George Rodon and Eduardo Fernandez-Crespi

00:06 My name is Eduardo Jose fernandez-crespi, but everybody calls me Daddy. I'm 39 years old. Today is Friday, January 24th 2024 in Orlando, Florida.

00:18 My interview partner is George rodon, and he is a dear friend and Mentor. My name is Jorge Jorge Rodan. I am 72 years old and today is Friday, January 24th, 20/20 eyewear in Orlando, Florida, and my interview partner is Eddie Fernandez a young star of France of at least twenty years at prominent attorney here in Orlando, and I couldn't think of a better person to share stories with Eduardo Fernandez.

00:59 Show edit. I've known you for 20 years and a couple of months because you shared with me that you saved a little note that I sent you say what a pleasure. It was to meet you in July of 1999. I believe at the time you are doing an internship at one of the local banks.

01:21 Right. That's exactly right George. I I kept it. No because it meant so much to me. I had just graduated high school that may and I was entering college at Rollins College that August and you sent me this note in July 28th, and it meant so much to me because it was the first time somebody had taken such an initiative and just taking interest in me and my professional well-being in mi and my professional life at such a young age. It was such an unexpected thing and it meant so much to me that as I showed you I actually kept it in a in a photo album and I have it to this day and I've always wondered about the note and one of the things I've always wondered. I've seen you over the years and I don't know that I've ever met anybody in our community in Orlando that it doesn't know George rodon and as everybody calls you an English and and one of the things I've always wondered is coming over here from from Cuba at 13. I believe it was

02:21 Correct, whether your interest in mentoring young people like me at that time came from the interest that people must have showed you I always say it takes a village to raise a child and you arrived in the new American village and I wonder if that is something that turned you and then mint into a mentor and such a caring individual for so many people in our community perhaps I never really looked at the Genesis of my interest in helping young people, but it's always been a source of Pride and enthusiasm for me. I just enjoy meeting good young people because as I said, I think on the note or reflect back, I didn't realize you were that young but the 20 years makes a difference and I showing you a future leader which you certainly didn't disappoint me and I have all over town young people who are now

03:21 Entering positions of responsibility in our community. And yes, I've enjoyed that when I came to this country. It was a totally incredible experience. I spoke no English other than to say that Mary is a girl and Tom is a boy and that's about it and good morning and goodbye and then I began to meet people and I remember my father was a physician and we did not linger in Miami long because she had to go through training. So he immediately tried to find a place where he could do medical residencies and pay enough money to support a family which consisted of my sister and I and my grandmother and he found a place in Ohio of all places. So we went from the warm Cuban climate to Ohio and I never I always felt welcomed in this

04:21 Tree and people always tried to help me at first. I didn't understand the language was made it difficult and I got into some trouble when very nice lady next door to us in Ohio mentioned to me that she had lost her husband and I in my broken English I said, well, why don't you go out and look for him. I did not realize that you meant and she and her husband passed away and those little things, you know, I had to learn and it was slow at first but I had Helping Hands and it's interesting. This country is the greatest in the world I think and that's why people are knocking the door to come in and I'll always felt welcomed that my father had two things. He always said to us Americans appreciate the most hard work and honesty and boy he served me well and I think is right and body that young man and I want to learn because

05:21 I've known you I know that I know your mom a wonderful lady, but I never I want to hear about your dad cuz it was from Cuba and of course she died young and maybe you can tell me sure what influence that had in your life.

05:38 Well, you know George it's it's interesting because both my parents are from Cuba as you know, at least you know, my mom has and you know, when they left Cuba my family took a little bit of a different route both both sides in fact because my as I understand it my dad's family my grandfather. My dad's dad had a he had a contract that he had to fulfill as an engineer in in Ecuador. And so he went to Ecuador my my my dad and his sister's all lived down there eventually finding their way to the rest of the family who at that point was in in Puerto Rico they were for my dauntless Cuba originally and my my mom's family was from come my way and Ivana and they emigrated my grandfather was actually a political my mom's dad was a political prisoner for a short time as I understand it for her for having a a shotgun on his farm and come away after the government had confiscated arms and property and her last name was Krispy Crest PSC.

