Immigration Stories

June 29 - Heather Carruthers, Key West, Florida - Immigrant from Finland

My dad, William Carruthers, spent 22 years in the Navy, then taught high school social studies for another 22 years.  He had enlisted at age 17 (lied about his age) after his older brother, Alex, was shot down over France during WWII.  Alex had been in the Canadian RAF because he could not join the US military as a British citizen.  Dad was the fourth kid in a family of six, and the first born in this country.  His father had immigrated from Scotland in the early 1920's and worked in the coal mines of Pennsylvania.  His mother followed in 1925, pregnant and with three kids in tow.  (I just saw "The Immigrant" and I imagined her with three kids going through Ellis Island.  She spoke English, but her brogue was so strong it was probably still hard for her to be understood.  How scary and how brave.)  My mom, JoAnn Holland Carruthers, was also first generation.  Her parents had immigrated from Ireland and were also coal miners.  Her dad died of black lung when she was only 14.  Her uncle, James McLean, had been the Mayor of her home town of Avoca, PA.

My dad had been a gunner's mate, but after the war he was sent to the Pentagon for training that included photography.  He was stationed just outside of Helsinki in 1958 during the Cold War.  He never told me exactly what he was doing, but I suspect it was intelligence.  He did tell me he decoded messages, and I know he went on a "tourist" trip to Moscow during which his hotel room was ransacked.

At any rate, my parents were having trouble conceiving, and so decided to adopt when they were in Finland.  The adoption was arranged through Save the Children.  My parents always told me that I was born in Finland and adopted because my birth mother loved me so much that she wanted me to have a better life than she could provide.  

We came back to the states in 1961 and moved to Willamsport, PA where my dad ran a Navy recruiting station.  I became a naturalized citizen when I was four years old.  I remember having to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing "My country 'Tis of Thee" before the judge.  My father went to Lycoming College on the GI bill, retired in 1964 from the Navy and got a teaching job in Jamestown, NY where I grew up.  It was a happy, Ozzie-and-Harriet childhood.  One of the best parts was that, because my dad was a teacher, he had summers off.  We spent two of those summers in a camper touring America.  I'd been to every one of the lower 48 states by the time I was 12, and it was perhaps the best education I could have received.

At any rate, I grew up, went to Wells College for a BA in American History with a Philosophy minor, moved first to New Hampshire and then to New York City.  I worked in marketing in the publishing industry, sang professionally for a while (classical ensemble singing), then worked in advertising on the IBM business at OgilvyOne, and moved to Key West in 2000 to prevent a life of working late (ha!) and crowded subways.  I purchased a 38-room guesthouse complex that was called The Rainbow House with my late partner and renovated and developed it into Pearl's Key West over the next 13 years.  (I sold it last November.)  I got involved in the community through the Key West Business Guild, the Lodging Association, the Key West Symphony Orchestra Board, and FIRM.  I ran unsuccessfully for City Commission in 2003, losing by eight votes.  I then ran for County Commission in 2008 and carried every precinct in the Keys.  I'm in my second term now and still on the FIRM board.  With my partner, Coleen Fitzsimmons, we are very much enjoying raising our daughter, Clare, in such a giving and open community, such a beautiful environment, and such a vibrant region.

June 28 - Jordan Mannix-Lachner, Key West, Florida - Great-Grandparents emigrated from Ireland

During the Irish Potato Famine, most of my great-great grandparents separately packed up their lives and hopped aboard ships to America, hoping to find, if not a new life, at least some food. One great-grand mother left Ireland right before they Famine, using up all of her savings to buy a ticket to America. After a few years she decided to return home to Ireland, and found it in a devastating condition. People were dying of starvation everywhere. She knew she had to get back to America, where there was food and work. It took her years to save up enough to get back, narrowly escaping death by starvation—a fate about a million other Irish people couldn’t avoid.

Like the rest of my family, when she finally made it to America, she settled in New York City. There, my family stayed for generation.
Mine was the first generation in all of my extended family to be born outside of New York City or Ireland, although I have recently returned to New York City to go to college.

