Clashing Waves
Memories of a Cuban Immigrant
by
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Following the Bay of Pigs disaster on April 17, 1961, panic hit the island. Many Cubans, especially those in the upper- and middle-income classes, became frightened. A pall of hopelessness settled in and darkened the mood of the country. People were exchanging Cuban pesos for dollars at a ratio of five to one. Afraid that the communist government would take away parental rights, terrified families began sending their children abroad. The rumor was that children might be sent to Russia to study—without their parents’ consent. My brother Tente immediately sent his two boys, Mike and Raul, to Miami to stay with their maternal aunt. Other families decided to abandon the country altogether. Cubans were scrambling for foreign visas. Most families went to Miami, but others immigrated to Spain, Mexico, Canada, and Latin America. I too got the “fever” to leave, and began to figure out a way to do it.
A few days before my departure flight, my father visited us. Upon learning I was leaving the country, he remained silent for a few seconds. Then, he lost his composure and cried like a child. I seldom saw my father react this way. He always managed to hide his emotions, but on that day he was helpless. At that very moment, I realized how much he really loved me. I tried to comfort him by explaining that I probably would be back in Cuba soon. But his expression and the look in his eyes told me that he didn’t believe one word I was uttering. That was the last time I saw him. Then it hit me for the first time: yes, I was lucky to be escaping from such a dreadful and unpromising system, but I was also filled with sorrow over leaving my homeland, my family, and my friends.
On the morning of June 17, 1961, my friend Carlos Alvarez took me to Rancho Boyeros, Cuba’s main airport (now José Martí), where, for the first time I met Hector, the man I was supposed to escort. He was in his mid-40s, gray-haired, rather short, and heavy. His slight mental impairment was obvious. He was friendly and, according to his aunt, he was harmless. We exchanged pleasantries and chatted a little. Some members of my family had gathered there too, and I was saying goodbye to everyone. My sisters Titica and Rebe were crying. I hugged them tightly and told them I would see them soon: “I’ll miss you,” I said with tears in my eyes. “Cuídate mucho,” (“take good care of yourself”), they replied.
Shortly after, I was ordered by airport security to go into a waiting room—a rather hostile environment— where airline employees checked my documents, bags, and everything else I was carrying. “Empty your pockets,” one of them ordered. Departing passengers were not allowed to bring more than five Cuban pesos in cash. Many of them were forced to part with valuable personal property and family heirlooms, such as gold bracelets, wedding rings, cameras, and photo albums. Anything that looked valuable was kept by the airport authorities. Many were crying and I felt sorry for them.
We finally boarded a two-propeller plane operated by Cubana de Aviación (Cuba’s national airline). Twenty minutes later we took off for Mexico City. As the plane gained altitude, I saw Havana way below, and I marveled at the Cuban landscape and the contrast between the green scenery sprinkled with royal palms and the aqua-shaded coastal waters sending waves into the rocks. I could see the Morro Fortress fading in the distance. I wondered when I would see my country and family again, and what I would find upon my arrival in Mexico.
Preface................................................................................................... ix
Acknowledgments................................................................................. xi
1. Leaving Havana.............................................................................. 1
2. The Beginning.............................................................................. 10
3. A Love Story................................................................................. 16
4. My Parents’ Last Child.................................................................. 19
5. The Estévez Street House.............................................................. 24
6. She Went To Heaven..................................................................... 29
7. Recovery and First Encounter with School.................................... 35
8. The School That Changed My Life............................................... 41
9. Neighborhood Dangers and Games.............................................. 47
10. El Solar......................................................................................... 54
11. Knowledge, Fun, and Perils of My High School Years................... 58
12. Family Tragedy and Political Unrest.............................................. 64
13. The 1957 Christmas and Plan to Study Abroad............................ 71
14. Living Political Repression............................................................ 75
15. Path to the Future?........................................................................ 79
16. Juanito: Father and Businessman................................................... 83
17. My Maternal Siblings.................................................................... 91
18. Inside the Workers’ Paradise.......................................................... 98
19. My Paternal Family..................................................................... 105
20. Joining the Urban Underground................................................. 111
21. Welcome to America!.................................................................. 117
22. Miami: The CIA and Uncle Sam................................................. 124
23. Miami: My First Job................................................................... 129
24. Surviving Miami......................................................................... 133
25. The Promising Boston................................................................ 141
26. I Lived to Tell the Story............................................................... 146
27. A Partner for Life........................................................................ 152
28. Go West, Young Man.................................................................. 158
29. Reaching a Milestone.................................................................. 164
30. Vocational Discovery................................................................... 168
31. Becoming a US Citizen and Embracing a Political Philosophy.... 173
32. Starting and Raising a Family...................................................... 177
33. Moving On and Up.................................................................... 190
34. Cultural Conflict in the Workplace............................................. 197
35. Miracles Do Happen................................................................... 201
36. Witnessing Three World-Changing Events.................................. 207
37. Retirement Years and Concluding Thoughts............................... 213
About the Author............................................................................... 221
Appendixes
Nuclear Family and Maternal Siblings................................................ 225
Endnotes............................................................................................ 229
Bibliography....................................................................................... 233
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About the Book
Growing up in Havana, Cuba, author Waldo Lopez-Aqueres’s life has been one of challenge, heartbreak, and adversity. At four, he almost lost his own life shortly after his mother lost hers. He was then rejected by his paternal grandparents and siblings. But he found comfort and acceptance with his maternal brothers and sisters, and from their love he found courage, hope, and an intense motivation to learn. As his body grew, so did his confidence and determination to rise above the terrors of his childhood.
His young dreams were nearly derailed, however, by the arrival of a totalitarian communist government. At twenty, his world – like that of many other Cubans – began to crumble around him, and his life and his ambitions were interrupted. Frustrated and disenchanted with the Cuban revolution, he immigrated to the United States at twenty-two to begin a new life. It was a daily struggle to adapt to a new culture, language, and way of life.
Waldo did adapt, though; he went on to achieve personal, professional, and academic success in his adopted new home. Dr. Lopez-Aqueres exemplifies how the power of the human spirit can rise above adversity and how anyone with dedication, perseverance, and willpower can attain a meaningful and gratifying life.
This is the story of his American dream come true, shared in intimate and inspirational detail.
About the Author
Waldo Lopez-Aqueres was born in Cuba in 1939 and immigrated to the United States at twenty-two. He earned a master of arts degree in economics and a PhD in urban and regional planning from the University of Southern California. He served as the director of economic policy research and advised as a consulting scholar for the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at the Claremont Colleges in Pomona, California. He is a father of two, grandfather of two and he lives in California with his wife.