Oral history interview with Paul Hawkins

Paul Hawkins, born as Paul G. Harkins, spoke about his childhood growing up in northeast Washington, DC; his father, who was a semi-pro baseball player, Sandlot semi-pro coach of baseball, and founder of a football league; enlisting for the navy in 1952 and his experience stationed in a minecraft base in Charleston, South Carolina, including his introduction to Latin music (Cuban); how and when he learned Latin dance; and participating in dance contests. He spoke about lots of specific Latin and Cuban musicians and dancers. Hawkins explained Jewish people were the main audience / dancers for Latin music and dancing and the main group of people hiring bands; and that Los Americanos, a "Black-oriented Latin sounding group", was "the first Black-oriented Latin sounding group that infiltrated the Jewish side of the fence". Hawkins spoke about his band, Orquesta del Siglo Veinte, and the composition of the band's audience, multi-racial. He described the many clubs, venues, and dancehalls where his band performed in Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. Hawkins explained his band hosted dances which attracted, formed, and grew the Latin community, which mostly consisted of Cubans and Puerto Ricans. He also explained this was the beginning of the forming of the political Latin community in Washington, DC and witnessing racial strife and separation within the Latin community as the community was organizing with no Black leaders on either side, Cubans or Puerto Ricans. Hawkins also spoke about the bomb scares during dances because the promoters did not like each other; losing jobs because venue owners did not want integrated audiences in their establishments; and organized fights breaking out during dances. Interview is in English. Digital audio files include minimal white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for the most part.