Oral history interview with Fidel Gonzales Ferrer, 2020 January 23

This oral history interview with Fidel Gonzales Ferrer was conducted by Sankar Raman and Angelica Alarcon on January 23, 2020. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States.

In this interview, Ferrer discusses his early life in Santiago, Cuba, including growing up with an abusive father. He talks about his education and about his love of music and dance. He shares his experience during his year of mandatory military service. He discusses attending dental school in Havana, and describes immigrating to the United States in 2010. He talks about adjusting to life in Oregon, including learning English while attending Portland Community College; about reuniting with his father; and about working in jobs outside his field until he found a position as a dental assistant. He speaks about his work as an intern researching HIV at the Oregon Health & Science University Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute. He closes the interview by discussing Project LEDO, the non-profit organization he founded, and by sharing his plans for the future.