06:38 R e s p i and end and so they date my grandfather my grandmother stayed in in Cuba with my grandfather and and my mom was was better to run along with her brother Jose Luis and the program started by the Catholic Church to bring young people out of Q by without Parents Without parents and they were both fortunate in the sense that my dad and my mom and and her brother had the ability to stay with family who had already escaped Cuba at that point and they all ended up in in Puerto Rico until my grandparents through their Spanish citizenship or whatever Powers they had through Spain were able to leave to Spain and eventually made their way to Puerto Rico and then that's that's where my parents met in Puerto Rico and then I was born there and lived live kind of between both places in Puerto Rico.

07:38 Orlando specifically my grandfather and my uncle started a horse farm on Boggy Creek Road in South Orlando and and and also a Cuban restaurant that was around for about 30 years. I remember it. Well first job. I was a waiter there in Middle School famous Cuban sandwich would literally the name is Jose's famous Cuban sandwich. And so so that was that that's what brought us here. I understand they had to be close to Ocala and they started the restaurant and then I lived off and on until unfortunately my my dad passed away when I was in seventh grade. Wow, you remember him? Obviously, I do I do remember my my my dad and my dad my dad was a it was an interesting guy. He went to LSU graduate from LSU also went to Florida and and he was an accountant as are a few of my aunt's are all CPAs and and Zoe eat you was one of these guys who is very into sci-fi in the very end of those things it it's interesting because I'm Different in some ways, but but also,

08:38 Very very academic and and and enjoy reading myself. So you are an only child. I am an only child and tell me because I was blessed but that's my parents live to an old age. So I will send my 50s or early sixties when they pass right? It must have been something when your father dies when you're only in the 7th grade, you know, it it it was it was very it was very traumatizing in some ways. It made me so much closer to my mom's parents and my mom right because that's who was here in Orlando and and you know from me and I always felt that after that moment. I had three parents that kind of stepped in and it also has made me very grateful for people like you in my life who have really stepped up to fill voids that I experienced and I meant so much to me.

09:38 Maybe that's why I kept that note all these all these decades right and so much to me to have people step up who cared you may not know this but of course, I knew your uncle right here in his famous shop. It was the place to go for a good Cuban sandwich in Orlando and your grandfather. I can still see him at all thin and your uncle kept him in the back to Usher people work apart. And if your grandfather was not happy with your parking place. He tell you to move it. That's right, and he also drove if I'm not mistaken advantu Miami at the time when Cuban or Latin food was not available here and he would go and pick up the stuff to bring back. Yeah, and I remember him very vividly. I don't remember ever meeting your grandmother. I do remember going to her her service and when she passed

10:38 He had over your grandfather had already passed that a year and a half before. Yeah, and those folks really like my parents sacrificed all so that today you and I are in a better place, which is the us we could have been in Cuba. In fact recently. I met a very prominent attorney here in town.

11:01 I don't think he might me telling you but he's name is Orlando Airport and his side of the his father's family. His father was the only one who left Cuba the rest of his father's family became communist. So his father came here alone. Now, his mother's side. I came to the US but I shared with him. I have family by marriage that Cuba is the stories about Cuba are tremendous and that they're just a variety of our families were split when brothers and sisters took different paths and some became communist and stayed in Cuba and some of course denied that the that philosophy and came to the US I have a cousin is what I had. His name was felipitos are alone and he care.

12:01 Bazooka in the Cuban Invasion and he was blowing out a tank came and just blown away but his brother was in the Cuban Army communist so you can you imagine the parents with two children fighting each other and one dying or going to the American Civil War story. That's another story. But in the American Civil War, the number of deaths per population is it's never been in it since you're mountable. I mean the percentage of Americans who died and families had that day is split and butt. Cuba and now Generations later. I guess there are Cubans in Cuba with families here that don't communicate because of the difference in philosophy. What was that like for you? I I can't I figured your parents are probably my age or a little older when they brought.

13:01 You over here and what was that like for you? I hear all the stories from from you from my family from our friends. When you get over here, you know, you're getting on a plane you're going to new country. You don't speak the language the much bigger place than you come from over those moments like free. What was that childhood? Like for you? I know what they did to it to some members of my family. I'm wondering what what how that you what trajectory that put you on. How did that change you? Well obviously totally changed my life no question, but I've always been an optimist and when we came I was 13 and remember it was a Pan Am Clipper a proper engine airplane on a Sunday afternoon. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. We left Cuba and we took off and never been back and that we arrive to Miami in those days. The date is engraved in my mind solid.

