Cuban Miami - A Story Book

My family left Cuba in early 1961.

My brother was on the first Pedro Pan flight in December of 1960. Happily, my family was only separated for a few very tense months. But we were part of the lucky few who managed to leave the country rather quickly.

Once reunited, my father vowed we'd never be separated again and so when my older sisters were to be married in California, he packed up the family and we never looked back.

We lived in Miami for the first 3 years of our exile, before my parents moved us across the country and so we made our lives in Southern California.

As Cubans in California - "en el exilio del exilio" - we managed to find other Cuban families and connected with the familiar community of people who spoke our language and recognized our customs and our food.

My sisters and me. Miami, circa 1962.

There were other waves of Cuban refugees. But unarguably, those who landed in Miami during the early 1960's and 70's were the ones who built that city. 

I've just received a copy of the beautiful book, Historic Photos of Cuban Miami by Jennifer Ortiz. With nearly 200 black and white photographs and detailed captions and stories. It has simultaneously captivated my attention, made me joyful and fiercely proud, but also broken my heart.

Cubans are amazing people, individually and collectively.

My mom poured over the book for hours, pointing out familiar faces and reciting the names of the former presidents of Cuba who lived in Miami in exile. We sat together and turned pages and it was like I was a child once again. I sat quietly as each photo triggered a memory and she told me story after story.

She pointed to a photo, "My first visit to Miami was aboard the S.S. Florida." She remembered her excitement and how she and my dad packed as if for a world cruise rather than a weekend trip.

She marveled over the photos of the historic Vizcaya Estate and laughed out loud as she saw the photos and remembered moments from the ground-breaking television show, "Que Pasa, USA?"

The folks at Turner Publishing have generously sent me a copy of this gorgeous coffee table book to give away. Yes, to give away. (I know. Shut up.)

To be entered in the drawing, please leave a comment here on this post. I'd love to hear your answers to these 3 questions:

• Where in Cuba is your family from?
• What year did they arrive in the U.S?
• Do you still have family there?

I'll be choosing a winner on Monday, June 21, 2010 at 11 am Pacific Time.

By the way, this is my answer:

"Havana. 1961. Yes."

(cross-posted on Babalú blog.)

Comments

[Kiki Bacaro]

• Where in Cuba is your family from?
Mamá is from la Habana, with her family from Pinar del Río, Papá is from la Habana with his family from Güines.

• What year did they arrive in the U.S?
November 1960, 17 yrs old and pregnant with my sister (she was born in Feb.)

• Do you still have family there?
We have very distant cousins still living there. My hubby still has many, many family members there.

[Ileana]

Where: Mami from Sagua la Grande; Papi from Guantanamo
When Arrived USA: July 1, 1964
Still Have Family? Yes, tios y primos

[Mailyn]

Havana. 2001. Yes.

Bonus: I was born in Havana due to a pure coincidence. Mami is from Guane, Pinar del Rio. And papi is from Falla, now Ciego de Avila, that before 1959 used to be Camaguey.

And look now, my little Cubanito-in-the-making is from Greeley, Colorado. Tell me about going around the world!

Are you sure that book does not have my name stamped somewhere as the winner ;-)

[Annie]

My Papi: Santa Cruz del Sur, Camaguey, 1968

My Mami: Niquero, Oriente, 1970

Yes

It's funny, my parents met in La Habana and got married there in 1968. Immediately following the wedding, my dad went to Spain, and a few months later, headed to NYC. He thought my mom would follow a similar path, but instead she spent 2 years in Spain, then headed to NYC.

[Omar]

Hi Marta-I'll keep it simple.
Havana,1961.Yes.

[Lilly Medina]

City of Baracoa in Oriente, 1971, Yes

[Joscelyn Ramos Campbell]

Hola Marta! My father came from Havana.

He was drafted to play baseball in the U.S. Minor Leagues after scouts saw him play professional baseball in Cuba in 1950. He traveled across the country as a pitcher with the Minors playing in various exhibition games.

We still have extended and distant relatives living throughout the island.

[elsie]

Aspiro, 1960, yes.

I just got back from my first trip to Cuba a few days ago - it was a life changing experience...

[Anne Marie]

Caibarien, 1967, Yes.

[Ody Fabregas]

Havana, 1967 via Mexico for 11 months, entered USA in 1968, Yes.

[Mary Lynn C]

My mother - 1946
My father - 1949

Both from La Habana - met in New York, married there, and I was born there.

Yes, relatives from both sides in La Habana, but each year there are less.

[Mica]

Hi Marta)
I was born in exile...but my family which included my parents and my sister and brother were all born in Cuba. My mom was from Guanabacoa and my dad was born in El Vedado. The last place they lived in was Cojimar (my mom's favorite).

