Ohio’s hispanic author of the year speaks to HO

As House Divided releases to the public, hispanicohio.com had the opportunity to interview the author, Raul Ramos y Sanchez, who resides in Dayton Ohio.

Ramos y Sanchez can recall his time as a child living in Cuba.

“The revolution and the Castro and Batitisa are a part of my life,” he said… “You just can’t separate the two.  The reality of Fidel Castro is just integral to your life”

Ramon y Sanchez’s parents separated during the revolution.  His father was a supporter of Castro and as an only child, to Ramon y Sanchez this was big choice made by his parents.

“I got to see Cuba go through a transition form a state going from one dictatorship to a completely different type of dictator,” he said.  “I saw first hand to see what it’s like to see a nation go through a transition or revolution”

Ramon y Sanchez says a revolution is not only violence, but a change in the state of mind.

“People don’t understand that it is just a mental state that legitimized the government. When it really came down to when Batiste knew his time was up, he left over night in an airplane, it was like a light when off and people said “hey the government is not here anymore.”  Yet only one man left the island,” he said.

 

We also discussed the state of Cuba as it stands today.

Ramon y Sanchez says Fidel’s brother is not young either, so eventually power will be turned over to his son.

“I don’t think Fidel really trust his son to carry on for the country,” he said…  “Castro is not a communista he is a fidelistra.”

Ramon y Sanchez went on to talk about the current relationship Cuba has with the United States.

“He finds it very convenient to use the United States as the big bad wolf,” he said.  “When President Obama reached out to him with a hand, he quickly slapped it back”

Ramon y Sanchez also has a Web site where people can share their stories of immigration, myimmigrationstory.com

 ”The idea actually came from my agent, she suggested while don’t you places where other people can tell their story,” he said.  “Initially I had imagined it that it was going to an American dream type story.  Within about six months the tone of the site stating to change, people were sending messages about their immigration story”

 

Ramon y Sanchez says there are changes needed in the U.S.’s immigration laws.

“I hope the site helps people understand the humanity around those types of laws,” he said. / “There are people who are desperate in those situations; they have the same needs and feelings that every American has.”

Ramon y Sanchez says immigrants are being painted as demons and they are not that at all.

“We are creating a very hostile climate for those people,” he said.

Ramon y Sanchez closed the interview contrasting capitalism with communism.

 ”Having lived in a communistic country I would never want to live in that again,” he said.  “The more a system is open to idealism, the more it is open to corruption.  The xenophobes keep screaming out amnesty, amnesty, its hurting the country, thinking so much in black and white.”

Ultimately, Ramon y Sanchez shared why he has written a three book series.

 ”I hope my books will help turn the tides around for the Latino voice,” he said.  “We have to paint a scary picture for people to open their eyes.”

 

Book 1 – American Libre

Book 2 – House Divided