Cuban Stories on The Green Plantain

Martha's journey was wrought with changes even before she arrived in Miami. She lived in Mexico and Ecuador where she saw poverty and trauma across all age groups, first hand. It is an understatement to say that she, like many of us who came to the States in the 60s, was deeply affected by cultural changes. We faced the unspoken trauma of being uprooted from our country of birth, trying on a diffe...

Hello, and Happy New Year 2023! Welcome to Episode 60 – An Encanto Connection -- Una conexión de Encanto on The Green Plantain. So let´s back up to the 2022 Oscars: Encanto wins award for best-animated picture! "Hurray!" I shouted as my husband looked across the room quizzically.

Between Loss and Love is the story of a Cuban family and its legacy and it's a Christmas story because it shows us the love of a family and they cherish and live the gift of freedom in these United States and how they pay it forward. Entre la pérdida y el amor es la historia de una familia cubana y su legado. Es una historia de Navidad porque nos muestra el amor de una familia y cómo aprecian y vi...

When most of us remember Cuba, we think of the revolution and old chevys painted in different colors. We think of a Cuba stuck in time and turmoil. This episode highlights the life of a Cuban artist who lives in Manzanillo Cuba and how despite tribulations his love of art doesn't wane. I invite you to have a listen about this tender and inspiring family man and artist. Cuando la mayoría de nosotro...

Bobby Socks and Love/Calcetines Bobby y Amor is the story of young love with a happy ending. When she visited Santa Clara, Cuba, in 1956, she was still wearing poodle skirts and bobby socks, and stole his heart.

In November, here in the States, we reserve a day to express our thanks for the opportunity to live in a free country – Thanksgiving Day. In years past, I have shared Cuban Thanksgiving stories, those funny ones that remind us of our first days in exile. But, this year, I can't bring myself to do so, hearing about the exacerbated oppression in Cuba that pushes many to think of the unthinkable and...

A dual-language episode. First narrated in English and then in Spanish. The Spanish portion starts midway in the recording. In this story, the Green Plantain brings you a Mary Bertha Exposito´s childhood memory of celebrating Three King Day – El Dia de los Reyes Magos in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba, prior to Castro´s revolution. I know you will love this little story. ------- Un episodio en dos idiomas....

Thanksgiving Day is around the corner, and I thought you might like to hear about two Cuban families and their Thanksgiving traditions. This episode and the next explore our Cuban additions to this important American family holiday. What a coincidence that both stories begin in the year 1964! Episode 31 tells my family story. Stay tuned for Episode 32 - A Cuban Thanksgiving story.

This episode features the story of Betty Viamontes' family during the Mariel boatlift in 1980 - the story of their 90-mile journey to the United States. It's Chapter 1 - The Beginning of the End, from her book, "Waiting on Zapote Street: Love and Loss in Castro's Cuba."

A dual-language episode. First narrated in English and then in Spanish. The Spanish portion starts midway in the recording. As mentioned in the previous episode, Thanksgiving Day is around the corner. So what better way to share our immigrant experiences of adopting a holiday we never celebrated in Cuba? Margarita, Natalia, and Dr. Florencio Nadal Jr. share with us a story that reflects the Cuban...

What does a boy from Güines and a girl from Bejucal have in common? How did their lives crisscross in Cuba and in Tampa? If you heard last year's episode titled "Can you say Gobble – Gobble?" you already know about Maggie and her family. I invite you to hear the love story of two fine and upstanding citizens in the Tampa Bay Area. Thank you for listening.

A dual-language episode. First narrated in English and then in Spanish. The Spanish portion starts midway in the recording. With this episode, we continue exploring how Three Kings Day was celebrated before Castro's revolution and the evolution of the celebration for Fernando Leyva and his family. I hope you enjoy learning about the Leyva family.

Los episodios tipo Microráfagas son conversaciones cortas con mi familia y amistades y no son editadas. Aquí comparto una conversación con mi primo Manolito en Hialeah sobre un aguila al ataque. Prepárense para ser incorporados en momentos cómicos pero un poco serios. Uno nunca sabe lo que nos puede caer de lo alto.