Since my ancestors arrived in New York Harbor, my family has been building their lives in America. They have been nurses, teachers, butchers, engineers, steel-workers, and public servants. Luckily, what my family found in America was not struggle, but prosperity—at least in the ways that matter.

It was my parents who settled in South Florida. Like Ireland and New York City, we landed on another island.

June 27 -Nicolas Duran, Miami, Florida - Mother emigrated from Cuba

My mother was born Patricia Barreto in Camaguey, Cuba on July 3rd, 1965; six years after Castro’s reign of power began. Her family was very fortunate, as many members were renowned lawyers and politicians in the country. However, it wasn’t long before the Castro regime’s grip began to tighten on her family. She witnessed all of her family’s properties and possessions being stolen by Cuban bureaucrats, and ultimately her family lost its significance. On October of 1968 her father, Gaspar Barreto, was forced to work in multiple Cuban concentration camps, and was separated from his family. He was told that if he had any hopes of leaving the country he would have to earn it by working in these camps. He worked inhumane hours in the sun, and was starved to the point that he had lost forty-five pounds. There was even one night where he had left the camp in secret so that he could see his family, and when his mother answered the door she was completely unable to recognize him. She had confused her own son for a homeless man who had come to beg.

In order to escape the absurd workload that was placed on him and be reunited with his family, Gaspar purposely broke his own arm, and returned home in 1971. On February 24th of the same year my mother, her sisters, and her parents left from Varadero, Cuba on a flight for Miami, Florida. Forty-three years later, and I can say on behalf of my mother that the American Dream is very real. My mother has worked her way through college to ensure her success. The reason my mother works so hard is for my brother Alexander and I. Her hope is that we too can aspire to be successful. It’s for this that she is the strongest woman I know, and I am proud to have her family’s blood flowing through my veins. My family is not just Cuban, but proudly American.

June 26 -Marilyn Holz, Key West, Florida - Grandparents emigrated from Italy

Immigration reform is once again being discussed by Congress.

As they do I can't help but reflect on my own background. While I am not the daughter of immigrants, I am the grand daughter of immigrants. Both sets of grand parents come over from Italy through Ellis Island and settled in New York and New Jersey. While none of my grand parents had any formal education they knew they were coming to a place where if you worked hard you can be something and make a difference.

My one grand father went on to be a self made mason. The homes he built over the years were some of the most beautiful and structually sound in the neighborhood. Grampa had to turn down clients there was such a demand for houses built by him. My other grandfather only had expertise in one area, good Italian food. He went on to open an Italian Grocery/Deli that stayed open over 40 years, he worked in it until the day he died.

If this is my story I am sure many others have a similar story about their parents and grand parents. My story proves what we all know, this is a country built and founded by immigrants. It's where we came from. This is the reason I am calling upon every one of you to call or e-mail your Senator and Representatives and tell them to support Immigration Reform. Tell them Immigration Reform should not be a political issue, it should not be a partisan issue. It's plain and simple, it's the right time and the right thing to do.

June 25 -Tomas Alcala, Miami, Florida - Parents emigrated from Venezuela 

My family has had good fortune in regards to immigration throughout our past. Both of my parents were born in Caracas, Venezuela along with my oldest brother. As for my sister and I, we were born in Miami, FL after my family immigrated to the United States in 1986. My parents met at a young age and got married in Venezuela. Once they began this new chapter of their lives, they decided to leave Venezuela and study together at the University of Miami in 1979. My mother and father got their associates degrees in marketing and electronics respectively. They were also taking English courses together at the same time in order to be prepared for the cultural adjustment in which they were on the brink of. My parents never encountered difficulties in terms of immigration; however, they did go through financial troubles during the initial years of their transition. Eventually, they were able to overcome the financial burdens they were encountering thanks to a business that my parents and grandfather were a part of, which was a purchasing office for communications equipment that they would send over to Venezuela. Ultimately, both of my parents got steady jobs and have been quite successful in this country. Although my family had an interesting past in Venezuela (my father was part of a successful band and his cousin was a famous musical icon), they would never leave this country, which has given them so much opportunity.

