The spirit of the season and thoughts of good will toward men can be found well beyond the path around the Falls.
Perhaps that is what caused President Obama last week to extend a hand of friendship across that 90-mile stretch of water off the coast of Florida. As more details came out, it became apparent that this effort to normalize relations with Cuba goes back at least six months.
The news sparked a number of flashbacks, some quite vivid.
There was a time in the 1950s when Cuba was a household word, due in no small part to the fact that Ricky Ricardo was a Cuban American singer and band leader. His antics on the “I Love Lucy” show created a stereotypical image of the fun-loving people who lived in that island nation.
The reality was a quite different situation. The overthrow of one dictator by a group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro initially was characterized as a “good news” event. Castro was cast into the limelight with a Jan. 11, 1959, interview by Ed Sullivan that was shown on his Sunday night show.
Overnight, the image of Castro in his military fatigues was indelibly printed on the minds of those who saw it. This was his trademark wardrobe for the next 50-plus years.
Things soon took a turn, and the close relationship between Cuba and the Soviet government caused great concern, eventually leading to the Cuban missile crisis and the unsuccessful attempt by the U.S. government to remove Castro from power.
The heightened tension caused families to prepare for the worst-case scenario. There were drills for what to do if the nation was attacked with missiles from that small island. Eventually, the Soviets backed down and removed the missiles. In the aftermath, the Cuban trade embargo isolated the nation.
There was an ongoing stream of Cuban refugees, sometimes using makeshift vessels, seeking a better life in Florida and other parts of our nation. Many Cubans who had professional roles in Cuba had to settle for more menial careers in their new home in America.
Cuban cigars and rum became rare commodities in the states. Travelers to other parts of the world would see Cuban cigars promoted. Even this observer succumbed to that marketing a time or two.
One major export out of Cuba came in 1980 with what became known as the Mariel boatlift. Over a period of six months, the Cuban government allowed people to leave Cuba with no restrictions. Over 100,000 Cubans took advantage of the opportunity.
What on the surface appeared to be an effort by freedom-loving people to find opportunities became somewhat complicated as the mix of refugees included people released from prisons and mental hospitals.
There were major resettlement efforts throughout the country, including one at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. A number of the barracks buildings needed to be winterized to house the people. Gradually, they were scattered to other locations as churches sponsored many families and individuals.
The young people enrolled in schools, though many Wisconsin schools were not prepared for the new enrollees. Two of the students were enrolled in a school where I was superintendent. The complication was that the two teenage students were not literate in English, and they were not literate in Spanish.
Many found the harsh Wisconsin winters a bit too much to bear, and they relocated to warmer parts of the country.
Not having the ability to trade with the United States had some interesting consequences. Not being able to buy new American-made vehicles, they found ingenious ways to keep the old ones running. There were stories about adapting Russian engines and other parts to keep them operational. A few Russian vehicles are found on the streets, but it’s quite common to see 50-year-old Detroit iron moving down the streets.
Once the doors to trade are opened wide, a number of American car enthusiasts will swoop down and cherry pick the best of the lot.
There is great curiosity about Cuba, and if the tourist industry plays its cards right, there will have a great future in that area.
Like many political decisions, there are opinions on both sides of the fence. Some argue that the two nations should not have begun to normalize relations. Others would note that deeper ties between the two nations will be positive for the people in Cuba.
May we all enjoy the spirit of the season and the bright future it may bring, maybe even Cuban cigars.
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