ABSTRACT
I was born on September 30, 1928 in Harlem Hospital. My mother, Dolores Montanez, was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. My father, Juan Tomas, was born in Oriente, Cuba. My name at birth was supposed to be Juan Pedro Tomás Montanez. However, when I grew up and looked at my birth certificate I discovered that it said John Thomas. And, whoever heard of a puertorriqueñonamed John Thomas? I wondered at the time about the reasons behind this: Was it a planned program on the part of the hospital authorities for assimilation? Or had they convinced my parents that to have a name like John Thomas would give me a better chance in the United States of America?
