Little Havana, Miami - Miracle on Calle Ocho

While the nearby "Miracle Mile" in Coral Gables boasts the story of how developers since the 1920s have transformed a  big swamp used to be known as the Everglades to a lavish tropical paradise today known as the Miami Metropolitan Area; Little Havana, on the contrary, tells the miraculous story of struggles and survivals of Cuban culture and Cuban community in America as well as how Cuban Americans have conquered difficulties and thrived in their new home, where isn't really far away from their old one

Little Havana is an area that spreads out from the main SW 8th Street, which the local Cuban community refers to as "Calle Ocho" (means 8th street in Spanish). Most of the Cuban American population living in Miami came to the United States from the late 1950s to the 1960s to escape Fidel Castro and his Communist Revolution. When the Cubans first arrived in Miami, they faced some very though challenges and experienced some very difficult times: Many had nowhere to live and there were no employers willing to hire these newcomers. The primary reason why Cubans would end up in the area today known as Little Havana is because the location has easy to access Downtown Miami, yet it sits on the margin of Miami which was considered inconvenient for other Miamians to visit.

A Portrait of the famous Cecelia Cruz, who later became a refugee in the United States herself

During the 1980s, Little Havana became a hotbed for criminal activities due to the United States government unknowingly accepting thousands of Cuban convicts from Cuba as a result of Castro's scheme of "poisoning America by cleaning up the Cuban society". The Hollywood hit Scarface was inspired by what happened in Little Havana in the 1980s.

The Tower Theater, a landmark in Little Havana. Appeared in many movies including Scarface

Today, as the city of Miami has long separated its path with unpleasant titles such as "the poorest city in America" and "the most dangerous city in America", Little Havana is more vibrant than ever. The neighborhood has gone from a refugee settlement to an international tourist destination with an annual festival which is named after its very own "Calle Ocho". Cuban Americans are also been seen by many as a model immigrant group in the United States. Currently the three Latino Senators elected to the United States Senate Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Bob Menendez are all of Cuban descent.  Rapper Pitbull, Actress Cameron Diaz, Seven time Grammy winner Gloria Estefan, Actor Andy Garcia (who was born in Havana, Cuba), and the famous rum maker the Bacardi family are only a few among many Cuban Americans who have become very successful because of their talents and hard works. Looking back to the years when  Cuban Americans had no place to live and no jobs to do when they first arrived in America, many have indeed found and achieved their dreams in the land of opportunity.

I met Alejandro during one of the Little Havana walking tours he organizes. Alejandro was actually born in Cuba and came to the United States through Greece. Whenever Alejandro encounters acquaintances during the tour, many would tell us: "This man (Alejandro) is the most un-Cuban Cuban you will ever meet here!". Then Alejandro tells us that because of Fidel Castro's revolution, many old Cuban customs which were seen by the Communist visionaries as threats to the Communist regime can no longer be found in Cuba today. However the same customs Castro and the Communist aimed to destroy thrive well in Little Havana.

Cuba Ocho, one of the Cuban bars in Little Havana where serves as both the community gathering place and men's hangout spot

Little Havana has a lot of things that truly opened my eyes, no matter if it's a beautiful courtyard surrounded by nicely carved statues and fountains hiding in the green where friends meet for a shot of Cuban Espresso and a cigar that's rich in flavor, or a giant tree where people sacrificing live animals to perform ancient black magic. One thing that impressed me the most was how down to earth Cuban Americans are and their pride in being both Cuban and American. 
 

A courtyard where people can relax, have a cup of Cuban Espresso, or smoke a cigar

The family who owns the Guantanamera Cigar Company came from Cuba to Miami during the Cuban Revolution. Guantanamera is a famous cigar brand in Cuba and has been run by the same family for generations. The name of the company literally means "The Lady of Guantanamo", and there is a very famous song of the same name. Recently as the U.S - Cuban relation has turned towards a brand new direction, the Guantanamera Cigar Company in Miami filed a lawsuit against the Cuban government for trademark infringement. The Cuban government has been producing cigars under the Guantanamera trademark in their state owned factories since the family left Cuba, and the lawsuit is to prevent the Cuban government benefiting from using the Guantanamera trademark to sell their state factory made Guantanamera cigars in the United States once the embargo is lifted. The Cuban government fought back by claiming that the Miami made Guantanamera cigars do not qualify as "Cuban Cigar" as Miami Guantanamera cigars are not produced in Cuban nor using Cuban tobacco leaves. The current owner told me that the cigar's methods of production, which include the rolling techniques and picking the right leaves were  being passed down in his family from generation to generation. He disagrees with how Cuban government defines "Cuban Cigars" by insisting that it is the high quality, unique manufacturing process, the distinct flavor, and the legacy of the manufacturer which define what "Cuban Cigars" are, instead of merely basing on where the cigars are being made.  
 

A Portrait of Marilyn Monroe. It's made of tobacco leaves.

To further validate his point, the owner delivered me a small cup of Cuban Espresso made by him. The coffee was heavy, yet rich in flavor. I definitely wished that I could wake up every morning with something like that. The owner pointed out that making cigars is no different than making a good cup of Cuban Espresso. It is the maker and the craftsmanship that makes the difference, not the place where it was being made.The owner also told me that cigar has a very special place in every single Cuban's heart and he himself has been puffing cigars since he was 9. 

Smoking cigars since you were 9? I was surprised. Isn't that even legal in the U.S?

"Hey, we are a community in exile, we can do whatever we want to keep and be proud of our heritage."

The place where you can see Virgin Mary stands and black magics are being performed at the same time just underneath the giant tree in the background.

Right across the Guantanamera Cigar Company, there is a park where for more than 50 years, Cubans in exile gather to play Dominoes. It started with just a tent with everyone bringing their own chairs in an ordinary city park. Today, the place is a U.S National Heritage Site, and you don't have to bring your own chairs either. But one thing hasn't changed a bit for the past 50 years or so, is that you still don't want to say anything good about Fidel Castro.

The Domino Park

Many Cuban Americans, regardless of their age or the place of birth, whether it was Havana or Miami, hope that one day they will return to Cuba and make it a better place. Irish Rock band U2 wrote a song called "Walk On" about the famous Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi. I thin one of the verses describes the best for those people and communities in exile, especially for the younger generations: Home, It's hard to know what it is, if you've never had one.  Maybe being forced to leave the Cuban homeland to go on exile is a tragedy for many, but if you look at what Cuban Americans have accomplished in their new found home, it is truly a Miracle on Calle Ocho.

A painting of Havana with people and flags from all over the world. Many Cuban Americans dream to return to Havana and make Cuba a better place