The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18


and Argentine. and We get along
swell"
That's just what I'm tslkin'
about" said his mother That's
just why I'm gonna move. ] can't
keep track OF you. runn!n' around
With 4 fast foreign crowd. al mixed
UP with every what-chs-msy-eall.
IL, and lettin' all shades @ women
give you money Besides. no matter
where you move, or what language
you speak. you're still oolored less'n
your skin is white"
well, won't be-" said Valerie.
I'm American, Latin-American."
Hugh said his mama. "It's just
by luck that you even got good
hair"
What's that got TO do with being
an American"
"A mighty lot" said his mama,
"in America"
They moved. They moved up 20
l43rd street, in the very middle
o., American Harlem. There Hattie
Gutierrez was happier-for in her
youth her name had been Jones. not
Gutierrez. but just plain colored
Jones And she had come from
Virginia. not Lstin-Anerics. She
had met the Porto Rican seaman
in Norfolk. and had lived with him
there and in New York for some
ten or twelve years, working hard
10 keep him and their house in
style. Then one winter he just dis
appeared at sea. probably lost his
boat in some far of port-town.
settled down with another woman.
and went on dancing his rhumbss
and drinking his rum without
worry.
Valerie vas a handsome child.
rot quite as light as his father but
with olive-yeNow skin and st-s ght
black Spanish hair He looked
more foreign than Negro. As he
grew up. he became steadily taller
and better looking. Most OF his
friends were Spanish-speaking. so
he possessed their language as we'll
as English. He was smart and anus
ing-out OF school. But he wouldn't
work. That was what worried his
mother. he just wouldn't work. The
long hours and low wages most coll
ored fellows received during the
| depression never appealed 10 him.
He cord live withou: struggling.
He Liked 20 dance and play bill
lisrds. He hung out around the
Cuban theatre on 10th street.
around the pool halls and gambling
places, in the taxi dance en-
poriums. He was all for getting q
good thing out OF Life. His mothers
moving up 70 lt3rd street didn't
improve things any. Indeed. Il just
started the ball rolling faster, for
here Valerie became what is known
in Harlem as a bis-timer. a young
sport, q hep-cat. In other words, u
man-about-;own.
HIS sleek-hsired yellow star rose
in chocolate sky. He was seen nj
all the formal invitstional affairs
gwen by the exclusive clubs Of
Ha-leHs younger set He was seen
q. the midnight shows stretching
into the dawn. He vas even asked
"a FLORIDA Su;tons famous Thurs
day Observation-Disclosures where visit
irg dukex English authors co,ored
tsp-daneers. and dinrer-coatS6
downtowners We'd for elbow room
III her Sugar Hill apartment Matte.
Na.erios mama. still kept her JOB
ironing IN the Chinese laundry
but nobody bothered about his
mama.
Valerie was nice enough boy,
though. about sharing his income
with her. abou. pawninE = ring or
something someone would give him
and helping OUT or the rent or the
insurance policies. And maybe. once
or twice Q week, mama might see
aer son coming IN as she went out
IN the morning, or leaving Is she
came in a. night, fer Valerie often
slept al day. And she would rut.sr,
The Lord knows. cause I don't.
what will eecere Of you, boyi
You're just like your father"
Then, strangely enough, one day
Vs!erio did ret a job. A GOOD lob.
toc-at least II paid him we'll A
mend Of his ran night club on
upper Lenox avenue. Gangsters
owned the place. but they LET a
Negro run it. They had . red hot
jazz band. and high yellow revue.
and bootleg iikker. when the Cuban
music began 10 hit Harlem. they
hired Valerie 70 introduce the
rhumba. That was something he was
really cut out 20 do. the rhunhs.
That wasn't work. Not al all.
hombre' But II vas a Jos, and his
mama was glad.
Attired IN yellow silk shirt.
white satin trousers, and a brirht
red sash, Valerie danced nightly to
the throbbing hand drums and
seed.tilled rattles 81 the tropics
accompanied by the orehes.ra's
usual instruments 81 jov. Valerie
danced with little brown Cuban
girl in a red dress. whose hair was
a mat Of darkness and whose hips
were nobody's business.
Their dance became the talk q.
the town-at least. az that part OF
the town composed Of night.lfers-
for Valerie danced the rhumba as
his father had taught him TO dance
IL in Norfolk when he was ten years
old, innocently - Incorporated.
happy. funny, but beautiful, too
like a gay sweet longing for some
thing that might be had. sometime.
maybe. some place or other.
Anyhow. business doomed. Rinr.
SIDE tables filled with eeople who
came expressly 10 see Valerie