In honor of a good friend and better person: JJFernández C.
Mexicans and Cubans: Their stay in the U.S.
Dear friend and a few yesterdays ago, talking to a good friend, a Cuban by birth he is universal by its people skills, his clear intuition and good sense, on a visit to this home, was happy and nostalgic at the same time to find similarities between this small corner of Michoacán and always well remembered homeland: Bayamo, Cuba.
Today I heard from him, which is gratifying for me and motivates me to write these thoughts ever share under the oaks Urícuaro concerning our people, Mexican people and Cuban people and our relationship to a destination common: Staying in the U.S.
Similarities:
Mexico, a country of Indians under the English Crown .
Cuba, Indian country under the English Crown also a strong income slaves arrived from Africa. (shame of the story)
Mexico, a country mestizo, English-speaking peasant roots from 1942 onwards, through the Bracero program experienced the migration of thousands of farm workers to the U.S. seeking to improve the lives of their families.
Cuba, a country mestizo, English-speaking peasant roots from Cuban Revolution, for the 60's lived a great exodus of Cubans to the U.S. , a country that opens their arms and receive them as political exiles.
arrive both in a strange country, not far from his native land Mexicans, Cubans by sea.
start for the major differences here:
De Mexico , usually migrating peasants (whom I admire for their tenacity and perseverance, as well as by the legitimate desire to improve the lives of their families), which in mostly lacked even basic academic instruction, were rare those who could read and write.
De Cuba , usually left intellectuals, academics, professionals, academics and educated people of middle to upper level and did not allow subject to any form of government that will mean reducing their freedoms (his opinion), or persons to whom the new government expropriated their property.
Mexican workers (my father among them), were able to borrow money for the trip "north" ie the U.S. , worked in agricultural fields, in foundries or at the railway for periods of six to nine months, returning to his country where his family to spend the remaining months of the year, during which they ran out of savings and the cycle repeated: Raising money, travel "north" , work, pay the loan, send money home, return, spend the savings, etc, in an annual cycle ending.
Cubans left their homeland without the lure of coming back, (They have not returned yet), came to work boleros, waiters, dishwashers, as waiters, in short, of what "coming out." But do not forget that their own intellectual capacity allowing them was the opportunities for improvement and it was only a matter of time that most were in well paid and form their own companies. They, for political reasons well known, never returned to their country where they left family, friends, wants and as they say said Gen. Mc. Arthur: a "return" .
flow of Mexicans to the neighboring country, is endless, the savings of the Mexicans, although they exist, nor is the proportion of the savings that Cubans naturalized U.S. citizens have been achieved through intellectual and entrepreneurial vision in contrast to our vision, plus they did not return to spend in Cuba . There
the generation that was born, lived and grew up in "Pearl of the Caribbean" , a longing to return to visit your home or what's left of it and only God know if I can do someday. Reflecting on the shady
Urícuaro oaks, sees a great economic recovery for the Caribbean country as soon as circumstances permit, the generation of the speaker, can provide momentum, do not think the younger generation of Cuban descent but born in the U.S. have reason to return, I feel that great pain and sorrow that have managed to overcome, but not abandoned, because we are human.
course is a general reflection, so it can not be applied in all cases, we have excellent examples of Mexican winners of the U.S. both in academia and in the business, astronautics and even in political and We have also deplorable ejemplos de cubanos en los E.U.A. , sin hablar de “los marielitos” , que podrá ser tema de otra breve reflexión, al igual que otra mas extensa sobre lo que el futuro pueda depararnos a nosotros, mexicanos en México y a nuestros hermanos mexicanos, en los E.U.A.
Por cierto, la pintura que engalana ésta reflexión, es un óleo sobre tela, del pintor J. Francisco Alemán Cerda , de la colección particular del Sr. Luis Vega Melgoza, y se titula “Nostalgia del bracero” quienes gustosos accedieron al uso de la misma obra. Un saludo cordial desde la fronda de añosos Urícuaro oaks.
0 comments:
Post a Comment