14:01 Play It's November 13th 1960. My mother is the same way she knows her day in and day. And anyway, 1960 and to us it was we didn't realize the significance of the permanency of that move. We thought we'd come here for a while and stay on till Casa was overthrown because no one would think that the US would allow a communist country back. Then when the Cold War at its hottest to survive communism 90 miles away from the show. It was a temporary thing. Well, I we turn into a month and the month into a couple of months and years and then we realized there was no going back. So at some point I said always been proud to be a Cuban, but I said to myself I got to become an American

15:01 You're right. I have to when you were in Rome you do as the Romans and I regret to this day that I hear the courthouse literally across the street from here actually. Yeah across the street. I became a citizen and at that time very impromptu the clerk said what do you want to be known as so, what do you mean where you can change your name? Will you become a citizen interesting and I didn't know so, my name is Jorge on Hill Road on and I was always teased by my friends in school with the name Jorge and then angel. I never even brought that up. But so I changed my name from Jorge to George and Angel to our Nest which is my mother's maiden name interest and that's how I became George Arness Road on legally which explains my confusion because I knew it was on your mom's side. It wasn't your second last name, correct? I don't know that goes to my middle name Jose.

16:01 And it went from Angel to Arness understood. So I flipped the last names and I became George much does a disappointment of my father. He says, how dare you are. So well. You know, I'm an American and he says yeah, but your Jorge you are not George and I said, well, you can call me Jorge he did he never changed his name and I've often thought of changing my name back to Jorge but then I think people would think that now I'm doing it because they would be the in thing to do but I'm called Jorge or George but Uncle George to me is what I can talk at whatever. But anyway, I knew our Eduardo and you say okay. Yeah. Yeah, but you know is I was listening to it. It reminded me of visiting the crespi family in Homestead Florida. And you know, it was it was interesting on that. There was he

17:01 The the kitchen cabinets if you can picture it had a had a space between the cabinet and the roof and I remember being over there's a kid and asking them a what is that bottle of there? And what is that enormous Han there was a big pan and they said to me they said well, that's the last can and in Spanish of course, but they said to me that's the last guy know that a foolio or meet for refugees was a can of meat apparently probably from the 60s is my guess and they said to me they said that's the last can that we didn't have to open and we saved it up there because we remind herself everyday that we came to this country to work and work hard and not have to live off the government. And so I remember having that can up. There's a someone to think that my mom my uncle were homeless at this point because they arrived to the Tower of Liberty and until the Peter Pan program was able to sort the kids out and place them with the appropriate family.

18:01 We're Foster family in the case of of others. They they were homeless for for all intents and purposes and end and the bottom of the bottle was a bottle of champagne and and the bottle of champagne. They told me that they had purchased not because they didn't want to be American and not because they wanted to leave this great country. But because they said the day that the Cubans on the island have the same freedoms that the Cubans have came to America have we're going to drink it and I don't know what happened my great aunt and uncle have since passed away but it's a story that stuck with me. And when I hear you talk about the the temporal nature of your understanding as a 13 year-old of whether you were going to get to go back or how soon you were going to go back. It reminds me of of the the mentality that I think so many Cubans had that this country gave them everything gave them Freedom gave you me and all of us the ability to work and work hard and not not live off of a government.

19:01 Anybody come here and do that was so precious to my family. Well, I tell you in Miami there was something in the early days were there yet few months. My father had to take the ESF mg. Okay good for the form boards that foreign doctors has a tag that essentially validated the fact that they were in some place a doctor and a physician in MD anyway, and that's before he could go do any residencies. So we were Miami then but we lived and we would go to their raffoul hear the refugee Center is exactly and out there. We would get the surplus food and my parents were so embarrassed to do that. But we had to do it to eat and I remember things like powder milk powder eggs, which we hate it and my mother used to say you were going to eat it and you're going to like

20:01 And don't you show any dislike for this food? Because it's the only thing we can do and afford and I don't want your dad to see you not happy eating that another food that was foreign to us. No pun intended bus with a peanut butter since you are we didn't have peanut butter. Yeah, and if you think about a peanut butter doesn't look all that good, but that we learn to eat a peanut butter. We were on the Cuban Refugee program for like 3 months then my father Lance's job in Ohio. And as soon as he made his first check he communicated back in those days. Of course, I had to be a letter silver no email or cell phones to the Cuban Refugee group to see if you could pay back whatever the amount of money was that it was incurred for them to help us for those three months and there was no mechanism to return the money.

