We Carry Our Homes With Us

A Cuban American Memoir

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Ethnic Studies, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book We Carry Our Homes With Us by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga, Minnesota Historical Society Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga ISBN: 9781681340074
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press Publication: April 15, 2016
Imprint: Minnesota Historical Society Press Language: English
Author: Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
ISBN: 9781681340074
Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Publication: April 15, 2016
Imprint: Minnesota Historical Society Press
Language: English

On December 30, 1960, Marisella Veiga with her mother and two brothers boarded a plane from Havana to Miami. Her father fled a few months later, joining his family with a total of fourteen U.S. cents in his pocket and an understanding that he would never see his homeland again. Seeking a less competitive job market and thanks largely to the sponsorship of a host family in St. Paul, the Veigas resettled in Minnesota, miles away from the Caribbean subtropics, where the climate was similar to home, Spanish was spoken, and thousands of exiles arrived each month.

Veiga's stories are rich with detail and character as she describes her integration into a northern midwestern landscape she grew to love, from adapting to the cold—learning to ice-skate before learning to speak English—to her obsession with Davy Jones. Yet, the weight of her biculturalism—being of two worlds but an outsider to both—has been central to her quest for identity: "Sometimes, I dream that if I can get in touch with the essence of that monolingual child with one set of customs, I would be satisfied. I would be complete, whole." In this honest memoir, readers will find a resonant story of an exile's journey, one that ultimately embraces those two worlds: a life of conflict and limbo but also one of richness and understanding.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

On December 30, 1960, Marisella Veiga with her mother and two brothers boarded a plane from Havana to Miami. Her father fled a few months later, joining his family with a total of fourteen U.S. cents in his pocket and an understanding that he would never see his homeland again. Seeking a less competitive job market and thanks largely to the sponsorship of a host family in St. Paul, the Veigas resettled in Minnesota, miles away from the Caribbean subtropics, where the climate was similar to home, Spanish was spoken, and thousands of exiles arrived each month.

Veiga's stories are rich with detail and character as she describes her integration into a northern midwestern landscape she grew to love, from adapting to the cold—learning to ice-skate before learning to speak English—to her obsession with Davy Jones. Yet, the weight of her biculturalism—being of two worlds but an outsider to both—has been central to her quest for identity: "Sometimes, I dream that if I can get in touch with the essence of that monolingual child with one set of customs, I would be satisfied. I would be complete, whole." In this honest memoir, readers will find a resonant story of an exile's journey, one that ultimately embraces those two worlds: a life of conflict and limbo but also one of richness and understanding.

More books from Minnesota Historical Society Press

Cover of the book The Summer of Ordinary Ways by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Long Hard Road by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Shelter by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book A Country Doctor's Casebook by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Eggs in the Coffee, Sheep in the Corn by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book The WPA Guide to South Dakota by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Chippewa Customs by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Think South by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Jews in Minnesota by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Mni Sota Makoce by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Grass of the Earth by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book The Brides of Midsummer by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Beneath The Surface by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book Stolen from the Garden by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
Cover of the book The Good Hmong Girl Eats Raw Laab by Marisella Veiga, Marisella Veiga
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy