Page 13 - 7-24-15 Friday's Edition

FLORIDA SENTINEL
FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015
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The Raising Of The Cuban Flag In U.S. Sign Of Changing Times For Local Black Cubans
FACUNDA ARENAS CARIDAD ARENAS- JOSE GRINAN JOHNSON
RIGOBERTO GARCIA
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
From 1953 to 1959, an armed revolt led by Fidel Castro and his “26th of July Movement,” forever changed the landscape of the Caribbean island of Cuba, and marked the end of the Ful- gencio Batista regime.
Castro and his rebels suc- cessfully gained control of Cuba in January 1959, and immediately allied with the Soviet Union.
History has recorded situa- tions in the early 1960s be- tween President John F. Kennedy and Fidel Castro that could have led to a World War. However, sanctions and embargoes kept the violence at bay, but at the same time sent boatloads of Cuban refugees fleeing the country to the United States.
Monday, the blue, red, and white-starred flag of Cuba was raised at the country’s em- bassy in Washington, D.C. in what was described as a sym- bolic move signaling the start of a new era in U. S.-Cuba re- lations.
The flag-raising ceremony was presided over by Cuban
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, hours after full diplomatic relations with the United States were restored through an agreement to re- sume normal ties.
The Cuban flag was raised in the lobby of the State De- partment alongside those of other countries that the United States has diplomatic ties with.
Since the 1970s, Cuba and the United States had been presented in each other’s cap- itals by limited service inter- ests sections.
Some local Black Cuban- Americans were asked to give their opinions of this historic event, and what it means to them and their families.
Facunda Arenas: “As far as the economic plan, I’ve al- ways wanted to travel to Cuba, but I knew I couldn’t. Now, things have changed and I do plan to go, along with my sis- ters and my children. It’s im- portant for my children to see their heritage and what’s going on in Cuba.”
Caridad Arenas-John- son: “I think what’s happen- ing is wonderful. My father always wanted to go to Cuba, although he was born here.
We are a couple of genera- tions from the island.
“Growing up and listening to my relatives, has always made me anxious to go. I’d like to mingle around and talk to my people. I’m excited about the opportunity to visit Cuba. I just hope this makeup lasts forever, and we don’t find ourselves waiting another 50 years.”
Jose Grinan: “The em- bargo is still there, so you can’t visit directly from the United States yet. My daugh- ter, one of my sisters, and a few others went to Cuba in April of last year looking for some relatives. We did find some, and now I’m looking forward to going back.
“As a journalist, you tend to notice a lot more than a tourist. As a child, I went to Cuba in 1958, and went back again in 1978 for the release of political prisoners. You were always being watched, no matter where you went.”
Grinan said there are peo- ple who work for the Cuban government and their job is to keep track of outsiders, espe- cially journalists.
“I remember a sheet of plexi-glass separating people
in the airport. You constantly see people observing you.
“There are still guns pointed at the United States on Cuba, and the government in Cuba still fears being at- tacked. There is also an awful feeling of oppression. My fa- ther was born in a small town called Remedios, and later moved to Havana when he was in his 20s. I’m happy to have met the descendants of people my father knew grow- ing up in Cuba.”
Gloria Arenas: “I was traveling to Cuba before any of this happened. What I’d like to do is locate the graves of relatives and look for sib- lings we know we have in Cuba.
“I found out that my grand- mother was a missionary in Cuba. I’m very excited and I want to fly to Cuba. The cul- ture has always been a part of my family and there’s so much research I want to do. Most Cuban immigrants wound up in Miami or the Keys. That’s why it’s so hard finding our family members. That’s why this is so important to me.”
Maria Hodges: “I think things are going to be good. I’d like to go back one day. It’s
been almost 50 years since I left as a child.
“When we came to this country, Castro wasn’t in power yet. It was an entirely different place before he took power. We had a lot of stores and people had a lot more freedom. We came to the United States because we al- ready had family here. We left a brother in Cuba, but later he came. I think things are finally changing for the better.”
Rigoberto Garcia: “As the son of immigrant Cuban Americans and a native Tam- pan, I feel that the action taken by President Obama regarding normalizing rela- tions with Cuba is long over- due. The island of Cuba represents a major business and cultural opportunity that offers mutual economic ad- vancements.
“Opening the Cuban Em- bassy in Washington, D.C. is a tangible point of interaction between both countries, and is a beginning for serious talks to ease tensions and encour- age Democratic rule in this beautiful land.
“I have visited family in Cuba over the years, and I am so encouraged that this action is a beacon of hope so desper- ately needed for a deserving people.”