One Foot Here and The Other in Cuba
HAVANA TIMES – Each reality is different, with other challenges and problems.
In Cuba, it was scarcity and fear. Freedom is not granted by anyone; it is a natural right whose exercise depends on the context.
But in Cuba, it was and still is dangerous to be a free man, and you also have to deal with the misery of every day and the lack of opportunities to achieve your dreams.
Here [in the USA], it’s not as much the case; here, it’s a different reality. It’s about getting used to uprootedness, the distance from loved ones, the memories.
I’ve been getting used to it and slowly solving the challenges of this society, so foreign and different. I already know the city, my English has been improving slowly but noticeably, just like my finances. At least I have a poorly paid job, but now I can live alone, pay my expenses, and although the money doesn’t stretch much further than that, I still have hope of continuing to progress.
But these hopes are starting to fade. The new administration under President Trump is determined to get rid of as many immigrants as possible. His followers, especially Cubans who already have citizenship status, praise his decisions.
“He’s only going to expel the criminals,” they say.
They pretend to ignore that in Trump’s dictionary, there’s no distinction between criminals and immigrants, especially Latinos.
Now my new challenge is to overcome the fear and frustration of knowing that my future in this nation depends on the decisions of an old egomaniac.
But my inner dialogue remains firm and unmistakable. I am strong and I know that whether it’s in the United States or in Cuba, I will survive.
If I have to return to my country, if they force me, I will do so with my anti-communist head held high. Men die standing…