Legends are part of the imagination of a town and Santo Cristo De La Salud, known as La Salud, is no different. It is a town bursting with legends and traditions which have been passed down from generation to generation, that now form an integral part of its culture. Even currently, many know the legend of how and why the town acquired the name of Cristo De La Salud. Steeped in the legend is a mys...

Don Julio Villarreal was born in 1865 in the town of Quivican, part of the Havana Province and now better known as the Mayabeque province. He married Genara Milian in Santo Cristo De La Salud in 1902 and raised nine children on La Finca Arango. He bought a farm – a finca, in Santo Cristo De La Salud and named it La Julia. La Julia was his pride and joy. During the day it was a gorgeous sight to be...

In this episode I'm sharing a conversation with my husband Jon. The conversation took place in the car as we were leaving a gas station called Marathon. What started as a comical response regarding who owns the gas stations called by that name, it ended with a very interesting short factoid. I hope you enjoy it.

Este episodio video en español nos trae una recordanza de la niñez de la anfitriona de este podcast – Susana. El cuento se desarrolla en San Felipe, Venezuela, y pinta una mañana dominical en familia, la interacción entre madre e hija, y el recuerdo de un padre. « ¿Qué recuerdos nos atrapan dentro de una imagen como telarañas? ¿Recordamos el día en que se tomó la foto, así como las circunstancias?...

Bienvenidos al episodio 51 titulado:Sobre pollos y gallinas. Una microrafaga en español. Aqui comparto una conversación con Mary-Bertha, tan querida como una hermana, y Manuel un amigo, tan querido como familia. La conversación transcurrió combinando mi visita con Mary en persona en Hialeah, Florida, con una por video con Manuel en Madison, Wisconsin. A menudo me pregunto como nuestras tradiciones...

El Burro Perico is a loved donkey who lived in Santa Clara, Cuba in the mid 1900s. In this episode you will hear about his debut as an actor at the Caridad theater, in Santa Clara.

This dual language episode brings us a 100 year old spooky Cuban legend in the form of a childhood memory, as written by Aileen Vega, producer and host of CubanFamilyRoots, a Spotify podcast. The story is set near the town of Santo Cristo De La Salud. and la Finca Arango, in the province of la Habana. Este episodio en dos idiomas nos trae una leyenda cubana escalofriante de 100 años en forma de un...

This video podcast, a microburst from The Green Plantain, is published as a celebration of the second podcast anniversary. This is a true story read from the book Now I Swim, in English, a book about overcoming personal fears. In this video episode on Spotify, you will hear about my vacation out west and my short relationship with a rogue horse, and how I applied my meditational teachings to enjoy...

This is a true story of how living in the moment takes you to places you never imagined. No-one knew I went hiking at the mountain preserve so I began to descend. Where there are rabbits and birds, there must be scorpions and snakes, too. Esta es una historia real de cómo el vivir en el momento te lleva a lugares que nunca imaginaste. Nadie sabía que iba de excursión a la reserva de la montaña, as...

I'm honored to bring you the second episode covering the life of a dearly loved Cuban anthropologist and professor - Dr. Mercedes Cros-Sandoval. Embedded in this story is a highly controversial topic for Cubans regarding religion and race. This episode is released with deep respect to all our listeners, understanding that family ethos and mores form a child’s identity – and yes, sometimes, like in...

This is the first episode of two, which covers the story of a dearly loved Cuban anthropologist and professor. Her name is Dr. Mercedes Cros Sandoval. She is an expert in Afro-Cuban culture and has been at the cutting edge of these studies. She is witty and tends to raise a firestorm with her passionate discourse. Este es el primer episodio de dos que cubrirá la historia de una antropóloga y profe...

A Scorching Miami Night is a story featured in the book titled Flight of the Tocororo that speaks to what it felt like for a teenager to be stuck in an old hotel room in Miami on very hot July night. Una Noche en Miami es una historia que aparece en el libro titulado El vuelo del tocororo que habla como se sintió una adolescente al estar 'atrapada' en un viejo hotel en Miami en una calurosa noche...