June 24 -Donatella Vanucci Kelly​, Key West, Florida - Immigrant from Italy

My name is Donatella Vanucci Kelly. I was born in Rimini, Italy,  a resort town on the Adriatic Coast. While on vacation when I was 21, I met my husband, Martin. He was there on a tour with the Navy. He had just arrived and was temporarily staying at the hotel where my cousin was working at the time. It was 4th of July weekend and she and I had plans to go out.

Little did I know she had invited Martin to come along, but I’m glad she did! I’m not really a big believer in fairy tales or love at first sight, but when I saw him, I knew he would be the father of my child. Two weeks later he asked me to marry him! I was shocked and elated at the same time because in the Italian culture, engagements can last as long as 10 years sometimes!

We did not marry right away, but moved in together after a month. We lived together for three years until he was reassigned to a post in Spain. It was then we decided to marry.

We moved to Spain.  I had suspended my college education, but when we moved to Spain, I was able to pursue it again through the University of Maryland. In 1996, our son was born but Martin was often gone, frequently deployed because of the crisis in Yugoslavia. It was a difficult time, but we got through it.

A few years later, Martin was reassigned to Pensacola, Florida. I was able to get a transfer to college there and also received a full scholarship for volleyball – a sport I loved playing and had played my entire life. It is also when I became a US citizen – a great moment of pride for my family and I!

After having finished my Bachelor’s degree, I was able to pursue my Master’s in Public Relations and Linguistics at Florida State University. I was subsequently offered to pursue my doctorate, but when Martin was reassigned to Italy, I had to turn down the opportunity.

In 2007, he was ordered to return to the US and was assigned to Key West. We have been here ever since and loving it.

I am the Executive Aide to the Monroe County Sheriff and love my job and community. Our son has now graduated from high school and will be attending the University of Florida in the fall. 

June 23 - Jacques and Yvette Laroche​, South Dade, Florida - Immigrants from Haiti

My wife,  and I were born and raised in Petion-ville, Haiti. We attended the same high school and left to Montreal, Canada in 1972 where we married and had two children. A few years later, in 1975, we opened our first interior decorating store and a drapery/bedspread manufacturing company - the first of its kind owned by Haitians. In 1985, we decided to move our operations to the Sunshine State (Palmetto Bay, Florida) - UNIQUE HOME DESIGN, Inc. We became the first and only black owned award winning interior design company in South Dade’s history, thus proving that hard work, perseverance and true entrepreneurship are key components to success. Our commitment to quality and service has propelled our triumph and has help us earn the respect of our peers, as well as a series of accolades from such organizations as the Beacon Council, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, SBA, Caribbean Bar Association, South Florida Business Journal and a national award from the US Department of Commerce in Washington, DC.

In addition, fifteen years ago, in the Summer of 1999, I founded a minority chamber of commerce (UCOMB OF SOUTH DADE,INC). Our nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting, supporting and providing technical assistance for the growth and development of small and minority businesses, as well as encouraging the youth of South Dade to pursue entrepreneurship.

I have been honored to have been considered as "UCOMB's driving force to better minority businesses " and to have been recognized for the outstanding contributions to the economic health and vitality of the Greater South Miami-Dade community.

June 19 - Alli Katzen, Miami, Florida - Grandfather emigrated from Latvia

My great-grandfather, Phillip Katzen, was born in 1901 near Lebau, Latvia. He had several older sisters who made their way to America prior to him. When Phillip was 19 he arrived to New York on a ship. My family has been in the US ever since then, around the year 1920. He was lucky enough to have two sisters already in New York by the time he arrived, who ran a successful retail 5 & 10 cents story, which sold all types of merchandise from hardware to home furnishings. My great-grandfather obviously had some struggles however, as he barely spoke any English and had to learn this very quickly. He worked very hard with his sisters to learn the business. When my grandfather, Howard, was born, their family moved to Miami where both of my parents were later born. My grandparents owned a tire company in Miami called Norton Tire Company. My father grew up around this and later met my mother. They followed the trend and stayed in Miami to raise me and my sister.

June 18 - Nicolas Wulff, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from Colombia

I was born In Bogota Colombia on Oct 17 1990 along with my twin brother Esteban. My father left the family and moved back to Germany before I was born, leaving my mother to raise us as a single mother. Although my mother had gone to college in Colombia and received the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, she was unable to find a job so she decided to move to the United States in order to find employment and provide for her two young sons. She moved to Miami in 1992 where she had a couple of friends to help her out while she got on her feet. She found employment and worked for 3 years until she was able to bring my brother and I to live with her. I arrived in Miami in 1995 and was raised in the Latin dominated culture of Miami.

Coming from Colombia, my mother always stressed how important education was. While in high school, I found out my brother and I had overstayed our VISA many years ago and had lost our immigration status as a result of it. I knew there were challenges ahead, but I followed my mother and uncles advice and always strove to succeed. I ended up graduating with a 3.8 GPA and was awarded the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, an athletic track and field Scholarship, and was considered by various others, but was unable to claim them because of my immigration status. I was one of the millions of people who were stuck in limbo in the US, not knowing what to do because of the fact that I was lacking proper documentation. My brother and I ended up receiving a portion of my father’s inheritance money which is what we used to pay for classes at the local community college (MDC). I became very active with an immigration organization during my time at MDC which opened up a lot of doors for me and allowed me to continue my education at FIU once having graduated with my associates degree. A couple months later, I became eligible for DACA once it was announced and was now able to get some type of status with documentation and be able to pay in-state tuition rates at FIU. I continued going to school full time, and began working for a local nonprofit which allowed me to continue to fund my tuition. I just finished a yearlong internship with the UAW and am five classes away from graduating with my bachelors. Growing up in Miami really has its benefits. I can say that back in high school, I never thought I would be where I am now and am thankful for everyone that has helped me along the way.

June 14 - Shabbir Motorwala, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from India

In 1975, I came to this country as a Student at Miami Dade Community College with $ 8.00 in my pocket. Since then I have never looked back. After getting accepted for Pharmacy at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, I returned back to Miami and being sponsored for permanent residency, I have moved on. Working thru difficult times, today I can say I have achieved my American Dream.

Looking back I realized that people come to USA due to religious suppression or dictatorial regimes, I came from a country which cherishes same freedom as USA , I did not leave India because of any of those reasons but came to improve my financial and living conditions. I could not have achieved what I have achieved here.
This country has given me courage to get over of my fear of Inferiority Complex; it showed me that if you work hard, you can achieve your dreams

Today, I can say I am given back to country of choice thru my services to community, I am a member of Medical Reserve Corp, member of Miami Dade County Asian American Advisory Board as well as founder and member of UHI CommunityCare Clinic, a free medical clinic providing free medical care to residents of South Florida.

I am proud to say I am American by Choice and Muslim by Birth. I am Shabbir Motorwala with my wife Asma Motorwala and are proud of our daughter Dr Zarina Motorwala and her husband Dr Alex Pino serving people in need.

June 13 - Angely Requena-Enriquez, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from Venezuela

I was born on March 2, 1993 in Caracas, Venezuela. At that time, Venezuela was a very peaceful nation where every citizen could enjoy equality, unity, and democracy. I remember when anyone could be out on the streets without fearing for their security or not returning home, never to see their parents again. Unfortunately, when I turned 16 years old, my family and I could observe that the democracy that used to exist in Venezuela was dissolving throughout the years. That is why my parents decided to immigrate to the United States of America. When I arrived, I remember how difficult it was for me to take classes in English. I could not understand what the professor was explaining to me. As time went on, I began to understand how crucial it was to study with effort. I realized that if I could commit myself to make my dreams come true, I would have the opportunity in this country to achieve them! I took notice of some of my peers who struggled with the English language as well.  I found that many of them were moving forward, so I decided to keep moving forward as well! When I graduated from high school, I had the great privilege of receiving an award as the Most Improved Student English as a Second Language. It was an enormous step in the right direction; a step which made me realize once again that in this nation, there are no boundaries or restrictions for any human being. Once again, I thank my parents for bringing me to this nation of liberty. Even though Venezuela is my country of nationality and I am proud to be a Venezuelan, I am also proud of being a resident of the United States.