They came to the US for good in August 1961, and were lucky enough to get all of their families on both sides out. I have no family left in Cuba, but lucky for me, a lot of Cuba left in my family.

xoxo

[Mica]

ps if i win, hold my gift, leaving town and returning July 6th, am I being overly confident?? lol

[Ivis Suarez]

Dad, Pinar del Rio. Mom, Oriente.
Dad came in 1965. He was 9 and the story of how he(and my grandparents, aunt, and uncle) got here is scary and hilarious.
Mom came in 1969 after living a year in Spain. It was just her, my grandfather, and my uncle. My grandmother stayed with her oldest married daughter and didn't come until 1980.
I have some family in Cuba but mostly Tio Abuelos and distant cousins I've never met.

[steve o]

I am fortunate to have married into a Cuban Chinese family. My wife was born in Cuba, where the family was in Batabano, Santiago de Cuba, and Havana (Luyano and Barrio Chino). Most of the family left in 1960s and 1970s, but we still have some family in Cuba.

I still remember the dinner my future in-laws fed me the first time I met them. A nice roast, black beans and rice, tostones, and bok choy!

[Georgina Govin (Perez-Morales de Govin)]

My father and and his family are from Santa Clara, Las Villas. My mother is from Camajuani and moved to Santa Clara as a little girl. My stepfather (who raised me and is my daddy) was from Atare en La Habana (he used to tell me it was the worst neighborhood in La Habana).
My mother came in 1948 to do her high school studies in Tennessee. After graduation she returned, married my father and together they went to NY around 1952 to find fortune, with the hopes of returning to Cuba and live like Kings. That was supposed to happen circa 1961, when our family returned to Cuba only to find a highly militarized environment. My mother would have none of that and we returned to NY. My mother, already a naturalized citizen, sponsored my grandmother, who in turn got over 33 family members (6 siblings and their spouses and children)out of Cuba (between 1962 and 1974) through the sweat off her back sitting behind a sewing machine day and night. My mother also sponsored my aunt on my father's side who in turn got most of my father's family out of Cuba. On my father's side the ones that stayed thought that Fidel was God. One of them even named their kids Lenin and Stalin.
Only two of my grandma's brothers decided not to leave because they were campesinos and felt Fidel would never make a difference in their lives.
Because of my grandmother's, my mother's, and my aunt's efforts, I now only have distant relatives left in Cuba.

[Normie]

Born-Santa Clara, Las Villas.
Raised-Baez, Las Villas.
Left in 1962.
Yes, cousins.

[Scott Gillies]

Where in Cuba is your family from?

Birmingham, West Midlands

What year did they arrive in the U.S?

1906

Do you still have family there?

Yes

[Carmela]

Marianao/Havana. 1901. My grandmother and father were born in Tampa, Florida but my grandmother moved back to Cuba to be with family when my Dad was 3 yrs old. My father was raised in Cuba and returned to the USA in 1954.
We have many distant cousins still there.

[Ofe]

Marianao (Mom) and San Jose de las Lajas (Dad); 1974, Yes!

[Ernie]

1. Havana

2. October 1972

3. Yes

[Camilo Martinez]

Manzanillo. 1984. Yes.

[ORGULLOSADESERCUBANA]

Havana (El Cerro), Sept 8, 1961 (Dia de la Caridad del Cobre), sadly Yes.

[Angela G.]

I'll answer this one for my husband. My in-laws were married December 27, 1958, and were honeymooning when Castro entered Havana. My husband was conceived in Chicago and despite the loud protests of family members who remained in Cuba, they returned to La Habana to give birth (because according to my Mother-in-Law under no circumstances would her first born be Americano!). My husband was born in Havana in January of 1960. His father is from Havana, and his mother is from Caibarien. They fled the island in February of 1961, and lived in Miami for 2 years, then moved to Elizabeth New Jersey, and finally settled permanently in Atlanta, Georgia. Sadly, there are still many aunts, uncles, and cousins in Cuba.

[pototo]

We are all Habaneros. I was born in El Vedado.
We left in June of 62 and yes we still have family there.

I want that book!

[Maria Eugenia]

My mother was from La Habana Vieja and my father was a very proud Matancero. I was born in El Vedado. We left in April 1965. I have an aunt and first cousins living in Cuba.

[Mcarza]

I am from La Habana. Mami was from La Habana but her family was from Puerta de Golpe, Pinar del Rio. Papi is from Santiago de Cuba, Oriente. They met in Havana, married and had 5 children there.

We all came in 1966, my youngest brother was 5 months old, I am the oldest and was 10 years old. My maternal grandfather was 82 and he came with us also.

Yes, we still have family in Cuba on all sides.

[Suzy]

Havana. 1956. Yes

[Marc Masferrer]

Hi Marta,

I was born in Dallas, Texas, but ...

My father is from Antilla, in Oriente. He left in 1960.
My mother is from Havana. She left in 1961.

No immediate or semi-immediate family on the island. Everyone left - my great-grandparents, grandparents, great-uncles, great-aunts, uncles, aunts, etc. I'm guessing I probably have very distant cousins, especially in the province formerly known as Oriente.