21:00 So I remember the priest in an Ohio said well, don't worry about it won't you just give it to if it bothers you that much give it to the church and will give it to the people who need it because my father was never happy with having received public assistance and having to pay back we moved from Ohio from Miami to Ohio and everything. We owned was between the front bumper and the rear bumper of a 1954 Pontiac Fire Chief and the car was old jalopy in Miami the Cuban to Circle that Transportation since he paid $200 for the car and we bought a case of used Army Navy oil and we would stop at block before we needed gas and he will give me the Keisha's trunk. I would go pop the opener on the oil fill up because every tank of gas.

22:00 Acquired a quart of oil when we get to the gas station in the end those days it was full service. He would check the oil and it was said the all is fine sure was fine because I just filled up thing because we couldn't afford whatever the oil cost at the gas station cir, but we made it and the Pontiac made it on till the first cold spell in Ohio and we decided it was Miami car and couldn't tolerate the hate the cold so it just never and then we bought a little Ford Falcon. I remember but I'm sure we lift. I'm sure pay Payday 2 I have two sets of pants and 3 shirts and by Friday. I was worrying war war Monday if you do the math. Yeah, but they were always clean and pressed and mother was cleaning my washing in the bathtub because she didn't have a quarter to go to the laundromat and her back hurt. I will though. She was a young woman in her early forties but washing clothes in the bathtub, but

23:00 We never and this is something I tell young people being poor is not an issue being poor is not a problem, but I can only imagine being poor without. Hope if you don't have hope that someday you will not be poor. It's got to be horrible, but it's that we knew that it was temporary and if we worked hard would make it but being poor is not an issue. We don't live two things like mother giving us haircuts and us not wanted to go to school mean I want to go to school for a couple days cuz she was a bad hair cutter and I had the spots in the back of my head. So until we got enough money so that I can go to a barber shop, but you gave me chills when you just said that and I'll tell you why might my maternal grandmother. It's it's it's amazing to me. You're on the you're halfway across this country.

24:00 You know, I do a quarter of a world away from the place that you and my grandmother are from Cuba and the the almost verbatim idiosyncrasies that you just described. I'm reminded me of something my grandmother would tell me as a child and she would she would say that there is nothing wrong with being poor as we were there is nothing wrong with being poor. But she said there's everything wrong with being disorderly is being on kept being a clean that they're with and what you're saying maintaining hope and worn anything to the best of your abilities working hard to get yourself out of it. And now it was something I was inculcated in me by my entire family, but certainly by my my grandparents which is there is no shame in not in poverty, but there is there is in and not and not having that that the work ethic and the end of things to eat to get yourself out of that position, but overall what you said.

25:00 Perfectly pressed pants and the shirt and everything else. Even if you only have one or two right shoes I wore they were Eagle army navy shoes at Dollar and they were not leather and they were Elite later. They come out with something called corfam. Okay. I wish you was to do leather this this were rubber shoes. I let me tell you at your feet sweat like anything because they were literally final and the I only have one pair of shoes and they were to go to church and then we go to school and everything else because I accidentally when I came to the states, I showed up and grew up and all the clothes that I have from Cuba. They were just not worth. I mean nothing that they didn't fit. So I had to sit with second-hand clothes, but they were clean their press and they were neat and it was nothing to be embarrassed about everybody is it was in the same condition? But again,

25:59 Emporia Saturday, it's not something to be a shame of breath. You just need to work your work through it. All right, that's right. Now this this country is the greatest country on Earth, but I found some differences here that I am Cuba. I didn't experience. I wish I will restore with my grandmother once was a Woolworths. Yes fencing and there were a couple three black women to our side and there were so many empty stools and I pointed to the stools to the ladies for them to sit on my grandmother says no don't do that. I said why not. This is all in Spanish.

