Far from the ordinary reality television star with 15 minutes of fame, HIV/AIDS activist and educator Pedro Zamora was a inspiration and role model to the GBLT community and the rest of the world. Born February 29th, 1972, to Cuban parents, Hector and Zoraida, he was raised in a small town near Havana, Cuba. After previously having seven children, Pedro's mother was told prior to his birth that she would not be able to have any more children, so when she did give birth to him he was seen almost as a miracle. Born feet first on leap day in a leap year added to the idea that he was a very special child. A priestess of Santeria even blessed him as an infant and called him a "wise one", a soul who was born to save lives. He grew up in a very small house with a dirt floor, and food was scarce with his mother trading things on the black market in exchange for food to support their large family. Growing up in these grim conditions made his childhood tough, but things changed for the better when Zamora's family moved to Hialeah, a suburb of Miami, Florida (Mills). When Zamora was 8 years old, his family, a whopping ten people, attempted to leave Cuba together for the United States. They left Cuba during the Mariel Boat Lift, which was a mass movement of Cubans who departed from Mariel Harbor trying to get to the United States in 1980. Although his family tried to stay together, government officials informed them that the four older siblings were too close to the draft age and were not going to be allowed to the United States with the rest of their family. Even though the family wanted to go together, the older siblings were adamant about the rest of their family getting an opportunity for a better life in America. Thus, the rest of the family continued with their trip to the U.S. After sailing on a boat with 250 people with a boat half the capacity for 13 hours Pedro and his family arrived and started a new life (Vaillancourt). When Zamora was 13, his mother passed away from skin cancer. During his time in the United States prior to her death, they had developed a very close relationship and her death was devastating to him. In his high school years Pedro become an honors student, Cross-Country Team Captain, and President of the Science Club.
In Watts Los Angeles, California Rodriguez and his family first settled after his father refused to return to Mexico, having been in prison due to some false charges he was accused of. Watts being a black neighborhood caused his older brother Rano to constantly be bullied, jumped, or chased by the other children Rano took all the rage and pain out on young
The 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act grants Cubans a unique place in U.S. Immigration Law and Policy by declaring that all those who arrive in the United States are accepted as political refugees, and are eligible to become legal permanent residents after one year (Marc R.). It was created to offer protection to Cubans escaping oppression from their Communist government. As might be expected, this law is always the debate of Cubans who think about coming to America seeking freedom and a better life. For many Cubans to reach American territory is all a dream, mostly because of the chances of attaining a better economic situation for themselves and their families. A lot of them also pursue to reunite with their families in the United States after many years of separation. Some others are opponents of the Castro regime. Because they don’t have freedom of speech and can see their lives threatened if they speak out against the government, seek for more political freedom and a democratic form of government, in a land of capitalism where there are fewer restrictions and more opportunities.
Selena, “Le Reina de Tejano”, was born on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson. She was the youngest of three children of Abraham Quintanilla Jr. and Marcela, his wife. At a young age, Abraham had a strong passion for music that he still has. During the 1950s and 1960s, him and his friends made a group called “Los Dinos” and played at nightclubs and restaurants. Even though his passion for music, he gave it up when he got married and earned a job at Dow Chemical as a shipping clerk.
The investigation identifies the motivating factors that drove Cuban parents to send their children unaccompanied to the United States between 1960 and 1962 in an event known today as Operation Pedro Pan. In addition, the investigation evaluates the parents’ actions and the risks associated with separating children from their families in the midst of political instability in order to determine whether the parents’ choice was justified. To do this, two primary source journals, one written by the founder of the operation, as well as multiple first hand recollections from Pedro Pan children are utilized. In addition, a number of historical articles and books published in the years following Operation Pedro Pan are used to learn of the controversy surrounding the event and to gain an understanding of the situation in Cuba during Fidel Castro’s regime.
Like any other family, they immigrated to the U.S. thinking about the American Dream, a better future for their kids and the generations to come. The parents wanted to provide the life they did not have to their children. One example is Carlos mother deciding she was willing to leave Mexico for her son. The book says, “Manuela was hesitant to return to the United States but felt there would be more opportunity for her younger son there… In the United States, school was free…and more demanding” (Davis 43). Manuela did not want to leave, but she knew her son would have a brighter education in the U.S. Later on it also shows the struggles of achieving what they desire because they were illegal. Another example is Oscar himself. Goins, the ROTC commander told Carlos, “you gotta be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident” (Davis 51). Oscar was trying to enroll in the Army, but unfortunately he could not serve his country like he wished because he had du that he was not legal in the country and would be taking a privilege from U.S.
