(My dad, mom, 3 boys, Beatriz and I enjoying some lunch recently. The second picture is from our last days in Cuba. I'm the one to the right and my sister and brother are in the front. My brother is holding our little cousin! My two cousins are in the back!)
It was July 2, 1964. We call it our "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" day.
My mom and dad grabbed the three of us and we boarded a flight to Mexico City.
From there, we flew to Jamaica, where we waited for our entry to the US. (My dad could not work in Jamaica so we were supported by our two uncles in the US!)
Two months later, on my brother's birthday, we landed in Miami.
About a week later, we landed in Wisconsin to start our life in a new country. My dad worked a day and night job. We packed into a very small apartment and the rest is history, as they say!
In our family, July 2nd is a special day of "freedom".
It was the day that we escaped Castro's regime and got a new lease on life in the US.
My brother, sister and I understand what our parents did.
We are very grateful for their devotion and desire to see us grow up in freedom.