Naci en Caracas el 2 de Marzo de 1993, para ese entonces Venezuela era una nacion muy tranquila donde todos podiamos vivir en igualdad, unidad, y democracia. Recuerdo que podiamos salir a la calle sin miedo a que nos pasara algo, sin miedo a no volver a casa, sin miedo de no volver a ver a nuestros padres nunca mas.  Lastimosamente, ya cuando cumplia 16 años de edad, mi familia y yo podiamos observar que la Democracia en Venezuela se iba debilitando cada vez mas a traves de los anos. Es por eso que mis padres decidieron imigrar a los Estados Unidos. Recuerdo que tan dificil era para mi escuchar clases en ingles. Al pasar el tiempo, pude darme cuenta que tan importante era estudiar con esfuerzo, y que si me proponia una meta yo tenia la oportunidad de alcanzarla. Pude observar que otros compañeros, que no sabian Ingles, pudieron advanzar y liderar con disciplina. Asi que yo tambien decidi hacerlo! Cuando me gradue de high school, tuve el gran honor de recibir el premio como mejor estudiante advanzada en Ingles como segundo lenguaje. Fue un gran paso! Un paso que hizo darme cuenta, una vez mas, que en esta nacion, no se discrimina ni se juzga a ningun ser humano. Una vez mas, le doy gracias a mis padres por traerme a este pais de libertad. Aunque Venezuela sigue siendo mi pais de nacimiento y me siento orgullosa de ser Venezolana, tambien me siento orgullosa de ser residente en USA, al que me ofrecio el derecho de luchar por lo que me hace feliz.

June 12 - Jerry Alleyne-Nagee, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago

I was born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies and migrated to Florida in 1989, 25 years ago.  Having been sponsored by my mother who lived and worked in Maryland, I decided that the mandatory requirement to come to the country every year was not practical and so I decided to move here with my son, the youngest of my three children. Both my older girls were married, the older residing in Canada and the younger in New York where she was attending college.

Miami’s climate, familiar vegetation and multi-national flavor resembled my homeland so it was an easy decision to reside here in Miami. On several occasions I had visited Tulsa Oklahoma, where my youngest sister lived, Maryland and Washington D.C. where my mom and other siblings lived and New York where my maternal aunt resided but I was firm in her decision to live in Miami especially as it was easy to fly to homeland.

I taught high school and Teachers’ College in Trinidad and high school in London, England before migrating. In 1990, I joined Braddock Senior High School’s English Department and was able to be engaged in multicultural activities with my students. Miami is fortunate to hold one of the best Trinidad-style Caribbean carnivals in the USA and that was certainly a lure for me as propagating my culture is extremely important to me.

Seeing the dire need for communication among Caribbean peoples in the post-Hurricane Andrew period, I began a Caribbean Newspaper, The Caribbean Contact USA that was published monthly. My desire to keep the achievement of my place of birth foremost in the lives of the many fellow nationals I met here, I co-founded the Trinidad and Tobago Community at Christ the King Catholic Church in 1990 and instituted the Annual Trinidad and Tobago Mass of Thanksgiving to commemorate my homeland’s Independence and status as a Republic.  This year we are celebrating our 25th year of ministry in the church. I was instrumental in assuring the smooth functioning of the Trinidad and Tobago Consulate General in Miami and was appointed a member of the Board of Directors of the Trinidad and Tobago-USA Chamber of Commerce in the 1990s.

One remarkable experience is using my newspaper office in South West Miami as an operational center for the Democratic Party for the election of President Barack Obama in 2008.

I am a retired teacher, community resource person, publisher and editor, fully engaged in the political issues of the day. I am currently working on a project titled Caribbean Generation Next which seeks to promote meaningful networking of the younger generation of Caribbean American nationals.

June 11 - Miguel Bernal, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from Guatemala

Yo vivía en mi país con mi mamá.  Soy el único hijo de ella.  Vivíamos en un área rural y eramos muy pobres.  Nunca tuve oportunidad de estudiar y empecé a trabajar a muy temprana edad. 