Each man has his own reason for leaving his country; the narrator, only 20, wants to be a painter and feels no ties to his family or country, while his brother in law, 28, is a sailor and wishes to reap the riches of America. It really is unclear as to why the narrator would risk his life to leave Cuba, the only apparent reasons are his isolation from his family and his desire to be with his sister, who has faith in him and believes he can be a great painter in the United States. Obviously, his brother in law wishes to be with his wife, while he has dreams of sailing yagts living in excess. Neither likes the other all too much, they seem to have sincere contempt for each other as they are actually quite opposite and don’t understand one another much. The sailor is the macho, right wing type, while the painter has an effeminate, artistic flair to him. Along the trip, “Commodore”, as he’s called by the narrator, attempts to pass the time with chatting, while the narrator prefers to read the books he brought along. Occasionally they’ll interact, swaying between playful poking fun and long monologues that the other doesn’t listen to.
It is crucial to have an awareness of the early beginnings of his life in order to understand Cesar Chavez’s development into becoming the celebrated leader he is known as today. One of the noteworthy aspects of his life is that he was not what some would consider a “natural-born” leader, meaning that he was not born into a family of great wealth or power. Chavez was born on March 31, 1927 near the town of Yuma, Arizona to a humble, hardworking Mexican immigrant family. His grandfather, Cesario Chavez, for whom he was named after, had worked hard to save enough money to be able to buy land in Arizona and raise his thirteen children, which included Cesar’s father. His father, Librado Chavez, grew up, got married, and opened up a couple of small businesses to help provide for his family and build a better life for his own children. According to biographical accounts about Cesar, this is when and where he began to learn and...
For his mother Lourdes eleven years earlier Lourdes paid a smuggler to help her into the United Sates. “Lourdes and her smuggler cross Mexico on buses.” “Lourdes crosses into the United States in one of the largest immigrant waves in the country’s
...showed how immense the heat outside was. He was light-headed and nearly fainted. This perspective was different from what it would have been with the other family members. Mama would have been taking care of her young children, Papa would be working the fields doing harder work (but would have probably lasted longer on his feet than Francisco), Roberto would have lasted longer than Francisco because he is older, and other extra characters would have been living different lives. His perspective shows how difficult it was to be at school, with nerves and English. This perspective wouldn’t work for the other characters though. This is because Roberto didn’t go to school, Mama and Papa are too old to be going to elementary school, and the younger siblings are too young. Francisco’s classmates wouldn’t work because they aren’t the ones who were working in the field.
Gabriel Iglesias also known as Fluffy was born on July 15, 1976. He was born and raised in San Diego, California. His last name is really spelled Iglecias with a C because his father had missed his birth and his mother wanted to teach him a lesson, so changed the S to C, but he still uses his last name with an S. He began performing stand-up comedy at the age of twenty-one in 1997. He was always known as the “Big Guy.” Gabriel Iglesias actually gave himself the nick name and goes by “Fluffy.”
The Cubans had been oppressed and under rule by the Spanish for hundreds of years, and had not had their freedom for generations. In the year of 1895, the Cubans were terribly misgoverned, and demanded independence. However, their cry for freedom was also attributed to the Wilson Gorman Act. This act restricted sugar imports to America and greatly endangered the lives of Cuban citizens, whose economy revolved around sugar. This devastating act forced the Cuban people to suffer extreme poverty, or to die as patriots for the chance of freedom.
In the year 1980, the Ramirez family migrated to the United States led by my grandparent’s Francisco and Ana Ramirez, whom where the first to arrive to the land of opportunities. Their journey was not easy they had to struggle, and fight for their
better education, better living condition, more jobs, equality of the social classes and a new era for the country of Cuba. with time, the people began to get disappointed with the government since, over the years, the country took a turn and Castro 's ruling became a dictatorship. Castro started to implement measures to the people of Cuba by making the things that were once given for free, cost causing discontent in the people. The government also restricted business developments and the people now had to ask for special permission (which was not always granted) to open a very small business which often did not last long. Cubans were not allowed to in any way express their discontent towards the government since Fidel also censored and restricted the freedom of expression of the Cuban people. this has also caused major immigrations from the island to the united states and other countries causing problems due to the many, many incoming immigrants. in the year of 1960 to 1962, Cuban parents sent their children (approximately fourteen hundred) to live in the united states due to fear of them being indoctrinated by the Cuban government. This was known as “Operation Peter Pan”. For the rest of the people still in Cuba, life was and still is not easy. The everyday necessities are not always available and their technology is not that advanced. in fact, it is
Born on December 17, 1956 in Navolato, Sinaloa, Mexico was Carrillo Fuentes. Carrillo was a member of the “Juarez Cartel” Quickly emerging into the head leader of it after killing his boss “Rafael Aguilar” in 1993. this event led him into the throne and he was able to do many things. As one
Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926 in Buran, Cuba to the parent’s foreigners Angel, and Lina Castro Ruz. He is the son of a successful sugar cane planter. Fidel Castro was known for his athletic skill and for his smarts. He went to the school for and started studying under the law career at the University of Havana. In 1946, he had been in a few newspapers because of his speeches, and a year later Castro joined the socialist Party of the Cuban People.