For many, Thanksgiving weekend centered around Black Friday shopping, beating UF and spending those last moments with your family before heading back to school. For me, it was about much more. On November 25th, it was announced that Fidel Castro had died at the age of 90.
I can’t remember a time in my life when the name Fidel Castro didn’t leave me with a negative impression. I’ll be honest, I’ve always considered myself more American than Cuban because of where I was born and how I grew up, but there’s never been a doubt in my mind about the pain Castro and his ideas caused. On the night of this significant death, I found myself sitting in a Cuban restaurant (completely by chance) with an unexplainable feeling of hope and love for a country I had never completely identified with.
Don’t get me wrong, I speak Spanish and love croquetas, but I’d be lying if I said I could entirely relate to the feelings of relief others felt in that same moment. Both my parents left Cuba before the age of ten and I was born in America. Still, as I walked through Miami with Cuban flags blowing and pots and pans banging, I could not help but think these are my people. We came together peacefully to celebrate the end of an era. From dancing on the street to simply just sharing past stories, there was unity amongst people. Being a part of this historical moment meant everything to me and I’m thankful I could represent those who are unfortunately not here to witness something they longed to see themselves.
Since then, Castro has been cremated and his ashes spread amongst different Cuban areas. Some cry and mourn while others cheer at his passing, but I want to make one thing clear. This piece isn’t about rejoicing because of someone’s death. The truth is, Castro was a dictator. He hurt people and tore apart families. I can’t celebrate the death of Castro. He was once a child, a son and a brother, and although he may have proposed these twisted ideas, many were willing to follow whether it was intentionally or not.
This is about hope for a country that has been frozen in time for the last 50 years. It’s about the conditions these people are forced to face and the freedoms that have been stripped away from them. There are people who know nothing about Cuba outside of what Kim Kardashian has to say about it, but this is what I know. For the first time in a really long time, there is hope amongst the Cuban people. Castro’s death feels like a huge step forward towards a better future for many people. The changes aren’t going to be happening overnight, but it’s still something worth celebrating.