CUBA: In Search of Freedom Af7 Oral History Report of Cuba And Mrs. Bibi Hill Conducted By Alex Roman For US in the Twentieth Century World with Mr. llaight OH ROM J 2002 Roman, Alex Table of Contents Contract. Statement of Purpose // Biography I Historical Contextual]zation 2 Interview Transcription 9 Interview Analysis 35 Works Consulted 40 ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL INTERVIEWEE RELEASE FORM: Tapes and Transcripts I, &\ln' A^ , do hereby give to the Saint Andrew's Episcopal name of mterviewee School all right, title or interest in the tape-recorded iJiterviews conducted by . I understand that these name of interviewer ' ' date(s) interviews will be protected by copjTight and deposited in Saint Andrew's Library and Archives for the use of future students, educators and scholars. I also understand that the tapes and transcripts may be used in public presentations including, but not limited to, audio or video documentaries, slide-tape presentations, exhibits, articles or the world wide web at tlie projects web site ww\v.doingoralhistory.org. This gift does not preclude any use that 1 myself want to make of the information in these transcripts or recordings. The interviewee acknowledges that he/she will receive no remuneration or compensation for either his/her participation in the ijiterview or for the rights assigned hereunder. CHECK ONE: Tapes and transcripts may be used without restriction Tapes and transcripts are subject to the attached restrictions (Typed) INTERVIEWEE: i ^ INTERVIEWER: Signature of Interviewee Signature /3y^/- hi ill e\ J^t.ohvj[\ Typed Name Typed Name .ddress Address /^TkM cLf^^ MP Zo^i^ I -5/07^ HQX Date Date 8804 Postoak Road • Potomac, Maryland 20854 • {301) 983-5200 • Fax: (301) 983-4710 • http:/Avww.snes.org Statement of Purpose The purpose of this project is to otitain a different perspective of history, which cannot be taught through a textbook. By performing this oral history report, I expect to learti more abotit immigration and Cuba. Cuba is another reason why 1 am conducting this report. My desire to continue learning about my Hispanic heritage continues as 1 wish to study the history and cuirent world of Cuba. 1 believe that throtigh this project, I will be able to carry out better interviews and improve my knowledge of the world outside of the United States, especially through various views. u Biography Silvia "Bibi" Hill was born on September 30, 1948 in Havana, Cul^a. At the time, her family owtied a vast territory in Cuba, allowing her father to work in the sugar business by owning a sugar mill and a sugar plantation. In addition to the sugar property, her family owned several other properties, including cattle ranches and real estate in Havana and other provinces. She lived in Oriente, where the sugar plantation was, although her family also owned a house in Havana. Tn her youth, her parents had employed a private tutor to teach her and her siblings basic material in the mornings and English, French and piano lessons in the afternoon. Furthermore, they owned horses, so they would ride nearly every day. She is the third of eight children, seven of which were born in Cuba, the last in Palm Beach, Florida, following their escape from Cuba to the United States of America. Her family's escape from Cuba was brought about due to several reasons. Some of the major include the further decline if Cuba's government and Fidel Castro's attempt to kill her father before he had any power. They left in July of 1959 to arrive at Palm Beach, Florida, where they would live for four years. They then traveled to Connecticut, where she finished her high school, and then to Pittsburgh. Finally they moved to the Washington area and have lived in Bethesda for twenty-one years. After high school, Mrs. Hill attended Mar>'mount University where she majored in Fine Arts and graduated in 1969. She is now married to an American man, Nick, and has two daughters, Magdalena, twenty-one, and Alison, seventeen. She works as an Assistant Director of Admissions at the Norwood School in Bethesda. Cuba in the United States in 1957, merely 50,000 Ctibans resided in the United States of America. Within the following 20 years, the amount of Cuban residents increased by approximately 1260% to roughly 680,000 Cubans throughotit the country opened to all people from all over the world. According to Daniel Patrick Moynihan, at one point, these immigrants were welcomed because labor was needed to meet the demands of the Industrial Age. Therefore, these immigrants were only welcomed because they could help the American economy, allowing it to easily become such a great superpower. Subsequently, the following immigrants faced the discrimination of earlier immigrants who saw them as a