While this museum recognized real pirates, I was glad to see that they devoted only one short paragraph to recognize Tampa's annual Gasparilla Festival, and to note that is based on "a mythical Spanish pirate captain who prowled the waters off the coast of southwest Florida."
Although Martí lived in Greenish Village, lower Manhattan, he spent a lot of time in Ybor City, where the largest Cuban-American community resided at that time.
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And for additional Cuban flavor, there are wild chickens roaming around freely. Mind you, they are not just in the park, they are all over Ybor City, protected by a Tampa city ordinance and by volunteers who pick up their poop.
In 1956, they transferred the ownership to "Estado Cubano," or the Republic of Cuba. Fulgencio Batista's administration officially accepted the property, and the American consul in Havana certified the transaction. The house was razed and Batista donated money to establish a park. Then, Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1959 and everything got confusing.
"The park was established when Cuba was free and democratic," said city Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Linda Carlo. "Once it became a Communist country, the city was in a quandary of what to do with it. City officials decided they would maintain the park's lights and irrigation, but leave it in the hands of the Cuban-American community in Tampa. They may not have known how divided the community was, and still is today. In the early 1960s, the park was hub for clashes between pro-Castro and anti-Castro Cubans, said West Tampa historian Maura Barrios. That tension didn't fade with the decades.
In 1990, former Mayor Sandy Freedman entrusted park management to an anti-Castro activist group called the Cuban Historical and Cultural Center,
a few years after the boarding house that was here was demolished in 1956
When you think of the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo, do you find it weird that we have U.S. territory in Cuba? Well, this is Cuban territory in the United States!
Yet I felt that the local Tampa Cubans could do a much better job of maintaining the park. Unfortunately, I think (hope) I was there when the park was going through some kind of landscaping transition. I have seen photos of this park when it was covered by a beautiful, very green lawn. But I found it covered by covered by ugly, black dirt. Only the chickens seemed to be having a good time!
Cuban torcedores still make hand-rolled cigars in shops along Seventh Avenue (La Séptima) as they have since 1885.
"American complaints that Spain was unable to capture the runaways or to prevent Indian raids across the border led to the First Seminole War (1816-1818). Troops under Generals Andrew Jackson invaded Florida and destroyed several Indian towns. At the end of the war Spain agreed to sell Florida to the United States."
SECOND STOP:
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SO, WHAT'S MY NEXT STOP?
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The river where Hernando De Soto was buried? Where’s Miguel?
El río donde fue enterrado Hernando De Soto? ™Donde está Miguel?
El río donde fue enterrado Hernando De Soto? ™Donde está Miguel?
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"Since we’re ... near the date of thanksgiving, I must say, then, I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn as many historical facts of our Hispanic heritage that for years I was so clueless about. When living in the Dominican Republic, I used to see the United States as a country where only white and black people live (At least that’s what the interpretation you got from the movies). Yet, I’ve learned that this country always belonged to us Hispanic as well." --Nayrilli Nolasco Miliano
Two of our greatest war heroes: Hispanics David Farragut and Bernardo de Galvez in Washington, D.C. Farragut won major battles for the Union Navy in the Civil War and De Galvez racked huge victories against the British in the Revolutionary War. . . . . . . . . . Photos: Miguel Pérez
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Amigos,
Although I retired from my position as a journalism professor in September 2018, I have kept teaching my Hispanic American history course at Lehman College. Why? Because of the reaction I get from my students. I live for this: "After reading throughout all the chapters I wanted to come clean. Before this class I was an ignorant Latina that denied my Spanish roots from Europe. However, after reading these chapters, I realized my ignorance held me back for years from learning how truly great my Spanish ancestors were and how I need to learn more." -- Amberly Castillo
"It's extremely sad and disgusting that the black legend is still around. I feel like the world would be so different if it never existed. I wish everyone could learn what we are learning now so they can actually understand history and stop discriminating." -- Danelis Espinal
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Cantinflas: In Sadness, We SmileApril 28, 1993 -- In the movies he was Cantinflas, a poor but happy man who had the innocence of a child. In real life he was Mario Moreno, Latin America's greatest comedian and film star. When he died in Mexico last week, the whole Spanish-speaking world was saddened, thinking about all the times he made us smile.
You may have read the obituaries, noting that thousands of Mexicans gathered to mourn his death, that he made 49 movies, that he was the faithful servant of David Niven in the 1956 classic "Around the World in 80 Days," that even Charlie Chaplin considered him "the world's greatest comedian." But to Latinos, Cantinflas, 81, was much more. Americans loved John Wayne because he played a tough hero, but Latinos loved Cantinflas for a totally different reason: He played a humble peasant, a penniless jack-of-all-trades who used his wit and good nature to get out of impossible situations. Read more . . . |
Mario Moreno "Cantinflas"
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Celia Cruz: My Queen is Not Dead!July 23, 2003 – For the last few days, people have been telling me that Celia Cruz is dead, that she died of a brain tumor Wednesday at her home in Fort Lee. I refuse to believe it. Celia is immortal.
How do you die when your spirit is full of passion? How do you pass away when your love for life has inspired millions of people? How do you expire when your clarion voice is recorded in more than 70 albums? How can you possibly be forgotten when you are the epitome of class, the essence of humility, the embodiment of integrity? How do you feel sad when she was the personification of happiness? How do you weep for the departure of a woman who taught us, in one of her last hits, that "there is no need to cry, that life is a carnival and it's more beautiful to live it singing"? How do you fade away when you taught your friends the true meaning of eternal friendship? It's impossible. When you are Celia Cruz, you live forever. I should know. I'm one of the privileged people she considered a friend. I loved her! Read more . . . |
Celia Cruz
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Gallery/Sala II - COLONIAL CITIESTo my Hispanic eyes, they are among the world’s most beautiful cities. They make my camera work overtime! Everywhere you turn you want to shoot another photo. They make me proud of my Spanish heritage. Let me show you the beauty they have in common. To go to the exhibit, click on this photo:
Para mis ojos hispanos, se encuentran entre las ciudades más bellas del mundo. ¡Hacen que mi cámara funcione horas extras! Dondequiera que mires quieres tomar otra foto. Me hacen sentir orgulloso de mi herencia española. Déjame mostrarte la belleza que tienen en común. Para ir a la exhibición, haga clic en esta foto: |
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Gallery/Sala I - CROSS COUNTRYAt a time when precious Hispanic statues are being vandalized all over this country, it occurred to me that there are many Hispanic monuments that still mark a history that cannot be erased — monuments that no one would dare desecrate! “This is a Hispanic Cross county!” I told myself. "And I have the photos to prove it!” To go to the exhibit, click on this photo:
En un momento en que se están profanando preciosas estatuas hispanas en todo este país, se me ocurrió que hay muchos monumentos hispanos que aún marcan una historia que no se puede borrar, monumentos que nadie se atrevería a profanar. "¡Este es un país de Cruces Hispanas!" me dije a mí mismo. "Y yo tengo las fotos para demostrarlo! " Para ir a la exhibición, haga clic en esta foto: |
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