Porque en mi rancho no hay posibilidad de cómo salir adelante, a los 14 o 15 años me fui a la capital a buscar trabajo.  Trabajé unos 5 años allí, ganaba para la comida, pero no era suficiente para ahorrar dinero.  Ganaba el equivalente de 90 dólares a la quincena.  Quería construirle una casa a mi mamá.  Donde vivíamos era una casa con paredes de caña de milpas, los ángulos de palos de árboles, y el techo de lámina.  Entraba el viento en la casa y mi mamá se mantenía enferma. 

De allí escuchaba sobre el Sueño Americano y se me ocurrió viajar al norte a los Estados Unidos.  Todos mis amigos me dijeron que no me fuera porque se escuchaba que muchas personas se mueren en el camino, especialmente en el desierto.  Pero decidí arriesgar mi vida porque no había otra forma de lograr mis sueños.

Llegué en este país en 2004.  Aquí he trabajado más que todo en nurserías (viveros de plantas), cultivando las plantas que embellecen los jardines de muchos patios.  El trabajo es duro y se gana poquito.  He ganado un promedio de $280 por semana, después de los impuestos, por las 40 horas de trabajo.   Con lo que gasto en vivir, todavía no he podido ahorrar suficiente dinero para construir la casa a mi mamá, pero sí he podido comprarle un terreno para sembrar milpa.

June 10 - Ofelia Ravelo, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from Cuba

I was born in El Cotorro, Cuba in 1942. I attended an all-girls Catholic School in Havana and was planning to study architecture in college up until Fidel took power in 1959. My husband, Alejandro and I, in the rush of the Revolution and takeover, decided to get married and leave the country. Alejandro went over to the US before me in order to secure some money and a place to stay, since he wasn’t allowed to take anything from Cuba. While he was gone, I realized I was pregnant and decided I needed to get over to the US before the new Cuban government would find out and not let me leave. I arrived seven months pregnant and gave birth to my son Alejandro Jr. soon after. We had nothing and continued to work and save to better our lives and the lives of our children. We sent them to private schools and did all we could to provide for them and give them the American Dream.

June 9 - Jim Larranaga, Miami & Key West, Florida - Grandfather emmigrated from Cuba

My grandfather, Juan Larranaga, was born and raised in Cuba.  He met my grandmother, Charlotte Sweeney, a native of Key West, while she was vacationing in Havana in the early 1900s.  Around 1906 he voyaged over to Key West to be with her. After dating for a while, he asked for her hand in marriage.  They had two children, a daughter and a son - my father, John D. Larranaga, who was born October 16th 1910.

After growing up in Key West,  my father moved to New York in his early 20’s, met my mother, and raised his family there.   We spent many summers in Key West vacationing with my father’s family.   In turn, and in thanks to my grandfather’s voyage, I am living out my dream as the head coach of the University of Miami Men’s Basketball program. It has been wonderful for me and my family to return to our roots here in Florida.

June 8 - Pedro Diaz, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from Cuba

Pedro Diaz is a third generation baker. His father and grandfather were bakers in Cuba, and 10 members of his family are bakers. Diaz, 47, a native of Havana, Cuba, left the island in 1980 in search of greater opportunities. He never imagined the “taste” of success he is enjoying now.

A former Publix bakery employee and manager for 19 years, on his free time, Pedro teaches the art of baking to adults with disabilities in the Miami Coral Park Adult/JRE Lee Bakery Arts Program in South Miami. Diaz is honored to share his talents and love of baking with his community, and hopes to help people find their passion, just like he did his.

June 7 - Juan Bido, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from the Domininican Republic

In 1999, at the age of 34, Juan Bido left his wife and three children in the Dominican Republic in search of a brighter future for them.  Juan went to work as a personal assistant for an accomplished businessman in Miami. After fourteen months of hard work, Juan had saved up enough money to bring his wife and children over the Dominican Republic.  Fifteen years later, Juan and his family are all citizens of the United States. Juan still works in the same job that gave him the opportunity to be able to secure a better life for his family. His two oldest children are currently enrolled in college and his youngest is still in high school. 