burden on the economy (Gernand 8). This shows that the United States was not truly in agreement with the movement of having people from other countries join their one and only homeland, yet were influenced by the idea tliat this migration would greatly aid tlie economy and the counti-y's rank ainong the world. Throughout the years, the United States has admitted entry to people from all around the world. In the case of most Latin Americans, their decision to immigrate to this country was mainly due to the economic aid one could obtain. Because of the poverty and repression found in their native countries, they have emigrated in order to provide for their family, to give their children a brighter future, to escape the showers of bombs and bullets of civil war, but most importantly for oppordmity. The United States was portrayed as one in which there were jobs for all, causing many foreigners to believe that they would have a secured job upon their arrival. Althougii true, many jobs demanded too much time and effort for a lousy, meager wage, barely sufficient for their necessities such as food, rent, and clothing. As Charles Cozic states, "immigrants and others assert that the goal of most illegal immigrants is not to commit fraud but simply to work hard to support their families" (Cozic 12). In addition, one illegal immigrant from Guatemala named Manuel said, "I have no money, my family is hungry. All Fm doing is making life possible": additionally. Roberto Arellano, once an illegal immigrant, said. "There is still much more opportunity for advancement here [in the Untied States] than in Mexico, and it is still possible to build a better life here" (Cozic 12). This illustrates that many people from different countries were willing to leave eveiMhing behind in their own native country to improve their life and be able to support their families. The decision to migrate to the United States had a strong purpose, the one that had been commercially made throughout the world: a better opportunity for everj'thing. For the chance for a better life, many Cubans left their homes and came to the United States. Much of this migration was carried out during Fidel Castro's reign of power, in order to survive and live a life of choices and optiojis. There were people, however, who were able to successfully leave the country before the horrible grasp of the dictator, Castro, disallowed Cuba's citizens to leave the country. After he had gained his power and declared his intentions, it was very difficult to leave the country, as he did not want to loose its original inhabitants. Many Cubans, as do most immigrants, believed that the United States offered more opportunity than their previous homeland. If Castro would not have become president, or dictator, of Cuba, the country would have had a much better opportunity to become a wealthy country. As a result of the Piatt Amendment, which was due to the Spanish-American War of 1898, Cuba had not gained its original goal for the war. independence. Along with the help of its northern ally, the United States. Cuba was able to defeat the Spanish, yet not completely capable of enjoying freedom, which was its main objectise. The United States claimed a major role in the war with Spain and therefore took advantage of this factoi- by forcing Cuba to allow American soldiers to remain on the island until it felt Cuba was ready to govern itself lasting four years, when the United States Army finally ' left in 1902. However. "Cuba drafted a constitution based upon that of the United States but was coerced by the American government into adopting a series of humiliating agreements, known collectively as the Piatt Amendment"' (Gernand 29). This influence on Cuba's new government, greatly persuaded by that of the American, proved that Cuba was not actually liberated, but taken over once again by a stronger country. The Piatt Amendment gave the United States control of Cuba's trade, foreign policy, right to intervene for Cuba's "independence", and authorization to construct a naval base on Guantanamo Bay (Gernand 29). Cuba's trade, especially its two main exports, sugar and tobacco, were drastically distorted by the restrictions and control held by America. As Cuban journalist Carlo Franqui wrote, the new republic "was born deformed because it existed in order to produce sugar and wealth for U.S. investors" (Gernand 29). This joinnalist publicized the obvious, that Cuba's wealth and economy was being screened by the United States when they took portions of the pvofn due to the Piatt Amendment. Cuba's necessity on the United States weakened the hopes of the inliabitants to be independent. The population regarded their homeland as a protectorate and its government officials submitting to corruption.