[Julie Ravelo]

Havana, 1960, yes - distant relatives

[Victor Napoles Hadaway]

I was born in Guantanamo, so was my dad, my mom was from Yateras. At about 10 years old my first crush was on a Chinese-Cuban girl named Nuria. We came over in 1960. Tengo unos cuantos primos todavia en Cuba. You might have heard of my cousin the great Cuban singer from Miami, Hugito Fernandez.

[Idania]

1. We are from EL COTORRO, LA HABANA
2. Our family (parents and 3 daughters ages 18 months, 3 yrs. & 4 yrs. old) arrived on March 19, 1968 (Feast day of St. Joseph). We stayed in Miami for 10 days, left for Michigan where we lived until 1985 when we moved back to Miami have been here since.
3. Yes, but of course! What Cuban doesn't have some sort of relative still in Miami?

[Maria Soto Robbins]

Thank you,Marta for your giveaway:)
My family lived in La Playa de Santa Fe, Habana
We arrived in Miami in 1962
No, thank God!

[Navscaper]

Papi from Alquizar , and mama from Havana.
1961.
No.

[jason]

1. cienfuegos

2. 1969

3. yes

[Michele Caridad]

Loved the "rewind el cassette" post!

My big fat cuban family(since that's how I met Marta) is...
Mami was born in Guanajay and her family is from Cabañas, Pinar del Rio and Matanzas (she came in '72)
Papi was born in Versailles and his family was from Matanzas (he came Pedro Pan '62)

Yes... I have a great aunt in La Habana.

[Laura Fabian-Medina]

Hi Marta,
I am so excited I was introduced (by a Cuban cousin in Miami)to this website! It is awesome! congratulations.
I am from la Habana (del penthouse), I always add that when ever I'm asked, since the majority are from la Habana, I am from the penthouse rather than the first floor, ja!)el Vedado. My father from Camaguey and my mother from la Habana.
Like you, we arrived Miami in 1961, I was two months old, however, more Cuban than most Cubans! My mother always made sure my brother and I grew up knowing our Cuban history. She would make little Cuban flags and on the back she would write Mayo 20, (Cuban Independence Day) and stick them onto toothpicks on cupcakes.
I don't have any family remaining in Cuba. My grandfather passed away in Cuba, a few years ago, my mother always hoped and prayed we would be together again someday. Aside from my parents never returning to Cuba and passing on without their dream fullfilled, the passing of my grandfather and not being able to meet him, has left an empty space in my heart.
I would love to write to you to your email, however, I am not able to open it, could you forward it to me?
Thank you...and I would love to participate in the drawing for the beautiful Cuban book. Laura

[Largimon]

Both of my parents were from La Habana. (I'm the only natural born American (and a rare Miami native at that).

My family arrived in 1960.

Yes. I have an uncle on my father's side and his family still there. I have never met them.

[Orlando]

Marta,

I am NOT from Havana, I was born in Santiago de Cuba; however, I was raised in a small town called Cayo Mambí, located on the northeast shore of the old province (when there were only six) of Oriente. In December 1970, a Cuban official delivered the notification of our exit, allowing my family to leave the island, which included my parents and one brother. We were part of the 265,000 Cubans that took a 45 minutes flight from Varadero to Miami, and these became known as the Freedom Flights (1965-1973). By the way, I remember that it was an airplane owned by the now defunct Eastern Airlines. I still have many family members remaining on the island, as well as, scattered throughout the Unites States and the world.

[rita]

mom is from sagua la grande, dad is from san jose de los ramos, matanzas; came to the US in 1974 but lived in spain for 3 yrs prior; yes

[Miriam Evans]

Encrucijada, L.V. 1962. Yes.

[Rose Bagley (Rosario)]

My mother and her family are from San Luis, Pinar del Rio. Her family moved to Santiago de la Vegas. My father and his family are from Havana. After they married they lived in Santiago de las Vegas. I was born in Santiago de las Vegas.

I came from Cuba on August 10, 1962 unaccompanied, I am a Pedro Pan child. I was sent to a Florida City camp, and then, to West Orange, New Jersey to live with a wonderful Irish-American family. I have never been back to Cuba.

Yes, I have a step sister and brother in Cuba from my father's side of the family. They live in Regla. We have communicate by letters and phone.

[Ava]

We are from El Vedado and Miramar.
July 1965.
Yes still have cousins there.

[Normie]

I have already submitted an entry. I was speaking to my Mom about it and she says, "didn't you put down that we left July 4, 1962?". Im revising my entry to include USA Independence day as my day of departure from my home country.

[Ana Horton]

Born in Cardenas, Father from Cardenas, Mother, Santa Clara

Freedom Flights, February 28. 1969/4yrs old

Aunt and cousins left in Santa Clara

[Maria Cuevas-Anthaume]

1. La Habana
2. 1962
3. Aunts/Uncles/Cousins

[Maria Cuevas-Anthaume]

Ola Marta,

1. La Habana
2. May, 1962
3. Aunts/Uncles/cousins