How My Maternal GrandParents Started Over In America

My immigrant relatives and their children.
(not pictured; paternal grandparents S.S., E.S.).
This image was taken several years before I was born,
likely not yet a thought in my parent's minds... but perhaps in their hearts.

Looking at the image of my relatives:

Top row, left to right: J.P., (maternal uncle in-law) J.G. (maternal uncle), E.F.S. (my dad).

Second row: S.L.G. (maternal grandfather), E.W. (infant cousin), E.G. (maternal grandmother).

Third row: E.P. (maternal aunt), M.C.N. (eldest sister), M.C.S. (my mom).

Bottom row: G.P. (maternal cousin), L.S (second-eldest sister).

The children in the image are first-generation U.S.-born citizens.

All pictured in the image had / have brown eyes except for four having green eyes (paternal grandfather had blue eyes).

All were sun-kissed pleasantly when outdoors except for a few whose fair skin would shine red from too much sun.

From those pictured, four would eventually become business owners or self-employed like myself.

Some reached higher education levels like a Ph.D. or equivalent.

In this image you are seeing human beings who are reflective any cross-section of immigrants to the U.S., or current inhabitants, or those arriving in other manners.

These particular human beings have strains and strands of ethnic legacies stemming from a variety of places.

Ages of western hemisphere natives (specifically those found on the island of Cuba when Spaniards arrived and mixed) from my maternal grandfather's side.

Ages of western European (specifically those found in Spain) and likely central and eastern European peoples from my maternal grandmother's side.

Ages of Arabian and surrounding tribes (by-way of the Muslim conquest into certain parts of Spain).

And before and in between all of these - whatever people would be classified according to family names or geographical location.

From before recorded history and the labeling of others according to family / clan / tribe (records or memories known, unknown, erased and forgotten), these relatives of mine and more similar to that of yours than different.

They, myself, you, and yours are the collective scattering of mankind over the face of the earth.

You reading this have a similar background of recently known, and distantly unknown roots leading back to a particular unit of two made by the hand of One.

These people, these dear relatives of mine, simply happen to be from what is currently politically labeled Cuba.

The way history plays out, these relatives of mine may have looked very different by the slightest change in a war long ago, or the decision of a patriarch to move one mile closer to a river, or one mile further from a natural or political border.

These individuals you see became one, or a variety, of the following (in no order of importance or prestige, for all occupations / vocations / professions / economic pursuits are equally important and vital in a specialized society, both inside and outside a God-fearing home):

Accountant(s), union laborer(s), homemaker(s), teacher(s), education administrator(s), artists (painters and musicians), mother(s) who sacrificed to bake bread and raise children, father(s) who sacrificed to provide that bread that feeds children, business owners / self-employed managing either themselves or several others.

All of them contributing to local and distant economies just like the maternal grandparents did in their country of origin before a big idea turned out to be a bad idea.

All of them living their lives like any other law-abiding person does anywhere else on the face of the earth, reflecting the cultural patterns and notions of the place they live.

These Cuban immigrants, at least from my perspective of these relatives of mine, were not intending to change their surroundings in a new country to suit themselves, but rather to adapt to the surroundings.

The aim in assimilating was one primarily of survival, accommodation and consideration for their host nation.

Although my grandparents never formally learned or expanded their English, it wasn't out of pride or arrogance or a desire to eschew things American.

They were simply too busy working and focusing on providing for their families out of what was at-hand regarding their work in and outside the home.

It has taken me time, personally, to eschew the thoughts of rebelliousness and the adoption of bad ideas advertised as true and as good, to also realize the better answer found in consideration by adapting to my surroundings, not so much forcefully affecting their change to suit my tastes.

Not every Cuban who emigrated was a positive arrival for the U.S..

Some were career criminals or on their way their according to their upbringing.

Others were too focused on returning and kept dreaming instead of living in the here and now.

The vast majority, those not interested in further complicating life but simply adapting to change, have done their best and their legacies speak for themselves (as I now do for my relatives).

The moral imperative is one of personal choice, while the secular constant is to be dealt with in mutual respect of realities one cannot change outside of violence or mass disruption; two of several efforts that are not to be considered for those desiring peace and peaceful reciprocity.

My maternal grandparents, mother, aunt and uncle, were Cuban refugees that arrived in the U.S. in the early 1960s.

Each was allowed to carry with them a bag of clothes in their hand.

No money, jewelry, or other items of value.

By the time they left, the sale of real properties had ceased.

Arriving off a plane and looking for work in Florida was a challenge due to market supply and demand dynamics.

Very little demand for minimally skilled labor and a high supply of labor.

My maternal grandfather wasn't entrepreneur-minded, so his approach was like so many other people: looking for a job; an opportunity outside of figuring out how to cause one to come about.

This is not a disparaging remark, simply one from the perspective of someone who was there and is not anymore, now speaking beyond the job-seeking paradigm.

