Cuba, Your Children Cry shares your memories about growing up as a first-generation American of Cuban parents and your desire to experience Cuba for yourself. Why was this an important book for you to write?

I grew up with my parents having a love-hate relationship with Cuba. I did not understand why. The title came from my mom. My siblings would be at school, and I would be home with my mom. Under her breath, she would always say, Cuba, your children cry! And I used to think, why are there crying children in Cuba? I must have been 4/5 years old. We were a working-class family, so family dinners were a rare occurrence, and discussion of my parents’ time in Cuba was rare.

In my forties, I did quite a bit of traveling; I have traveled to over 100 countries. I had been to China and Russia but not Cuba. When the Obama administration started to open travel to Cuba, that is when I thought I should go to Cuba and close this family history circle. My spouse started working on his family history on ancestry.com and randomly asked me to do it too. At this point, I decided to travel to Cuba to discover my own family history firsthand. My parents were getting older, and none of my siblings had any information about my parents’ life in Cuba. On my first trip, I went alone; my parents refused to go; I journaled every day, and when I returned home, I made a photo book and included my journals, and gifted it to my family, thinking no one would ever go back to Cuba. My friend Laurin, who accompanied me on my first trip, also received the photo book, and she suggested I write a book. Brushing that suggestion to the side, I never thought of it again. My parents said they would go to Cuba when Castro died. When that happened, I started to plan our trip.

Two years later, I took my parents to Cuba and audio recorded their stories and journaled every day. When I returned, I completed another photo book and gifted it to my family. Laurin, who came with me on my first trip, asked me for a copy and again suggested I write a book. I did not think anyone would be interested in my book, so I said I would think about it. Then the pandemic hit, and my 50th birthday was right around the corner. And so, I thought, it would be cool to release a book on my 50th birthday. And the rest is history. In the process, I learned that my story resonated not only with Cuban refugees but also with anyone who was a refugee from different countries. It was important to me to discover my family history; writing the book was so cathartic, and in turn, it was important to me to tell this story of survival and tenacity.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

The idea that love can be stronger than anything and it can be lasting. That being ousted from your country is probably one of the most challenging things that can happen to anyone, but perseverance and determination will get you through. That being different, having a different skin tone, and having an accent is ok. That even when English is your second language, you can still write a book!

I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?

The hardest thing to write about was interviewing my parents about their last days in Cuba. Then taking that information and putting it into words that told that story exactly as it happened. It took me a month to put it all into the correct words. I couldn’t imagine what my parents were feeling at that time. I remember taking pictures of them in front of their last homes before they left for the airport, not knowing about their future. It was such a sad moment. It was very difficult to get through that part of the book.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?

I hope it encourages folks to investigate their own family history, travel to uncomfortable places, and have uncomfortable conversations. It will be worth every second and penny spent to complete their family puzzle.

Author Links: Goodreads | Amazon