The Cubans of Union City: Immigrants and Exiles in a New Jersey Community

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments W riting this book has encompassed a long personal and intellectual journey. Because I came to Union City with my parents and my sister in the late 1960s, I felt the need to understand the settlement of the Cuban community there, long before I became a sociologist. I had experienced some years of the Cuban Revolution, and later migration to the United States—with all the human cost that such major upheavals imply. I had also witnessed the changing roles of my parents ; my father from retired worker in the railroad industry to a presser in a New Jersey factory; my mother from seamstress working at home to a factory worker in the garment industry. My sister, the youngest of us, also experienced difficult changes. From a familiar school in Cuba to a completely different one in Union City, in a language she did not understand . Perhaps it was my need to understand the Cuban Revolution and its impact on my life that led me to study those aspects of it of which I was part: the migration to the United States, and in particular to Union City, New Jersey. I want to thank many individuals who have helped me in the process of researching and writing this book. Above all, I thank the 102 Cuban and Cuban American men and women whom I interviewed. I’d also like to thank the nine non-Cubans who participated. Although not all are quoted directly, their collective stories constitute the backbone of this work, and xvi Acknowledgments I hope that their voices come through. Any errors in interpretation are, of course, solely mine. Lourdes Casal was a special source of inspiration. I worked with her on various projects about the Cuban migration to the United States. She died in Cuba in February, 1981, but her memory lives throughout the pages of this book. Marifeli Pérez-Stable read the chapter on politics. As a good friend does, she lent her support as well as a critical eye. A special note of thanks goes to my friend Jill Hamberg. From reading parts of the manuscript , to forwarding relevant information, to helping me with computer troubles, she was very instrumental in the completion of this project. As a long-time West New York resident, Roland Alum served as an anthropologist in situ. He gave me innumerable suggestions, procured me interviews with leaders of the community, and read parts of the manuscript. Other friends and colleagues read individual chapters: Patricia Keeton, Sydney Weinberg, Sherry Gorelick, Barbara Schroder and Joyce Polistena. To all of you—my sincere appreciation. Erin Augis and Liliana Cotto provided invaluable suggestions and made parts of the manuscript much better. Several friends contributed information, artwork, photographic talent, and enthusiastic support. I want to thank them all: Ana Meseguer, José Hernández, Hilda Díaz, María Cristina Herrera, María de los Angeles García, William Duque and Hildalina Oropesa. Judith Staley and Gordon Bear helped me make sense of confusing statistics. There are many friends and colleagues whose scholarly work or lived experiences provided inspiration. Some helped me raise questions about the material. Others were part, in one way or another, of this work’s trajectory : Helen Safa, Henry Bischoff, Kathie Friedman-Kasaba, Iraida López, Albor Ruiz, Mariana Gastón, Reverend Raymond Rafferty, Reverend Eduardo De Zayas, Nesecan Balkan, Gail Lerner, S. Priyadarsini, Clayton Hartjen, Patricia Connors and Daniel Schulgasser. In Cuba, I want to deeply thank Juan Valdés Paz, Martha Nuńez Sarmiento and the late Jorge Ramírez Calzadilla for their encouragement. Many institutions assisted in the completion of this project. Hudson County Economic Department of Planning and Economic Development provided maps and relevant information. Librarians at the Union City Public Library, Ramapo College Library, personnel at the Hudson County Department of Human Services, and personnel at the Regional Census Office were most gracious in guiding me to needed information. I especially Acknowledgments xvii want to thank Shirley Knight at Ramapo College Library for helping me navigate through U.S. government documents. The Separately Budgeted Research Program of Ramapo College granted me release time on more than one occasion to work on my research. Also at Ramapo, I appreciate the support of friends, colleagues, and kindred spirits who either expressed enthusiasm for my work or made the often heavy teaching and governance load not only bearable, but pleasant: Henry Frundt, Martha Ecker, Susan Scher...