Interview, Henry Padrón Morales

Henry Padrón Morales was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Brooklyn and the Bronx by his Puerto Rican parents. When he was a teenager, his family moved to Rochester, New York, where he finished his secondary education at East High School. He worked for a time as a kindergarten teacher and is, at the time of this interview, co-owner of Hipocampo Books in Rochester.

In this interview, Henry Padrón discusses the jobs he had as a teen and pre-teen, the differences between living in New York City and living in Rochester, and his community involvement as a teen. He explains how he became involved in what the local media described as “riots” while a student at East High School, how he views his identity, and his family’s visits to Puerto Rico around the winter holidays. He also discusses his parents, the diverse communities he grew up in, and the importance of culture.