The New York City book launch of Eduardo Aguirre’s From Immigrant to Ambassador: My American Journey, a fascinating memoir recalling his carefree, happy childhood in Cuba, the onset of the revolution and his parents’ painful decision to send him alone to the United States after his involvement in a counterrevolutionary youth movement jeopardized his safety. Fifteen-year-old Eduardo had one thin dime in his pocket when he arrived in Miami in December 1961, one of the Operation Pedro Pan children sent with clandestine help from the US government and the Catholic Church. Despite his often-dire circumstances—lack of money to support himself, inability to speak the English language well and even witnessing a sexual abuser at one of the church-run homes in New Orleans—Aguirre maintained a positive attitude and worked hard to succeed.
A gifted storyteller, Aguirre recounts numerous behind-the-scenes anecdotes about his time as a member of the Bush administration, including being vetted for his presidential appointments and the Senate confirmation hearings for his roles as the acting chairman and CEO of the Export Import Bank of the United States, the first director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services following the 9/11 attacks and the US Ambassador to Spain and Andorra.
As we continue to grapple as a nation with
immigration reform, Ambassador Aguirre’s
insights borne from years of public service
as ‘an immigrant running immigration’ could
not be timelier.
—Tom Ridge,
First US Secretary of Homeland Security
To purchase a copy of the book, click here:
https://shorturl.at/KgXpj
Ambassador Aguirre will be introduced by historian Andrés Castellanos, who will moderate the Q&A with the audience following the presentation.
The presentation will be held at the emblematic The Church of the Transfiguration, founded in the 19th century by Fr. Félix Varela, a Cuban priest who, from his parish in New York City, tended to the disenfranchised and advocated for Cuba’s freedom from Spain. In 1997, the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp honoring his legacy as a social reformer and protector of immigrants.
This event is part of our CreateNYC Language Access Series on Cuban History, Art, and Literature. It will be held in English.
CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
29 Mott St, NYC
FREE ADMISSION
RSVP at: info@cubanculturalcenter.org
Andres Castellanos del Corral is a lecturer, researcher and scholar of Cuban history. Some of his findings appear in Bibliography about Father Felix Varela, published by Enildo Garcia, in Levi Marrero’s magnificent work, Cuba Economia y Sociedad, and in other volumes on Cuban history volumes. His writings and biographical notes on numerous prominent Cuban figures have been published in numerous journals. He is President Emeritus of the Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants of the U.N. and all other International Organizations (FAFICS). For almost 40 years he was professor of Public Speaking and Parliamentary Procedures at the Félix Varela Hispanic Institute of Pastoral Formation of the Archdiocese of New York. Prof. Castellanos holds a Masters in Political Science from the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science of the New School for Social Research.
This event is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Legislature.
With the promotional cooperation of Rialta, 14yMedio and Diario de Cuba
