Visitors, 1965 is a short story by the son of Cuban immigrants Oscar Hijuelos. The focus of the story is the Cuban immigrant family of Alejo, Mercedes, and their two sons who moved to America before the rise of Castro. The story explores the feelings of Cuban immigrants before and after Fidel Castro rose to power, how the immigrants adjusted to American life, and being stuck in the past. Visitors, 1965 is a story about the dangers of living in the past instead moving forward with one’s life. Oscar Hijuelos was born to Cuban immigrants in New York City in 1951. Most of his stories explored being a Hispanic in the United States of America and the challenges associated with being Hispanic. Hijuelos felt like he was isolated from his Spanish …show more content…
Alejo and his family lived in a small New York Apartment since Alejo made less than $7,000 dollars a year. The anti-communist sentiment was at its peak in America during the 1960s and the newly founded communist government of Cuba drew the ire of many Americans and Cubans a like. New York City was a hub for Cuban Immigrants trying to escape from the turbulent political climate in Cuba. At first, America seems to be unaccommodating to Cuban immigrants as Alejo had been unable to forge a good life for his family in America despite being there for twenty years, and he had worked the same job working in food service at the same hotel for many years. Cubans did not appear to be have the same opportunities as other American citizens, but that notion is proven false by the success of Alejo’s son Horatio who traveled abroad as a member of the United States Air Force. The notion that America was an unfriendly setting for Cuban immigrants was later disproven by the quick success of Pedro, a man who suffered through many horrors in Cuba, who was able to buy his family a nice three story house and a color television. Alejo lived in the past and was unable to take full advantage of the opportunities provided to immigrants in