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I was the oldest child of three—two girls and one boy. The middle one was the

boy. My mother and father passed away when I was young—nine with my

mother and about 20 when my father died. I have no family. Only two

granddaughters.

I was raised by my grandmother on my father’s side. For my father’s family, his

mother had five girls and two boys. A lot of unity. We did not have problems.

My family, maybe it’s ridiculous, but my grandmother was a wonderful person.

She lost her husband when her oldest child was 21 years old. She took the

business and everything for all her life. She was a merchant and a very wonderful

person. At home, she never closed the door, because she helped everybody. She

was a very good mother and very good grandmother. At home, she loved

everyone the same. I was raised along with my five aunts and two uncles. They

were like brothers and sisters.

From Cuba, With Love

By Minerva

as told to and translated by Laura Munoz

I was raised by my grandmother on my

father’s side. . . . She was a merchant and a very wonderful person. . . . I

was raised along with my five aunts and two uncles. They were like brothers

and sisters.

Minerva’s mother, Concepcion,

or “Conce,” who died when Mi-

nerva was a child.

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When I was growing, nobody knew I was a granddaughter. When they would go

dancing, they would take me. I had a good life. I had no problems. My sister,

and brother were too close to my mother. When my mother died, it was a big

problem and my sister grieved for her. She never got over it. I was about 10

when my mother died. My sister was much younger.

I say thank you to God every day, because God brought me and my grandmother,

uncle and aunts together. When I was grown, everybody thought I was a sister.

We never had a problem. It was a good family, OK.

I grew up in Labana, Cuba. Both my grandmothers had businesses in Havana. I

went to a private school, and my sister and brother did, too. There were separate

schools for boys and girls. I studied business management.

My grandmother was very kind. Late at night, townspeople would come to ask

for help, and she would never say no. All my life, I tried to help all people, too.

Here, my husband and I worked very, very hard. He would help.

I met my husband in a college group. He was the only boyfriend I had and the

only husband. He was a very good person. He would help everyone. I was

happy in my marriage. My only problem was my daughter died of cancer. But

now I have two granddaughters.

Sergio in the kitchen to feed the homeless.

My husband was the only boyfriend I had and the only husband. He was a very good person. He would help everyone.

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My daughter was about 10 or 12 when we moved to Baltimore. I consider

Baltimore my second home. The same year that Fidel Castro took over, we left,

because there was no liberty. We didn’t have the freedom to speak or buy

something. He had taken properties of other people. He is a dictator and had

control of everything.

We brought just the clothes on our back. We left everything—from the house to

the mop. Two people from Castro’s regime came and told us we had to leave, so

we left. Just me and my daughter were at home when those men came. We went

outside and they locked the house up, leaving the family’s things inside. My

husband was at work. Luckily, everyone had a U.S. passport, because we would

travel back and forth.

Everyone came to the U.S. Within six months, everyone I knew came here and

left everything they had—my aunts, uncles. My family, my aunts, they lived in

Miami, but I didn’t. And everyone worked until

they died.

When we came over, we had just the clothes on

our back. Now there are four doctors in our

family. We came a long ways from there. One is

my granddaughter, an ob/gyn here, and we have

three doctors in Miami. My aunts in Miami were

doctors—three older women already. One of

them was the decorator for a hotel. Two of them

retired and when they did, they tried to get the

decorator to retire, but her boss said no, he would

like to keep her because she was so good. She passed away

decorating. We would always tease her because she was old and working.

We never had help from the government. We started working. I never worked

until we came here, and then I started working. I used to wash hair at a hair salon.

And from there, I became a cosmetologist. I used to have a client who was sisters

with the sister-in-law of the Queen of England, because it was a high-end salon.

My clients used to be higher, but I would always respect any class—all type of

people. I didn’t care if I had to deal with the homeless. If they were kind, I didn’t

mind.

There is a company that was dedicated to making ceramics, and I had a client that

We brought just the clothes on our back. We left everything—from the house to the mop. Luckily, everybody had a U.S. passport.

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had a set and I loved it when I saw it. The client had a wall with collectibles, and

I loved this piece. When I saw it, in that very moment, she gave it to me. Being

in my situation, where I didn’t have anything but a pair of shoes, I always worked

with people who were kind to me and people with money. They would never

differentiate against me.

When she gave it to me, I would take it back, and the lady would bring it back

because she wanted me to have it. I kept taking it, because it was part of a set and

I didn’t want her to be without it, but she wanted me to have it. It was one of the

first pieces the company made when it opened. And they did different things, like

coffee sets and sugar and creamers. I clean this every day. This is my treasure. I

hope when I pass away, whoever takes it, my granddaughter or whoever, take care

of it the way I have. It’s more than 40 years old. (Ceramic piece shown with

Minerva on the title page.)

I always liked to have my house clean. I always liked to have ceramic and

porcelains in my house. I didn’t know why my clients always used to respect me,

considering how poor I was.

When I said goodbye to my clients when I retired, it was a big drama. It was a

Minerva and Sergio’s daughter, Minerva, at left, in Baltimore with a

friend (she is the taller one); and at right with her mother and father.

She died young of breast cancer, leaving two young daughters, whom Mi-

nerva and Sergio raised.

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big deal, because my clients loved me. They always remembered me at holidays,

my birthday. I had one client who was one of the richest in Baltimore who would

fight with the other girls who would say mean things to me. Sometimes I would

eat just twice a week at lunch, because I didn’t have anything to bring in. The

lady would make me sit down and eat. She would bring me food. This lady,

when I said goodbye, gave me a retirement gift. It was a porcelain piece. They

would always bring me things. The ladies would always bring me food from a

nearby restaurant if they knew I didn’t have anything to eat. I would always care

for the porcelain piece I was given. She was an older lady, and she kept

collecting. She would always complain about where would she put one more

thing because she didn’t have anymore space.

I have very many beautiful memories of my clients, including the sister-in-law of

the Queen of England.

My husband worked in a hospital laboratory. He had three years of medicine. We

never worked in a factory. Everyone was prepared to have a good job. We had

good educations. I never received money from the government, and I don’t owe

the government. I now have three cousins in Miami who are doctors. Thank

God. I love this country as much as I love Cuba. I never permit anyone to talk

bad about this country. I don’t owe the government anything.

My daughter passed away from breast cancer, and she wasn’t able to have fun.

She passed away young. She was about 23-24 with two little girls already. I

raised the two little girls but my daughter always worked in an office. She was

divorced.

I have two granddaughters who are

good. They always worry about me.

They always look at me as their mom.

I don’t remember when I left

Baltimore, but it was when my

daughter moved here before passing

away. I raised my granddaughters here.

My husband came with us. My

husband worked in a medical lab and I

raised my granddaughters.

Minerva and Sergio, center and right, with

their daughter

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I don’t complain about my life. Thanks to God, we were never millionaires but

we always lived well. We would always help anyone who needed help. Now I’m

retired and have my two granddaughters who are grown up with their careers.

Both of them live here. Now I have four great-grandchildren. The one who lives

closer is the ob/gyn and the other one lives a little farther.

And my cousins in Miami are doctors. My whole family fought to be better. I

have two great-grand sons and two great-granddaughters. I have two

great-grandsons from the ob/gyn and the other granddaughter has two girls. My

great-granddaughter always has As in school. Now they are entering college.

They never had any problems in school. Now in college, they’re doing well, too.

Thank God.

That is the thing I leave them: a good education.

Minerva and Sergio, left, with their

granddaughters. They followed their

daughter to Las Vegas and raised the

two girls, shown,above with Minerva,

after their daughter died.

Now Minerva has four great-grandchildren. They are shown with Sergio.