Black Cuban, Black American: A Memoir Under Review - Essay Example

Black Cuban, Black American: A Memoir Under Review When studying American history and the effects of the Jim Crow laws of the south, one often encounters descriptions of the sub-standard educational system that made it virtually impossible for black people to obtain sufficient knowledge to attain college-level studies, the feelings of isolationism experienced by people of color and the total lack of control they had over their own fate. In Black Cuban, Black American: A Memoir, author Evelio Grillo paints a different picture of his personal experience living during this time period from a different perspective than that covered in American history books. Within his pages, one finds a story about prejudice and closed doors, certainly, but also learns about the prejudice that existed within the closed community, the way in which some of its inhabitants worked together to propel the youth of the community to better futures and the empowerment involved when one took control of personal choices available. Black Cuban, Black American: A Memoir covers three significant time periods in the life of the author. Beginning with his childhood in Ybor City, a segregated area enclosed within Tampa, Florida, the book flows with detailed description through his early education within the black Cuban society, his college days and integration into the black American community and his life as a member of the Armed Forces during World War II. A brief epilogue sums up his experiences following World War II succinctly, switching writing styles from the conversational, almost poetic flow of the majority of the book to a more concise, almost resume, style of writing that provides the facts, but not much of the same insight offered elsewhere. One of the major themes within the story is that of prejudice, but not only as it has come to be generally thought of – the attitude of white people toward people of color. While Grillo is sure to include that aspect in the story, it does not play as major a role in his early life as the prejudice experienced between people of color. “Differences in language and culture became formidable impediments to full integration of black Cubans within the black American community” (11), Grillo says. More than language separated the groups, though, as Grillo continues on to point out the vast differences between the cultural experiences of black American slavery as opposed to black Cuban slavery. “In Spanish-speaking countries, slaves, though subjugated and exploited, were, I believe, taught to read, write and do arithmetic. … Laws or custom forbade the teaching of reading and writing to U.S. slaves” (11). According to Grillo, this difference and others created a gulf between the two groups that became very difficult to overcome. “A common racial identity as blacks did not bridge the gulf that existed between the two groups. Black Americans spoke English and followed Protestant religions. Black Cubans spoke Spanish and practiced Catholicism” (11). However, it was only by crossing that chasm that black Cubans had the opportunities to break out of the rigid, poverty-stricken condition the social system had reserved for them. “The relatively small number of black Cubans who entered college achieved nearly full integration, socially, into black American life: the language the same, their accents the same, their dress the same. Their dating involved almost exclusively eligible black American counterparts” (12). To achieve this jump from their birth culture into the culture of the land in which they lived, Grillo indicated could only occur through the assistance of a village of older members of the black American community who recognized in the younger Cubans the possibility for advancement of the entire social system. Although the nuns of his Catholic primary school “could not help us understand our past as children of slaves, to handle the rage we harbored in the face of the inequities, the humiliations we faced on a daily basis in a totally segregated society”, the black American high school “did make the subjects of slavery, of discrimination, and of prejudice palpable” (44-45). In educating their students about the inequities currently suffered and the abhorrent conditions of the past as well as the possibilities for their futures, teachers within the high school were working to ensure at least some of their students rose to the challenge to break the binds that had been assigned them. While the teachers worked to “help us deal with the realities of discrimination in every aspect of the American society” (41), other black American leaders worked to ensure the youth of the community had every advantage they could give. “[Mr. Martin] simply made friends of us, so that we would have a first-hand experience of someone for whom college was a given, and who thought it was a given for us” (51). Grillo carefully documents the many individuals who worked together to ensure he achieved a college degree rather than dropping out of high school at the end of the tenth grade, even going so far as to alter high school transcripts and arranging special favors to gain him access to the best environment for his personal success. Yet, with all the help offered and received, Grillo also acknowledges that personal choices played a large role in his success as well, as he consistently made choices that led toward empowerment rather than outright rebellion. Even with all of Mr. Martin’s help in arriving in Washington D.C., it was up to Grillo to get himself placed well within the college-prep high school of the black community. “Henry began to get agitated and I quietly kicked him, to keep him out of the discussion, for I had information he didn’t have” (62), Grillo said about his entrance interview for the school when the principal suggested he repeat the tenth grade. It was at this point that he realized Mr. Martin wasn’t the only person from within his old community that was working to help him as his transcript had been altered to make him seem a more model student. Remaining silent, Grillo was finally given permission to try starting in the eleventh grade for the first six weeks before being moved back into tenth if it didn’t work out. In return for the chance, Grillo said “I memorized my geometry theorems and I did all of my homework before I went to sleep at night” (63), a practice he continued throughout high school and college. Another example of using his own personal choice to facilitate empowerment is contained within his account of a protest by the noncommissioned black officers aboard the U.S.S. Santa Paula. In this account, although 23 of the 24 men were ready to stage an open rebellion against the poor accommodations they were provided in comparison to the white noncommissioned officers on board, it was Grillo who suggested a more appropriate action. “Should discussion escalate into overt action, it could be considered mutinous. That was not my intent and it wasn’t the intent of those involved” (96), he says in explanation of the delicate situation. “Let’s write a petition. Then we’ll ask the men to sign it. We’ll send it to Colonel Leland. Each of us will play a visible role, so that we’ll either win together or hang together” (97). The entire story is told with a frank, dispassionate honesty, often referring to what is actually recollected. This tactic consistently reminds readers this is not a general history, but a recounting of an individual experience. Lessons learned in hindsight are often mentioned to give further understanding of key points in his story, such as the influence of his mother’s distant, but fierce, love. The book is weak in its conclusion, though, as if the writer was in a hurry to finish up the tale, leaving out important information of his life after the war and how he managed to accomplish several of the things listed in the epilogue. In addition, there are frequent grammar issues within the text, including words in incorrect order, missing words and misspelled words. These errors are never enough to lose the context of the meaning, but are sufficient to cause some stumbling in the reading. In discussing his education, the author combated several existing stereotypes that indicate black individuals in southern schools during the Jim Crow years were of substandard educational value, not able to prepare students for entrance into any kind of college. His portrayal of highly competent and educated teachers and business leaders within the black community also break the stereotype that their knowledge and experience was only sufficient to assist other black Americans rather than of equal or greater value to the surrounding white community. Works Cited Grillo, Evelio. Black Cuban, Black American. Ed. Kenya Dworkin y Mendez. Houston: Arte Publico Press, 2000. Read More