The Guardian newspaper has named two short story collections written by one of UCF\u2019s English professors to the Top 10 must Reads about Cuba, just as relations between Cuba and the United States begin to thaw.<\/p>\n
Cecilia Rodr\u00edguez Milan\u00e9s was recognized in the Guardian\u2019s list of ten books to best help understand Cuba.\u00a0 Milan\u00e9s, an associate professor in the Department of English has been teaching writing and literature for more than 15 years. Born to Cuban parents and raised in New Jersey, Milan\u00e9s had a different story of Cubans to tell than what was typically depicted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to expand the mainstream idea of what a Cuban is,\u201d said Milan\u00e9s as she recalled the highly covered Mariel Boatlift in 1980. \u201cThey are not all involved in gangs or resemble Tony Montana from Scarface.\u201d<\/p>\n
This recognition comes as the United States and Cuba attempt to repair a long history of hostility dating back to Fidel Castro overthrowing the government in 1959 and nationalizing property across the island. For more than half a century, the two counties have had no diplomatic relations. After years of silence, Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro have decided to put an end to their country\u2019s longtime hostility and to work towards normalizing relations between the two countries.<\/p>\n
Through the fictional characters in her short stories, \u201cMarielitos, Balseros, and other Exiles\u201d and \u201cOye What I\u2019m Gonna Tell You,\u201d Milan\u00e9s offers readers an opportunity to better understand the life of those living in Cuban communities in the U.S.<\/p>\n
In her short story entitled Dr. Cubanita, readers are introduced to Lidia, a young psychologist.\u00a0 On her way to a conference in Tampa, Lidia reminisces on the events of life that has caused the young doctor to go from living a life of lavish in Miami, to returning to live with her mother in the home that once represented her family\u2019s climb into the middle class. From the separation of her parents, to the downfall of her ex-husband, Sergio, to drugs, Lidia story reveals the triumph of a young Cuban woman.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarielitos, Balseros, and other Exiles\u201d and \u201cOye What I\u2019m Gonna Tell You,\u201d came in as number four and five on the Guardian\u2019s must read list.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was such an amazing surprise that I never expected,\u201d said Milan\u00e9s. The Guardian is the third most read newspaper website, and a recent winner of the Pulitzer Prize. \u201cOye What I\u2019m Gonna Tell You,\u201d is scheduled to be released to the general public in April.<\/p>\n