Teach
12-30-2013, 08:14 PM
He looked older than his years. Where he once lived in a beautiful hacienda, he and his family were now living in a cramped inner-city apartment.
In 1965, shortly after I had begun my teaching career, I was asked by my father, a social worker who worked with immigrants, if I would drive a Cuban emigre to speak at various fraternal groups, e.g. Elks, Lion's Clubs, etc. I said I would.
Soon, I would meet the man who would give these talks. His name was Jose. Only a few years earlier, he and his family had fled Cuba. As I remember him, Jose was a middle-aged, slightly-built man with thinning hair who was living with his wife, a fair-complected Cuban woman, and their two children, a teenage boy and girl, in a two-bedroom Boston apartment.
Well, every time Jose would give his talk, he would begin by chronicling his life. He would tell audiences that his family had emigrated to Cuba from Spain in the mid-1920s. He said that his family was looking to start a better life.
As he continued his talk, Jose would mention that when his family arrived in Cuba, it was an immediate struggle. Although there was no language barrier, there wasn't much in the way of economic opportunity as they had anticipated, that is unless you wanted to harvest sugar cane or work in a "sweat shop".
As it turns out, several members of Jose's family chose the latter. Conditions were difficult: the hours were long and the pay was low. Yet, Jose would tell audiences that he and his family worked hard and saved their money. About ten years later, in the mid-to-late 1930s, Jose's family was able to open their own small factory (it was later enlarged).
Well, after the end of World War II, shortly after Jose had taken over his family's business. Jose would meet a Cuban woman named Ada. Jose and Ada would eventually marry. They soon had two children. According to Jose, "Everything was going very well."
However, about a decade later, all that would change. Fidel Castro would appear on the scene. Jose would call Castro "schizophrenic" (I believe what Jose meant was that Castro was two-faced). Jose would say that, on the one hand, Castro was promising to turn Cuba into a democratic country with open elections, social justice, individual freedoms, and an all-encompassing health-care system. Jose would add that Castro frequently told the Cuban people that he was opposed to Communism. Yet, on the other hand, Jose would continue, "Castro was secretly plotting a Communist-style revolution."
At this point, Jose mentioned that he thought that Fidel Castro and his rebel band were just, as he called them "a passing fancy". Jose said that, at the time, he felt that that Castro's band of revolutionaries would soon be defeated and that matters would return to normal under the leadership of the then Cuban leader, Fulgencio Batista.
However, Jose's hopes for his island nation were dashed. As Jose continued his talk, (his voice now quivered when he spoke) he would tell audiences that before long Castro was sweeping down from the Sierra Maestra Mountains and, soon after, he would march into Havana. Soon, Castro's revolutionary Cuban forces would gain nearly complete control over the entire island. Jose said that Castro's motto had become: "Patria o muerte!" ["Homeland or death!"]. Jose would continue by saying that the Castro regime had begun to nationalize businesses and redistribute property; all this was done in the name of his Communist Revolution. By this time, most of Batista's supporters had either fled, been imprisoned, or had been executed. Batista himself had escaped by plane to the Dominican Republic. In the end, Jose lost everything. He literally went from riches to rags -- almost overnight. Jose said he managed to escape from Cuba by "buying his way out" with what little he had left.
In fact, Jose would tell audiences that when he and his family reached Havana Airport, Castro’s ladrones [thieves] - as he called them - were there; they wrenched the watch off his wrist (it was a gift his wife had given him at the time of their wedding). He continued by saying that Castro's henchmen even took his gold wedding band (almost breaking his ring finger in the process). "All the while," he said, "Castro's 'thugs' were derogatorily calling him puerco...puerco" [pig, a dirty person]; they claimed that Jose "had stolen from the Cuban people." He concluded by saying that he and his family left Cuba virtually penniless.
Well, Jose and his family would soon arrive in the United States. In fact, when he landed in Miami, Jose said that he kissed the tarmac at Miami International Airport. He then said that he called out: "Viva El Presidente Kennedy!" But now, Jose was without resources. He and his family stayed in the Miami area for a while before settling in Boston. He would tell audiences that he had found work in a Boston hosiery store.
As I look back, the few times I saw Jose smile was when he was reunited with his fellow Cubanos. After Jose's speaking engagements, we would often visit nearby Cuban families. On those occasions, Jose would drink espresso, play dominoes, and share stories of happier, bygone days.
Well, after those 1965-1966 speaking trips, I never did see Jose again. Yet, I would sometimes think of him. Although I believed that he had reached a stage in his own life where starting over again would be most difficult, I felt that he could still take pride in his beautiful family. In the end, all I could say was: "Adios, Mi Amigo. Adios!"
