One recent morning, upon hearing the opening bars of “La Vida es un Carnaval,” several octogenarians at a senior center abandoned dominoes and crossword puzzles to show off their salsa moves. The music of their land still moved them.
Nearby, in a ballet studio, girls and boys applauded as they moved back and forth to the pulsating Afro-Cuban rhythm. “One, two, three,” said his instructor, Selen Wilson Guerra.
This did not happen in Havana or even in Little Havana in Miami. It was in Louisville, a city best known for bourbon, the Kentucky Derby and Muhammad Ali. It is now home to the fastest growing Cuban community in the United States.
“Salsa is part of our essence and dancing is a fun way for our children to learn about their heritage,” said Wilson Guerra, 41, who moved to the City in 2015. Here, he added, “we keep it alive. Cuban culture.”
In a landlocked state with cold, gray winters, Louisville may seem an unlikely destination for refugees from a tropical island. But its plentiful jobs, relatively low cost of living and agencies that support newcomers are powerful magnets.
At least 30,000 Cubans make their home in Louisville’s Jefferson County, with much of the influx arriving in the last two years as conditions deteriorated in their country. They are the largest immigrant group in Louisville and their numbers have helped offset the population decline in the county of 770,000. Many work at GE Appliances, Amazon and United Parcel Service. Entrepreneurs among them have revitalized shopping centers with new small businesses.
They have transformed the City’s dining and entertainment scene. At La Bodeguita de Mima, people savor Cuban specialties such as ropavieja, a shredded meat dish. Opportunities to listen to live music and dance to salsa abound, virtually every night.
“The Cuban community has enriched my life and brought dynamism to the City,” said Debra Wright, born and raised in Louisville, who attends Wilson Guerra’s adult dance class.
Cubans began arriving in Jefferson County in 1995, after the Clinton Administration and the Castro Government agreed to allow 20,000 Cubans to enter the United States annually. Due to the legacy of the Cold War, Cubans who arrive in the United States receive special treatment from the Government, unlike immigrants from most countries. They receive public benefits and job placement.
At the senior center, Martín Guzmán, 83, a retired engineer, said he decided to leave Cuba after having to wait in line at 4 a.m. in Havana to get medication for a heart condition and diabetes.
After traveling 54 days last year, he arrived at the United States-Mexico border. “If I had stayed in Cuba, I would be dead,” he said, adding: “It is magnificent here.”
By: Miriam Jordan
The New York Times
BBC-NEWS-SRC: http://www.nytsyn.com/subscribed/stories/6898190, IMPORTING DATE: 2023-09-19 19:20:09
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