Roland Gailitis

Location of Interview
Collection Name

The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Description

The Working Waterfront Festival Community  Documentation Project is an ongoing oral history project documenting the history and culture of the commercial fishing industry and other port trades. The project was begun in 2004 in conjunction with the Working Waterfront Festival, an annual, education celebration of commercial fishing culture which takes place in New Bedford, MA. Interviewees have included a wide range of individuals connected to the commercial fishing industry and/or other aspects of the port through work or familial ties. While the majority of interviewees are from the port of New Bedford, the project has also documented numerous individuals  from other ports around the country. Folklorist and    Festival Director Laura Orleans and Community Scholar/Associate Director Kirsten Bendiksen are Project Leaders. The original recordings reside at the National Council for the Traditional Arts in Maryland with listening copies housed at the Festival's New Bedford office.

Date of Interview
09-23-2005
Transcribers

Azure Dee Westwood

Transcript
Biographical Sketch

Roland Gailitis was born in Raga, Latvia, in 1936. At the age of three, the Russians occupied Latvia, and Roland and his family lived under their rule for a year. Then, during World War II, the Germans took over Latvia until November 1944. In order to escape the turbulent situation in Latvia, Roland's family embarked on a perilous journey to Sweden in an 18-foot whaling boat with 18 people, including children. They lived in Sweden for 3.5 years until the Russians demanded the return of Latvians to their own country. Due to the uncertainty and potential dangers of returning to Latvia, Roland's father decided to take the family to the United States. He bought a 63-foot sailing schooner built in 1895, and together with 29 other people, they sailed 6,000 miles over two months, facing storms and challenges along the way. Eventually, they landed in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in 1948. Their arrival received significant media coverage, and they were referred to as "Pilgrims from Latvia." Roland completed his education and became a U.S. citizen in 1955. He settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he discovered a community of Latvian fishermen. With no prior experience in fishing, Roland approached a Latvian fishing boat called the Ciprican I and asked for a job. Despite being a "greenhorn," he was hired because there were several Latvians on board who could communicate with him. Over the course of his fishing career, which spanned 26-27 years, Roland worked on various boats and took on different roles. He primarily worked as an engineer, operating in the engine room, but also served as a cook and even worked as a longliner in Florida, targeting swordfish and tilefish. As a longliner, he used a fishing technique that involved deploying a line with hooks every 30 feet and leaving it submerged for a period of time before hauling it back in.

Scope and Content Note:
The interview with Roland Gailitis, conducted on September 23, 2005, covers his personal history, fishing career, and a remarkable discovery he made while at sea. He shares his journey from Latvia to Sweden and eventually to the United States, escaping from the Russians and Germans during World War II.  He traveled from Sweden to the United States on a 63-foot sailing schooner; the trip lasted two months and covered 6,000 miles. When Roland arrived in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1948, he was referred to as a "Pilgrim from Latvia" by the media.  He was initially detained in East Boston's Immigration Station for four months due to illegal entrance, but eventually gained legitimacy to stay in the U.S. through a congressional bill.  Roland recounts his experiences as a fisherman, primarily working on scallop boats and occasionally taking on roles such as engineer, cook, and longliner in Florida for swordfish and tilefish. Roland describes his introduction to fishing in New Bedford and the presence of Latvian fishermen in the area.  He started as a greenhorn on the boat named Ciprican I, later worked on various boats as an engineer, cook, and even participated in longlining for swordfish and tilefish in Florida. Roland noted that he spent most of his fishing career (26-27 years) as a scalloper, primarily working in the engine room. One notable experience Roland shared was finding an artifact from the sea while working on a fishing boat. After praying for a sign from God, he stumbled upon a bone, later identified as a walrus tusk by a professor from Woods Hole. The tusk turned out to be around 20-25,000 years old and was considered a record find. Roland agreed to donate the tusk to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.The discovery was considered a record find as the area where they were fishing was once dry land.


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