26:42 And I thought maybe they had a problem with her back or sure. I need those days of black people couldn't sit there and we didn't have that. If you were there you saw and segregation was something that I was not familiar with in Cuba. There was no segregation in schools. There was segregation by income though. Our neighbors think you were black not because just because they could afford it but here in the states I said will wear the black people and my mother said there's somewhere I don't worry about it. You know, it's not that your issue 1 x you send me to the laundromat and I told a story one time at that big breakfast here and I was honored to be at the last to be the MC and she says these are clothes that you wash them together and then you have the white clothes. So you got the clothes that are color and the

27:42 Should I go to the laundromat in Virginia? And by golly? I saw a sign says colored on a sign that says white cheese. So I took the basket or the white clothes put them on on a washer they are and then I went to the color side and put the collar close their sure and I went back and I said mother I found black people and she's just wear a sign of the laundromat doing laundry with me and she's just what do you mean just as well on the other side? I just don't know that's not what I meant. I had no idea and that was something that I was not ready to embrace. I mean, I can't imagine that it's it's interesting to hear that because I I've heard similar stories man. And what a what a the juxtaposition of a of a country like Cuba who is actually for the time. As I understand in the fifties doing pretty well for the hemisphere.

28:42 Very well and also have a no society that was also in that and as far as race relation with concern was would fine. Fine but I head of the United States Charlie was my father had a very good friend eye doctor in Cuba by the last name of Leon can hear with 3dr Lion, right and he ended up in Chicago and my father said they used to call Cito Little Lion is named. He went to medical school with my father. He said man why you in Chicago is so cold up there. He says it's the only place I could raise a family where there is a middle-class that I can be with and he went to Virginia to take the State Board of medical examiners in Richmond, and we were living outside of Richmond at the time and he came over and then the time we lived in in Virginia in the 60s.

29:42 We did not know a place where dr. Leon could could say because he was black. So he stayed with us at the house and it was no big deal. I gave him my my room and I slept with my parents because we lived in a small house while one of the neighbors came up and said I George come here come here. Who is that guy there? And I said, yeah. Well she says where she from her so she cago and she says like you you don't know that's not permissible on till I said, he said he's from Cuba like my father, he's Cuban. So it was okay that he was black from Cuba, but you couldn't he couldn't have been blocked from the US which to me is I go that's crazy. Right but that you experience any discrimination, you know, it's funny. Not that I'm aware of, but then I think back

30:42 And the maybe but I don't remember I know traveling in the south in the sixties. My father was a driver and it because our daily. I'm a yearly trip was salvaged from work where we were to Miami to can spend time with family and we ended up sometimes in the Carolinas and he was sent us out to get something to eat while we were the Carolinas in the 60s and every restaurant we went to it was a private club members only so we came back empty-handed on my father says listen you I can't explain this to you. But if you go in I am sure they will give you the food and bring it because that's the way they they experienced. I mean they dealt with segregation so I didn't experience it. But I did I mean don't mess with me. I feel I feel blessed.

31:42 To have been you know what this country called a minority or whatnot and because it to me, it's opened doors. And I I am I maybe I'm just fortunate to have lived in an error in this country where it's been it's been it's been a good thing. It's been good for business and in my at my law practice and even in in when I held public office is the clerk of courts here in Orange County it it's all so proud of you when you mean so much that you were all there for me and you know it it's always been that it's actually been a benefit. It's been a benefit. I think I I think there's been a few times in my life where I've experienced some discrimination, but it's always been a net benefit to me and it's all I've always been mesmerized by my generation in a way because you saw Cuba you live here, but you when you you had the opportunity to make friends there and develop their is it as a young man but a child truly, but it is interesting how your generator

32:42 Has inculcated in my generation a love for a place that most of us have never been a place that your generation rightfully so in my opinion has we lit. It defines you in many ways absolutely defines me and one of the things I'm fearful of if God willing I have children one day. I am fearful of not doing a good a job as good a job is your generation has done with mine and implicating the the values the values of being a refugee in this country and around the world the values that we have with regard to the love of freedom and our work ethic and all of those things into maintain that mentality because somehow through people like you and my grandfather. I have a love for a place that I've never been to and I have values from a place that I've never been to I I heard I heard somebody once described Cubans who

33:42 You are now Americans in inside in many ways juxtaposing them to to the Jewish people in some ways and saying that sometimes when you move from place to place the only take you a thing you can take with you is your culture and your values and love for your family, correct? And and I think that that is something that your generation while we have a an idiom here to describe is amazing veterans from from the world war as the greatest Generation to me George your generation and your parents generation are my greatest Generation because of your ability to make a huge sacrifice in coming to a new country and all those people who who earned that right for us here while be free generation because they were at the peak of success in Cuba. My father was a physician he but they build their dream home in 56, they only

34:42 Lived there three years before we had to leave that to me is a great General. But yes, they inculcated on us. I love for a country that you do you think I'm 72. So do the math. I was 13 when I last and yet you were the fines being so many ways red.

