Balancing the Dream: The Images And Experiences Of A First Generation Cuban American

Close the door. Leave all your possessions behind. Embark onto uncharted waters. Arrive to a new land that embraces you with open arms. Face your new reality. Learn a new language. Roll up your sleeves and start over. Welcome! Who are you now?

Global instability has existed throughout history, bringing with it unforeseen circumstances. Through this autoethnography, the author brings to life her own experiences growing up with two cultural identities. The story is told through a series of family photographs and familial anecdotes. It explores intergenerational influences that shaped her approach in aspects of her personal as well as professional life as an educator.

The reader comes along on the journey as each chapter provides a voice to the discourse. The author attempts to shape an identity within her hybrid existence. Hoping not to lose the best of her two worlds, she chooses instead to endure the struggle to balance them. Although revealed through the words of a first generation Cuban American, the narration serves to stir, within the reader, the inquiries and memories of all that have the desire to look deeper into their own identity.