In 1965, shortly after I had begun my teaching career, I was asked by my father, a social worker who worked with immigrants, if I would drive a Cuban emigre to speak at various fraternal groups, e.g. Elks, Lion's Clubs, etc. I said I would.
Soon, I would meet the man who would give these talks. His name was Jose. Only a few years earlier, he and his family had fled Cuba. As I remember him, Jose was a middle-aged, slightly-built man with thinning hair who was living with his wife, a fair-complected Cuban woman, and their two children, a teenage boy and girl, in a two-bedroom Boston apartment.
Well, every time Jose would give his talk, he would begin by chronicling his life. He would tell audiences that his family had emigrated to Cuba from Spain in the mid-1920s. He said that his family was looking to start a better life.
As he continued his talk, Jose would mention that when his family arrived in Cuba, it was an immediate struggle. Although there was no language barrier, there wasn't much in the way of economic opportunity as they had anticipated, that is unless you wanted to harvest sugar cane or work in a "sweat shop".
As it turns out, several members of Jose's family chose the latter. Conditions were difficult: the hours were long and the pay was low. Yet, Jose would tell audiences that he and his family worked hard and saved their money. About ten years later, in the mid-to-late 1930s, Jose's family was able to open their own small factory (it was later enlarged).
Well, after the end of World War II, shortly after Jose had taken over his family's business. Jose would meet a Cuban woman named Ada. Jose and Ada would eventually marry. They soon had two children. According to Jose, "Everything was going very well."
However, about a decade later, all that would change. Fidel Castro would appear on the scene. Jose would call Castro "schizophrenic" (I believe what Jose meant was that Castro was two-faced). Jose would say that, on the one hand, Castro was promising to turn Cuba into a democratic country with open elections, social justice, individual freedoms, and an all-encompassing health-care system. Jose would add that Castro frequently told the Cuban people that he was opposed to Communism. Yet, on the other hand, Jose would continue, "Castro was secretly plotting a Communist-style revolution."
At this point, Jose mentioned that he thought that Fidel Castro and his rebel band were just, as he called them "a passing fancy". Jose said that, at the time, he felt that that Castro's band of revolutionaries would soon be defeated and that matters would return to normal under the leadership of the then Cuban leader, Fulgencio Batista.
However, Jose's hopes for his island nation were dashed. As Jose continued his talk, (his voice now quivered when he spoke) he would tell audiences that before long Castro was sweeping down from the Sierra Maestra Mountains and, soon after, he would march into Havana. Soon, Castro's revolutionary Cuban forces would gain nearly complete control over the entire island. Jose said that Castro's motto had become: "Patria o muerte!" ["Homeland or death!"]. Jose would continue by saying that the Castro regime had begun to nationalize businesses and redistribute property; all this was done in the name of his Communist Revolution. By this time, most of Batista's supporters had either fled, been imprisoned, or had been executed. Batista himself had escaped by plane to the Dominican Republic. In the end, Jose lost everything. He literally went from riches to rags -- almost overnight. Jose said he managed to escape from Cuba by "buying his way out" with what little he had left.
In fact, Jose would tell audiences that when he and his family reached Havana Airport, Castro’s ladrones [thieves] - as he called them - were there; they wrenched the watch off his wrist (it was a gift his wife had given him at the time of their wedding). He continued by saying that Castro's henchmen even took his gold wedding band (almost breaking his ring finger in the process). "All the while," he said, "Castro's 'thugs' were derogatorily calling him puerco...puerco" [pig, a dirty person]; they claimed that Jose "had stolen from the Cuban people." He concluded by saying that he and his family left Cuba virtually penniless.
Well, Jose and his family would soon arrive in the United States. In fact, when he landed in Miami, Jose said that he kissed the tarmac at Miami International Airport. He then said that he called out: "Viva El Presidente Kennedy!" But now, Jose was without resources. He and his family stayed in the Miami area for a while before settling in Boston. He would tell audiences that he had found work in a Boston hosiery store.
As I look back, the few times I saw Jose smile was when he was reunited with his fellow Cubanos. After Jose's speaking engagements, we would often visit nearby Cuban families. On those occasions, Jose would drink espresso, play dominoes, and share stories of happier, bygone days.
Well, after those 1965-1966 speaking trips, I never did see Jose again. Yet, I would sometimes think of him. Although I believed that he had reached a stage in his own life where starting over again would be most difficult, I felt that he could still take pride in his beautiful family. In the end, all I could say was: "Adios, Mi Amigo. Adios!"