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Fleeing Cuba, but rage solves nothing

Source: delawareonline.com

TL;DR

Eric Zurita recounts his family's flight from Cuba amid 1990s hardship and argues exiles should move beyond anger.
Father fled in 1994 via Toronto, sponsoring author and mother to join in 1997 after separation.
Staying mad hinders U.S.-Cuba engagement like Obama's outreach, which could aid those still suffering on the island.

The story at a glance

Eric Zurita, a Cuban-American who left Havana at age 7, shares his family's escape from poverty and oppression under Fidel Castro. His chemical engineer parents endured the "Special Period" famine after the Soviet collapse, leading his father to flee first. The piece responds to President Obama's 2016 Cuba visit, urging exiles to prioritize dialogue over enduring rage.

Key points

Born in 1990, Zurita grew up with rations, sugar sandwiches, 16-hour blackouts, and shortages of basics like milk and ibuprofen.
Over 30,000 Cubans fled on rafts in the 1994 balsero crisis; many drowned in the Florida Straits.[[1]](https://www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/2016/03/25/yes-my-family-had-flee-cuba-but-staying-mad-doesnt-achieve-anything/82260920/)[[2]](https://www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/2016/03/25/yes-my-family-had-flee-cuba-but-staying-mad-doesnt-achieve-anything/82260920)
Father escaped to Toronto ostensibly for a PhD, crossed into Michigan by train tracks, claimed asylum, and sponsored family visas; Zurita joined in 1997.
Author resents elites like Fidel Castro's son Tony enjoying luxuries while ordinary Cubans suffer crumbling buildings and trash heaps.
Past U.S. approaches like the Bay of Pigs and sanctions failed; Obama diplomacy breaks Castro rhetoric and lays groundwork for change post-2017 leadership shift.
Father's advice: Exiles blinded by pain should not drive policy; Cubans on the island must decide their future.

Details and context

Zurita's family faced the Special Period (1991 onward), when Soviet aid ended, causing 35% GDP drop, mass hunger, and energy crises—conditions that pushed the 1994 rafts crisis.[[1]](https://www.delawareonline.com/story/opinion/2016/03/25/yes-my-family-had-flee-cuba-but-staying-mad-doesnt-achieve-anything/82260920/)

He nods to shared exile trauma, like ESPN's Dan Le Batard's family persecution, but insists rage blocks progress amid Havana's visible decay.

Obama's visit highlighted restored ties after 2014 normalization, allowing more travel and communication—steps Zurita sees as vital despite arrests of dissidents.

Key quotes

"Instead of nursing the pain our decaying island has caused us, we should prioritize the suffering of the people who never left."[[3]](https://dwkcommentaries.com/2016/03/26/reactions-to-president-obamas-speech-in-cuba)
Father's view: "Cuban exiles whose families had been hurt that badly are the last ones who should... influence U.S. policy toward Cuba, because they are blinded by their pain."[[3]](https://dwkcommentaries.com/2016/03/26/reactions-to-president-obamas-speech-in-cuba)

Why it matters

U.S.-Cuba policy shapes 11 million islanders' lives and exile communities' hopes for reform. For Cuban-Americans, it means weighing personal scars against practical steps like engagement that could ease shortages and boost freedoms. Watch post-Castro transitions and U.S. elections for shifts, though full democracy remains uncertain.