Rick Puig, Cuban-American
by Ford Clark
Rick Puig at the Young Democrat's convention. Photo by Ford Clark
On January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro took control over the lush island of Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. He imposed a communist regime that is still in power today. Since then, millions have fled the country in hopes of escaping the now-ailing leader and his oppressive government.
Elisao Puig was among them, able to find safety in the United States. Now 58, his father put him on a plane with his sister when he was just 12. He landed in Miami. And once there, Puig was able to prosper, eventually becoming a family physician and raising his own family.
He had a son, Rick, whose family’s history weighs heavily on him and who doesn’t take his freedoms here lightly. With age, this 21-year-old second-generation American has become heavily involved in the political scene in Missouri. This is his story.
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