I am an American born daughter of Cuban immigrants. I am an architect by profession, and an artist and yoga instructor. My parents individually escaped Castro’s regime in the 1960s and met here in NYC. Because of their passionate connection to their culture, I am strongly anchored to my roots, even though I have never stepped foot in my parents country. They passed down to me a fear of governmental oppressions that has no place here in this free and beautiful country. I grew up in a racially disparate town. There were no Hispanics in the area aside from the migrant farm workers who came yearly. I was told to go back to Mexico many times in my childhood and have always felt like I was not welcome here, despite having been born here.
