Interview, Gladys Pedraza-Burgos

Gladys Pedraza Burgos was the first in her family to be born in Rochester, New York. She was also the first in her family to both graduate from high school and to pursue higher education. In 2013, Burgos began working for the Ibero-American Action League, a community organization founded by her father in 1968. Also that year, she began performing in theatrical productions put on by the Rochester Latino Theatre Company.

In this interview, Burgos discusses her childhood and upbringing, recalling holiday memories and family traditions, as well as her father’s struggle to provide for his seven children. Burgos highlights the camaraderie of Rochester’s Puerto Rican community and her passion for education and community involvement. She also discusses the theater’s influence on Rochester’s Latino population.