June 6 - Enirque Castillo, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from Nicaragua

Nací en Managua, Nicaragua en 1957. Como canta-autor Nicaragüense, escribí la canción oficial con que la Iglesia Católica de Nicaragua recibe a SS Juan Pablo II en 1983. Fui perseguido y acosado y decidi salir al exilio a San Jose de Costa Rica a trabajar en las filas de la Contrarrevolución en los años 80. En el año 1987 emigre a Australia en donde vivi 7 años, hasta 1994, cuando llegue a los Estados Unidos a empezar de cero como todo emigrante.

En la fecha actual tengo exactamente 20 años viviendo en Miami. Me desempeño como músico y tengo una compañía de sonido. Doy servicios de ingeniería acústica en diferentes eventos por toda la ciudad. Además, tengo un pequeño estudio de grabación en donde produzco mis canciones originales y también a otros artistas.

En política soy Presidente del Primer Club Demócrata Nicaragüense Americano, y como tal, mi objetivo es llevar la voz de mi pueblo a las autoridades de este país para que se conozca la realidad de Nicaragua.

Soy un amante de la Democracia, de la Justicia y de la Libertad. Actualmente, estoy en proceso de producir el primer programa de Televisión, producido y dirigido, por un Nicaragüense aquí en Miami. El programa se llama “Enfoque Latinoamericano” y nuestro interés es promover la cultura de nuestros países aquí en nuestra nueva patria.

June 5 - The Tamayo Family, Miami, Florida - Immigrants from Cuba

We left Cuba and some of our family behind in 1993 for Venezuela and lived there until 1999. We then came to Miami on December 27, 1999 and celebrated our first real New Year's (2000) with friends who were living here. Our journey to America is a testament to the opportunities afforded by hard work and dedication. Our eldest daughter, Evy, is a medical school student and the younger one, Wendy, just graduated from FIU and is on her way to pursuing a medical career as well. We gave up our lives, careers, and family in order for our daughters to have more opportunities and have always instilled in them the value of knowledge and education, something that can never be taken away from us.

June 4 - Hector Caraballo, Miami, Florida - Immigrant from Cuba

Naci y me crie en un pequeña ciudad llamada Santa Clara en el centro de Cuba.Mi infancia fue muy bonita y tranquila,eramos una familia muy unida.No teniamos lujos,pero gracias al esfuerzo de mis padres, mi hermano y yo pudimos estudiar en una buena escuela.

Desgraciadamente el pais empezo a cambiar para mal y nos dimos cuenta de que no podriamos disponer de nuestras vidas como queriamos .La libertad es algo fundamental para el ser humano y considere que era mi obligacion exigir esa libertad para mi y para los mios.Mis ideas me llevaron a la carcel .Despues de salir en libertad pasaron muchos años sin que mis sueños de llegar a EEUU pudieran  realizarse.Para lograrlos me escape en una balsa remando y asi pude llegar a tierras de libertad.

En este pais,que,desde que llegue ha sido mi patria,he vivido 40 años, construi una familia y mis hijos crecieron y se educaron. Al mismo tiempo,he podido contribuir con mi esfuerzo y entusiasmo al avance de esta sociedad.Deje atras en mi otra patria,recuerdos y compromisos que nunca olvidare.

Mi relato es uno mas, entre los millones que forman la herencia historica de esta gran nacion.

Translation: I was born and raised in a small city named Santa Clara in Cuba. My childhood was very beautiful and calm, we were an extremely close family. We never lived an extravagant lifestyle, but thanks to my parents hard work, my brother and I were able to go to a good school.

Unfortunately, our country began to change for the worst and we realized that we could not live our lives the way that we wanted to. Freedom is a fundamental right that every human being should have and I considered it my duty and obligation to be able to achieve that right for my kids and I. My beliefs landed me in jail. After I was released, years went by and I could not fulfill my dream of moving to the United States. In order for my dreams to come true, I escaped on a raft and was finally able to reach freedom.

Since my arrival 40 years ago, this country has become my home. It is where I've built a family and the place where my kids grew up and received an education. At the same time, I have been able to contribute my effort and enthusiasm in order to advance in society. I left behind my country, the memories, and friendships and that is something that I will never forget.

My story is just one of the millions that add to the history of this great nation.