hard worker, so my wages were raised by $0.10 an hour, every week. I got to earn $44 a week. I was very happy.
Later, I got a job as a barber, and prepared to marry. I got married in 1956, although my future father-in-law told me: ‘you can’t get married, you have no money’; but I convinced him and got married.
My wife earned $26 and I $44 per week.
I married the most beautiful woman in the world. She gave me three children, one girls and two boys. I have seven grandchildren, and am the happiest man alive.”
Regarding his professional life, Ibarria recounted: “I was a barber, set up a dry cleaners for my brother, established a milk distributing company in Elizabeth – have you heard of the milkman delivering milk to your house? – I was a milkman.
When I arrived in Elizabeth, there were few hispanics, all Puerto Ricans, there were thirty Cuban families.
I opened a restaurant; opened a bakery, a department store – where I sold on credit to everyone – , and a furniture store.
I recently saw a man, who has a newspaper in Newark, who said to me: ‘Tony, I remember that when I came to Newark, it was very cold, and you gave me clothes, dressed me up like a king’.
And I said: ‘Tell me, did you pay me?’
And he said: ‘I swear to God I paid you; what I didn’t pay you for was the furniture’.
I opened another furniture store in Newark, another in Union City; opened La Casa Moda, a warehouse and another furniture store in Elizabeth. I bought Cinema Tony in Union City.
I had nine furniture stores, a movie theater, a newspaper with 100 employees, and a Center of Social Services that serves thousands who go through Save Latin America every year.”
About his community participation, Tony said: “I founded the Puerto Rican Club, and the Cuban Club, as well as the Chamber of Commerce. We opened a Community Service Center in 1963 to help those in need.”
Ibarria exhorted students to get an education: “I tell you to get an education. I could have been a multi-millionaire. You should not miss the opportunity to get an education. If I had gotten an education, I could have helped may more people than I have.
I congratulate all the leaders that have spoken here today; the long list of good people who have done so much for our communities. You, students with a dream and desires to attain them, look at these leaders before you, what they have undergone, and where they are today; if they could do it, so can you. Don’t loose hope and stay disciplined. Work hard and set your goals. You can achieve anything you set out to achieve, yes, you can; this country is a wonderland.”