My grandfather couldn't speak English; Cuba was and still is a Spanish-speaking country despite its economy at that time mirroring that of the U.S., only its culture was blended more Spanish than English.

He was previously a military man in the Cuban Army, then a police officer, then a city bus driver.

His skill with weapons, discipline, following orders, dealing with and arresting criminals, and driving a transit bus didn't translate into too many opportunities in the new country considering the language barrier.

Racism / prejudice was ever-present then, as it sadly still is today, and I mention this not as an excuse or a reason for anything beyond asserting an obvious issue that is part and parcel still a part of the human experience anywhere on earth, especially when it comes to immigrants.

After finding help with the Methodist Church, the family was brought to Texas by them, but still no work.

California was the next move in search of prospects regarding growth and opportunity, even for a non-English speaker.

He went to work at an industrial factory, and my homemaker grandmother began working at a hospital washing bed linens to help make ends meet, build up savings, and eventually buy a house.

She also didn't speak English.

English was learned by my mother and her siblings while they attended a private school in Cuba, in preparation for a world that includes people and places beyond the local comforts of familiarity.

That private school was owned and ran by a black / African-Cuban couple holding higher education credentials; this couple provided a place of higher learning for the children of those who could afford it.

My grandfather made enough as a municipal bus driver to support a stay-at-home wife and three children educated at a private school.

It wasn't a means of an upper middle-class experience, but simply the decision of investing in one's children and spending on greater priorities.

My maternal grandparents had no vices beyond him being strict and serious, and her being gracious and second to his leadership... yet these attributes are not vices, but in the minds of some are a shortcoming... likely only for those who were never graced with such a foundation.

Both maternal grandparents were born in 1920 and grew up on adjacent farms with the equivalent of a 3rd grade education; they could read and write, do basic math, and would measure others according to their words and actions.

They knew how to work the farm and how to manage all things farm-wise, the men their respective work and the women their respective work.

Moving into the city after my grandfather finished the military and around the time he became a police officer, these grandparents understood the importance of an education that prepares children for an ever-changing world.

Cuba had been traded between the Spanish Empire and the emerging American Empire (previously the English Empire) according to political forces based on political interest, power, security, etc.. several times.

The American influence solidified an English-speaking future for the world's business matters, while people's cultures, as in empires past, adapted accordingly regarding language and lesser important cultural legacies (as reflective in the rest of the Americas south of U.S. borders, who were historically Imperial Spain's sphere of influence).

Now in California and working, both grandparents worked, saved, and managed to buy a single-family house that had two rental units on the lot.

I am not sure what the amount of the down payment was for the mortgage, but the rents from those two units covered the entire mortgage, thus making the home my grandparents lived in a 'rent free' situation.

More money was being saved because they had purchased an asset.

My grandparents were not spendthrifts, yet he always had a vehicle, their refrigerator and pantry was always full, and every year there was vacation and trip taken with others (either church friends or the relatives).

My grandparents were not stingy with gifts nor with their acts of charity, not the type to show up somewhere empty-handed.

Dinner was served at 6pm every evening, and even at the dinner table there were conventions that took me years to appreciate and recognize as part of a higher order largely ignored by some people in the 'modern' world.

Some years after becoming established in California, my dear maternal aunt became a newly-wed and was looking to buy her first home.

She had found a house not too far from my grandfather's property, yet the buying opportunity came with an unusual catch.

The previous property owner had passed away, and there were three houses side by side that were being sold – the decedent's home and two rentals.

Whoever was the executor of the estate or the probate lawyer had stated the sale of one of the houses was dependent on two of them being sold at the same time.

In other words; in order for my aunt to buy one of them, a second one would have to also be purchased.

I wonder if there were other factors besides the logistics of selling all three (or at least two) at the same time / as soon as possible.

At that time, my grandfather was one of a very few immigrants living in a city widely homogenous at the time.

He likely stood out due to not resembling the greater population of that city.

He was short (about 5'6"), dark complexion, unable to speak the language beyond a few words with a heavy accent, and wore a very simple and consistent attire consisting of a 1940's era fedora, Dickies work pants, plaid button short sleeved shirt, plain dress shoes, a simple watch, and no other jewelry or flashes of wealth.

I can't help but wonder if the unusual demand for the sale of two houses had to do with this going on at the time in the hearts and minds of some people (as still, sadly, continues to this day).

My grandfather decided to sell a cash-flowing income property (an asset by definition of it producing an income covering all costs associated immediately after purchase) to buy a liability (a liability by definition of it not producing an income covering all costs associated immediately after purchase) so his daughter can realize her first home (also a liability).

I once discussed this particular event that happened before I was born with my maternal grandmother.

I recall her telling me it was financially possible to keep the income property and buy the house next door to my aunt.

She said my grandfather did not want to become a property manager / landlord.

One of his brothers, who also eventually emigrated from Cuba, had several income properties in Cuba... properties which became a total loss when the regime changed.

