Profile of Mayoral Term By Fox 31
January 9, 2011
Reporter Ginger Delgado from Channel Fox 31 did a good job succinctly summarizing my story in this profile. Boxing for Cuba is referenced in the story.
A Long Road from Camaguey, Cuba
January 5, 2011
Next week, on January 11, 2011 (to be followed by a swearing in ceremony on Jan 12), I will be sworn in as Denver’s new mayor. I am deeply honored to be given this opportunity and sincerely grateful to those who have and will help me along the way. Yet, during my quiet moments, I realize that this upcoming event has shaken the very foundation of my emotions like a Chilean earthquake. Forty-nine years ago, I could have never imagined that the road from Camaguey, Cuba to Sacred Heart Home in Pueblo, Colorado would lead me to the mayor’s office. Even during the years that I spent writing about my immigration story in my book, Boxing for Cuba, the thought that something like this would happen never crossed my mind. Yet, I am deeply moved, sometimes even weepy, by the significance of this event. Perhaps I am no different than the other 14,000 Cuban children who came unaccompanied to this country under Operation Pedro Pan. Perhaps, like me, every Pedro Pan kid reflects on the long road they have traveled every time a momentous occasion happens in their lives. In any event, my reflections turn to three main topics. First, in spite of our difficulties as a family once we were reunited, I know that the sacrifice my parents made to give my brothers and I a better life will probably be the greatest single act of love I will ever experience. They gave up everything for us, that is sure. Considering the situation they had to face, I am grateful and proud of them. Second, the fact that a simple immigrant can one day become a mayor, a governor or a CEO of a major company is a common occurrence in the United States and it is a testament to this country’s greatness. Stories like this are very rare in other countries around the world. Third, and perhaps most important, my story is proof that immigrants do contribute to the success of our country. We were lucky that a generous nation opened her doors and her arms to Cuban children when we arrived, but others today are not so lucky. I sincerely hope that, in this coming year, the majority of us will work towards a humane and equitable solution that will allow immigrants a chance at a better life. I thank God that on September 19th of 1961, Americans found it in their hearts a way to give my brothers and I a chance.
Federal Legislation to Remove All Travel Bans to Cuba
October 1, 2009
Just got back from Washington D.C after a day of lobbying the Colorado congressional delegation. Over 60 delegates from 15 states went to Congress to push for the passage of HB 874 in the House, which has 180 co-sponsors and SB 424 in the Senate that has over 30 co-sponsors. This may be the year that the U.S. begins to change the outdated and wornout 50 year policies from the cold war towards Cuba. The legislation does not remove the cruel embargo, but it does take a solid step in making it easier for our best ambassadors—the American people—to intermingle with our Cuban neighbors. I can’t think of a better way to begin to affect change in Cuba than by removing the travel ban and expose the Cubans to our ideas, our values and our beliefs.
I was wonderfully surprised last week when I received the following personal note from former President Bill Clinton regarding his impressions after having read Boxing for Cuba. A mutual friend had given him an autographed copy this past Christmas. I blacked out some of the perosnal data for identity protection.
Happy Birthday Boxing for Cuba!
November 28, 2008
Today marks the one year anniversary since my publisher, Ghost Road Press, relased my book. It was done in grand style in cooperation with the Tattered Cover in Lower Downtown Denver who hosted my first reading. The Tattered Cover has carried the book all year, for which I am deeply grateful to them. I wanted to mark this anniverasy with this blog entry because the release of the book has brought so many good things to my life. First of all, a week does not go by that I don’t hear from someone who has read the book. I am always thrilled—alhough somewhat surprised—that the sharing of my story has had such a profound meaning in someone’s life. This fact alone has made the whole writing esperience worth the sacrifice. But there has been more. My bothers and I have grown closer as a result and have made a more profound effort to be part of one another’s life. Although i have never doubted my love and respect for them nor theirs for me, it is wonderful to have them as a more integral part of my life. Most importantly, my daughter Molly, who had been estranged from me for several years, has rediscovered the importance of her relationship with her father, and I am grateful. She has brought to me a wonderful son in law in her husband and a beautiful grandson. Yesterday for Thanksgiving we were able to express to one another how thankful we were in having each other back in our lives.
Boxing for Cuba is a Colorado Book Awards Finalist
July 29, 2008
I received word a month ago that Boxing for Cuba is a finalist for the Colorado Book Awards in the creative nonfiction, category. I have been so busy at work preparing for the Democratic National Convention that I neglected to post this very important development. Apparently Boxing is one of three finalists in this category, the other two finalists are No Safe Place: A Family Memoir by Kim Reid, and Obit by James Sheeler.
Being a first time author, I didn’t know what to expect when my book first came out, I must admit that I am thrilled to have this recognition from my home state. The winners will not be announced until a dinner on August 8, 2008, but until then I will keep my fingers crossed.
