Havana, Cuba, street scene. Google Images/Photo by Alex Fradkin

By Marlene Mendez and Jonathan Toxtli

The history of people escaping the horrible tyranny of Cuba, for a better life in freedom in America, is just pages from the history book, to many students. However, there are people who have lived this horror, and they have a story to tell. The history of this turbulent time can come alive if the teller has lived it. Students have some great resources from the diverse population of PHS.

Mrs. Morero-Marchine teaches Spanish, but has had a long journey to where she is today. Born in Havana, she left her native Cuba when she was a little girl. At the age of nine she emigrated with her parents, who were not from the upper class, to Spain.

Her family had to leave everything behind. Government officials took inventory of everything in her house, because everything in Cuba belongs to Fidel Castro, the communist dictator. If there was a discrepancy on the manifest list, then her family might have gone to jail, have not been allowed to leave Cuba, and they would not be able to escape. Having to leave everything behind, she could see the pain in her parents’ eyes.

At 13, Morero and her parents moved to the United States. Her family was dirt poor, but they wanted freedom and the opportunity to live free. Once in America life became better and Mrs. Romero even went to college and became a teacher. She is very thankful for the sacrifices and hardships her parents made to give her the opportunity to live in the United States.

Now that it seems that there will be normalized relations between the United States and Cuba, it is normal to wonder if things will go back to the way they were before the revolution.

Mrs. Romero said, “I believe it will take Cuba a long time to go back to the way it was, due to the simple reason of having to reteach a whole society.”

GOOGLE IMAGES Despite his retirement in 2008, Fidel Castro still makes occasional public appearances in Cuba and has behind-the-scenes influence. GOOGLE IMAGES.

Since the control of Castro in 1959, life in Cuba hasn’t been the same. People are restricted in many ways. Religion is no longer practiced in Cuba. There is no freedom of speech. The press is controlled by the government. People live in constant fear of government interference in their lives.

Perhaps the good that will come from the more regular relationship between the United States and Cuba, will give the people there the hope to carry on and one day win their freedom from the Castro communist dictatorship. The old Cuba, the free and beautiful country that once was before Castro, might return someday.