35:00 So it's been great talking with you and you know, it has George and end in to see you know to see that it it defines us but it it also has allowed us to to move forward. Correct. I I had I had somebody in in the famous restaurant in Miami and Versailles is say to me once they said, you know, there's no place I'd rather be because this country has given me everything I am and I think that's right. And I think the fact that we have been able to interlace all of these these valleys in these things. We bring into our daily American life has been a real blessing for me just think that this country has allowed us to do that. And that is not a perfect country. No, no man or human-created country could ever be perfect, but this is about a

36:00 Closest you can get really Ron that's why we have people knocking at the door to get in and we are also another story. We need to really address that it's an issue because we've always welcome people and that we need to continue to look at that in a serious way to help others who are not as fortunate as we are, but I look at you on the generation that followed us us. Maybe perhaps the greatest Generation. So great talking with you Eddie George. It's it's been it's been an honor to to call you a mentor call you a friend and an honor to do a do this with you. I'm I'm very very flattered, but most of all honored that that you invited me. Well, thank you for joining me.

37:02 Okay, you know one of the issues is democracy vs communism and my father and his later years said to me we lived on there are dictatorships in Cuba. Really. We don't have a good record and cube of having democracies that truly work. That's true. And I said what what's the difference between communism and a dictatorship and democracy? He's as well democracies the best because obviously you can voice your opinion and if you don't like Donald J Trump, you can say what you want and no one is going to come tonight pick you up and take you away never to be seen again, but in dictatorships, you have to be careful when you spoke, but you could mind your own business and stay out of the Limelight and survived.

37:58 Communism on the other hand. My father said it exact it total commitment to the cost of Communism. You couldn't be on the on the on the side and let go by you you have to be part of it or you were out and that's why I think so many Cubans exiled themselves out of Cuba because you couldn't just you couldn't just play neutral. You have to be either you were with him or you were out and that's the difference between communism dictatorship. And of course the ideal was just at democracy.

38:37 You know George is it it's interesting because I I hear stories something that I probably was in 5th or 6th grade when I started to understand that Fidel Castro didn't set out to be a socialist ride it I started to understand that in some ways. He became became an authority. Tarian regime that adopted Socialism or communism. Is it as a means of survival and and to me that was a that was an interesting Revelation to me when I when I first understood that and I remember discussing things with my grandparents and my grandparents, you know politics in my household here in in Orlando as a child. It wasn't something that you exercised every couple years or every every four years. It was something that you lived in breathe every day. My great-uncle once said to me he said, you know, I don't understand and he wasn't he was a singer and artist painter.

39:37 Maitre d at the Midtown Hilton in New York for many many years and so he came from that world that he said to me. Once you said I don't want you to grow up to be a man who cares about sports or cares about movies or TV shows. He said those are at those are things that that don't impact our world and don't impact those. We we live with Hazard our fellow citizens. You said pay attention to what these people are doing and politics pay attention to your government and vote accordingly and it was very meaningful conversation. I had with them because I started to realize how powerful democracy is as a form of government where we had a voice and if we listen to on a daily basis to what was going on and it's not about partisanship. It's about doing the right thing and I think that with with your generation in your parents generation coming over here.

40:32 It it made it very clear alignment to to looking at Freedom is the most precious gift we have as voting at such a precious gift the ability to make economic decisions. I remember being with with my great-aunt once and discussing various things with her. She said to me she said, you know, what about she said it's it's so austere in socialist Cuba and she said to me what about the fact that God had to be removed from that equation to make socialism work the fact that Joy had to be removed when I start to realize that's what communism and socialism required. I realized that we were truly blessed to live in the country or system. There's nothing second to democracy. It's just what it's what that we all yearn for and the whole world yearns for that honest.

41:30 Participatory type of government where you have a voice and your respect it.