Rooted in Cuba

My family narrative begins with the bravery of my grandparents, who left Cuba after Fidel Castro’s regime took power in 1959. For me and my siblings, the hyphen in Cuban-American is a bridge and an homage to those who gave us all we have and the country that made us who we are. Identifying as Cuban-American is more than a label. To claim our Cuban identity is to fight to preserve a culture that in many ways is weakening. In fully living our American lives we must acknowledge that we have all we need to continue writing our grandparents’ success stories. The direct and personal connection to Cuba fades with each new generation of our family. Once our living links to Cuba are no longer with us what happens to the hyphen? Can it survive or is its disappearance inevitable?