However, this brother of my grandfather took his past knowledge and experience with real estate and, after getting to work and saving money himself, began rebuilding a portfolio of assets as before.

If I were to show a graph that somewhat reflected the arrival of both my maternal grandfather and his brother to the U.S. with no money to their names in the early 1960's, yet each one taking a different approach regarding real estate, it would look similar to the graph below.

Measured from where 100 meets 1970; retroactively and forward (1947 - 2015).
This graph shows 'how' wages have not risen with productivity as they once did.
This graph doesn't show 'why', but the author of this blog has his ideas.

Their arrival in the early 1960's could also coincide with the years in the graph, with the incomes from their asset holdings being what is measured... and taking two different routes in the mid-1970's.

Whether my grandfather's brother also worked a regular job would be secondary to the income realized from a life-long habit of buying income property (assets) whenever possible... as compared to my grandfather keeping a job and, although eventually paying off his mortgage, his income would stay the same because he never again participated in any asset purchase as that first one.

Regarding income trajectories based on assets and their income, my grandfather's line would be red, his brother's line orange.

That graph serves another purpose as explained in it's notes.

Perhaps my grandfather had heard enough 'bad news' about the challenges of dealing with renters, leveraging debt, and maintenance that he would rather not deal with it.

Everything comes at a cost, and not chasing after more money doesn't always mean one was unable to do it... but simply that one chose not to bother with it.

Contentment.

My grandfather's brother had his share of challenges regarding the path he chose in terms of earning his bread, so the issue isn't to always aim for more money, but to weigh one's choices in this life and be ready to not only handle them, but to be content whatever their outcome.

Perhaps my grandfather desired a simpler life.

In my opinion, and knowing what I know now, it was a financially unwise decision when considering it was possible to buy the second home and still keep the income property.

I am also of the opinion that listening to a wife's opinion, thoughts, concerns and decisions is also very important... as is the same for a wife to listen to a husband's opinion, thoughts, concerns and decision ... while not allowing money to get in the way of love however things may go.

I know my grandmother didn't blame my grandfather for his decision, and I am not sure if he regretted it or not.

This isn't a measure of choices and their outcomes, but my grandfather's brother eventually divorced his first wife and that move was quite scandalous and destructive to the children of his first wife.

For those who know personally these matters, or the individuals mentioned, we know the character highlights and challenges of these dear relatives of ours, and some have had their focus on money and things exterior... and how such a focus has affected the development of the inside.

It wasn't that my grandfather was not untouched by the temptations of men, but perhaps the allure of greater financial freedom wasn't there to help justify some decisions that turned out to be a selfish pursuit... also helping ignore the consequence of emotional fallout due to infidelity and a broken home.

Such nearsightedness causes one to decide divorce as a good decision because, perhaps it is fiscally easier or allowable to have one, but the counting of such costs are largely not fully considered.

My opinion is a leap to conclusions, I know, for poor people also have divorces almost as often as wealthy people and for lesser reasons than financial.

Perhaps my grandfather didn't like the idea of earning an income from the work of others.

Although this is the 'way' the entire world 'works', with many supporting few by their time and labor, and few managing many according to laws that make for a certain system... not everyone is comfortable leveraging such a position in their favor even if they knew how.

Also in my opinion, regarding the bigger picture which includes others, it was a loving decision when my grandfather decided to sacrifice his financial position for his daughter's sake.

It was a decision, along with the earlier decision to leave the only country and surroundings he knew, along with subsequent decisions, which demanded my grandfather to continue working into his old age.

The older I get, the more I ponder such things, the more I honor and respect the man and his decisions.

As the expectation of additions to my family get closer, I understand clearer decisions of sacrifice than selfish pursuits easier done when I was single or nearsighted regarding the future.

Although I have my wild ideas regarding commerce, money, business and asset allocation, it is my wife who is the true COO and CFO of our life's management.

I am the CEO out of respect to my role, while her role is not any lesser than what she recognizes mine as being.

The bigger picture of trends that the graph reveals is key to how wages have ceased to rise along with the cost / price of all other things.

If one desires to keep pace with inflation, one should learn how to identify assets and figure out how to minimize the relative risk in valuing (and purchasing) such assets.

The assets my grandparents did bring with them, which the incompetent regime of rebel murderers couldn't rob them of, was faith, honor, dignity, honesty, respect for God's law and man's law, and a work ethic that Today echoes in their descendants into the fourth generation.

Such roots cannot be physically uprooted when a refugee crisis happens.

Even if blood is shed and a soul ceases to occupy a fleshly vessel, such assets permeate time and place.

Such assets are the very fruit of the teachings from Above.

It is these assets which, it seems, my grandparents lived by and perpetuated from their forefathers and, by default, have forwarded to their progeny.

From such do kings and queens rise up, not by force (de facto), but by right (de jure).

Not earthly / worldly kings and queens, but a royal nobility built upon greater things than money can measure and physical possessions clearly signify.