Mil gracias to my brother and friend, Ernesto Crespo, for accompanying me on my first recorded and filmed interview/conversation (of which, in the coming weeks, I hope to have many more!)

His remarkable story, to which hundreds of thousands of Americans can doubtless relate, will always be a source of inspiration to me.

From him, you'll learn what it was like to grow up in Cuba in the 1980s under the regime of Fidel Castro; how the island struggled during the "Periodo Especial" when the Soviet Union fell; how he assuaged his hunger with a filling concoction (water mixed with sugar); what it was like to be educated in a state-run school bearing the name of "Lenin"; what it was like to feel the pinch of poverty, and the sweetness of socialist "equality"; to aspire to a better future; to dream of a better life; and, finally, to become, an American.

If you or someone you know has a story to tell and would like to join me on a conversation, please send me an email at [email protected]. All voices are welcome.

Subscribe to this channel, like this video, and comment below with advice on better recording techniques (I think it's time for something more sophisticated than Skype).