Boxing For Cuba Finalist For High Plain Book Award
June 5, 2008
Boxing for Cuba is a finalist for the High Plain Book Award. This award is sponsored by the Parmalee Library in Montana. here’s the story on the New West Magazine link .
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/pregnant_bend_man_to_write_book_high_plains_book_award_finalists_announced/C39/L39/
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Event: Cherry Creek Retirement Village presents a book signing event by Deputy Mayor of Denver and Author Guillermo “Bill” Vidal, who will read from and speak about his memoir ‘Boxing for Cuba’ which chronicles his perilous childhood journey to escape Cuba under Castro’s regime and migrate to the U.S.
Hors’ devours and beverages will be served and books will be available for purchase.
Please RSVP by May14th to 303-693-0200.
Where: Cherry Creek Retirement Village, 14555 E. Hampden Ave., Aurora 80014
When: May 17, 2008 from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
ForeWord Magazine Annual Book Award
March 10, 2008
ForeWord Magazine, a national publication that “reviews good books that are independently published”, has recently selected Boxing for Cuba as a finalist for its Book of the Year Awards. ForeWord is a publication that is circulated to libraries and independent bookstores and it is highly respected in the publishing community.
Here is the link to view the details for the nomination: www.forewordmagazine.com.
Castro – End of an Era?
February 22, 2008
Most Cubans who immigrated to the US after Fidel Castro’s takeover of the Cuban government in 1959 suffered greatly. As one of those Cubans, I am compelled to comment on Fidel’s long-awaited resignation from power. It is not surprising that Cubans believe that our hatred towards the Castros is well justified. We use this hatred to fuel our support for an American foreign policy that is meant to squeeze the life out of Cuba – hoping that someday the Castros will be overthrown and our island nation return to the Cuba we left behind. We have lived with this fantasy for so long that now Castro’s resignation simply fans the flames of our passion and hatred for these men and we are comfortable continuing to oppress Cuba until the satanic brothers have vanished from existence.
Although for decades I warmly endorsed this ideology and fueled my own hatred for the Castro brothers, my visit to Cuba in 2001 changed my perspective. I began to realize that my desire for revenge and punishment for these two men, who had so profoundly changed my life, was blinding me to the suffering of the Cuban people that was being thrust upon them by the American policies towards Cuba that I had supported. Yes, it is true that Castro did many things at the beginning of his reign of terror that weren’t right. There are countless of stories about firing squads, false imprisonment, confiscation of property and disruptive chaos to fill volumes of books – my own story, Boxing for Cuba, is testimony to that. Clearly the Castros have held on to power for too long – stifling free elections that should have been held long ago. It is also clear that the communism they brought to my homeland has not worked as an economic and political system. But we have concentrated on hating the Castros for so long, that we failed to recognize the failure of the American policies towards Cuba.
Clearly the embargo has not brought Castro to his knees, in fact, I believe it has empowered Castro’s influence over his people, as they see him as the embodiment of the Cuban spirit that is everpresent in its fight against the imperialistic Yankee oppressors. The embargo has also helped to keep the Cuban people impoverished and isolated from the rest of the world. Since over 75% of the people were born after the Castros took over the reigns of the Cuban government, it has been fairly simple to keep the Cubans from knowing anything else.
Although we may not want to admit it, there are also some positive things about Cuba. First of all, Cubans have complete access to free education and free health care. Cubans are incredibly ingenious and creative, proof of this is how they can fix anything – look at how they keep those old American cars still running. Cubans have grown so accustomed to doing without that they have become experts in applying conservation and “green” strategies. This is a basic part of their culture that has simultaneously engendered in them a great sense of community unity to work for the common good of all. Cuba has also become a racially integrated country as well. One does find poverty in Cuba, but I have seen worse poverty in Mexico, Costa Rica, and even in some parts of the US. All of these great attributes about the Cuban people convinced me that Cuba can flourish into a great country if given the chance. Athough some of the blame rightfully falls squarely on the Castros, it is clear that the US policies of isolation and the embargo have become after all of this time simply cruel and unjust barriers to Cuba’s ability to succeed.
Castro’s resignation is clearly the end of an era, or is it? Are we now just going to hate Raul Castro in order to continue our support for these stale and failed policies from the Cold War era? Or can we leave our hatred behind and begin thinking about what is best for the 11 million inhabitants of this island nation? It is my sincere hope that we turn this historical event into a symbol that will motivate us to, at a minimum, open up trade and diplomatic relations with Cuba. Without question, we Cuban immigrants have suffered, but in the end we have built better lives for ourselves that are full of hope and promise. There are 11 million people in Cuba who deserve a a similar chance at a better life, and it is time that all of us in our adopted country join together to help them. I beleive that true Cuban patriots would work unite in this effort.
