Faces of America: Being Cuban-American

While watching "Faces of America" I learned many new things: I never had thought about going back in my family tree and seeing what possible connections I could have with family members of the past. Through this video though, it opened my eyes to the many possibilities that I could have with family members who were either famous, or did something special. I thought it was really cool how many of the people who were interviewed and were of a different ethnicity and had family members who were a part of something or did something special, that they weren't even aware of it.

I think that being "a nation of immigrants" means to have different people, from different places, of different cultures all together in one nation. I don't think that America would be who it is today if it wasn't for the various different sorts of people and races there are. Having people from different cultures, adds something new and different. You get to learn something new from whatever culture or race it may be, you can learn about traditions, different kinds of food, and much more. I think having a nation of immigrants is very important because when you have somebody come from another country who didn't have much, the United States is full of opportunities and they are eager to work.

My mom and dad and most of my family was born in Cuba, except for some of my cousins who were born here in the United States like me. My mom came when she was only a couple months old so she doesn't remember much, but my dad came when he was nine years old so he remembers Cuba very vividly; my mom came in the year of 1962 and my dad in 1967. Both of their families fled to the US because of communism in Cuba which is still going on today, but not as strong. I feel very aware of my ancestors because although I was born in Florida and not Cuba, I've heard everything it took for my mom and my dad's family to make it here in the United States. I know that my grandfather had to work various jobs when they first arrived here just to make a living for my mom's family, and with speaking very little English it was not easy. I know that it was no different for my dad's family except for that my mom had three brothers, and my dad was an only child. But not only do I feel connected from hearing stories and about what it took to be successful here, but it also comes out a lot on how my mom and dad have raised my brothers and me. Since they didn't get anything easy when they first arrived here and had to work for everything they had it has been the same for us. They have taught us good work ethic, but I find it valuable because I know in the long run it will help me through college and even further. I fully enjoy being Cuban-American and love the culture of Latin Americans especially when we are together with all of our cousins, uncles, aunts, and the rest of our family. I am proud to be called a Cuban-American

Henry Ford

I picked Henry Ford as my person from the late 19th century who was an American Industrialist. He was born on July 30, 1863 and actually grew up on a farm. When he was younger he did many odd jobs on the farm and this is where a lot of his high worth ethic came from. Many industrialists from the 19th century were born with a lot of fortune and wealth but Henry Ford is one of those people who actually worked hard and didn't start off with as much as other people. While working on the farm, he liked to experiment and play with things, particularly inventing and building. As he grew up he continued down this path and was employed as a part time employee at Westinghouse Engine Company. He was successful there and was equipped with even more skills and constructed the first horseless carriage in 1896. He then sold it, to make a new model and soon incorporated Ford Motor Company in 1903. At Ford Motor's he was able to build and construct the first car that would become possibly the most popular car of all time; the Model T. When he first built this car it was sold at a very high price of $950. Which we might say is cheap now, but for that time era many people could not afford that. The idea that Henry Ford came up with completely revolutionized the industrial era because of its mass production techniques and is known as the "moving assembly line". The moving assembly line was basically different people at different stations that had their own responsibilities to put the first part or the next part on. This was a huge impact because it cut down time, cost, and the need for highly skilled workers. Henry Ford was then able to sell the Model T from the price of $950 down to $280; this was a significant impact because now it was in the price range of many more people. He also was able to cut the production time of the chassis down from 728 minutes, to 93 minutes. The moving assembly line also allowed him to double the wages of employees which separated him from other major companies and made other people want to work for him. While the moving assembly line is probably the most impact he had on the industry during the 19th century, his Model T changed society just as much. The Model T was so affordable that by 1918 half of the cars in the US were Model T's. It also made a huge convenience to everybody because it allowed them to travel anywhere they wanted to (of course with the price of gas) and they could see new places. The Model T also created the idea of the highway system, which if you think about it has a huge impact on even today's society. Through all this success Henry Ford was then able to open up the Rouge plant in Dearborn Michigan in the late 1910's, early 1920's. The plant produced all elements needed for automobile's and thus was a huge success as well. Henry Ford (now known as the company Ford Motors) was a very successful man who created a very successful business that is still one of the top car manufacturing companies in the world today.


About.com- Henry Ford
The Life of Henry Ford