The Emerald Newsletter | Kappa Delta Chi Sorority Spring 2016 | Page 6

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Tips for Landing a Last-Minute Summer Internship

As a Cuban Exile, Here is What I Think of Obama’s Visit to my Country

It’s not uncommon for a Cuban family to have close relatives who lost their lives trying to escape across the sea to America.Cuba has a long way to go - but this might be a start

After the fall of the Soviet Union conditions on the island of Cuba drastically deteriorated. Grocery stores were consistently empty, basic necessities were increasingly scarce, and delinquency amplified as people grew desperate.

As a result some 35,000 Cubans, my family and I included, took to the sea in small boats, homemade rafts, inner tubes and refurbished vehicles in what has come to be known as the Balsero Crisis.

Sadly, although there are now over a million Cubans living in the U.S as a result of risking their lives at sea, thousands died in the attempt. It’s not uncommon for a Cuban family to have relatives who just never made it.

This deep-rooted pain has led many Cuban exiles in the U.S to feel angry that we are improving diplomatic relations with a country that has done nothing significant to date to earn it; they believe we are appeasing a communist, notorious for violating human rights.

With Obama’s visit over, Cuba’s future is starting to look optimistic to the outside world, however the Cuban people continue to harbor an equal measure of anticipation and what seems to be increasing desperation.

Click here to read the entire article on intependent

Lourdes Rivery is a native Cuban born in Havana and raised in Miami, Florida. When she’s not busy working or

volunteering, she enjoys traveling, doing yoga, and restaurant hunting. She is an alumnae of Alpha Sigma & a graduate of Florida State University and is an Ambassador for One Young World, a global forum for young leaders.