Avelina and Orlando Espinosa

When the time came for my family to leave Cuba, the new regime of government inspectors came to our home and inventoried every item in it. The few items my parents held sacred became the property of the new Communist government and everything they owned, from pictures and mementos would never be passed on to other generations. Despite the persecution they experienced daily by those who had embraced the new mindset, their courage and determination allowed them to endure and stay focused while they waited for permission to leave. My mother’s love for her family led her to hide her wedding picture as a keepsake for her children. As my mother and father ventured out into the unknown to provide their five children an opportunity to live the America dream; this picture serves as the only reminder of a past my siblings and I have only heard through stories.

Images of Appreciation!