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Cristian Baldini is co-owner with his partner Omar. Baldini spoke warmly of his experience working with her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe clicked immediately, she has a very good sense of humor. It was a relationship that grew, today it is as if we were family. After so many years we have shared happy moments, sad moments, everything, absolutely everything…,\u201d said Baldini. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDeborah was very eager. She loves what she does, everything is very easy for her and she fits in with us\u2026\u201d, said Baldini, who cut the conversation to prepare to tell a funny anecdote about her: \u201cIt was the first day of work. I had a lot of people that day. Deborah was used to the hairdresser being a bit slower but that day we had so many people. She came well dressed with her heels. She left and I told Omar, she’s not coming back. Because she left tired\u2026well\u2026the next day she came back.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Deborah was serving a client, she suddenly interrupted: \u201cAnd the next day, at six in the morning,\u201d she said with an air of pride, while releasing a laugh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hecheveria identifies as Latina. When asked what the words Afro-Latina, Latina, and Black meant to her, she answered using a phrase that sounded more like a specialty offered at a candy store or pastry shop: \u201cThey call me chocolate because I’m like chocolate. They tell me, \u201chey, you don’t speak English and you’re \u201cmorenita.\u2019\u201d I am from Cuba, in Cuba there are all colors, there is a mixture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, she is aware of how sensitive the issue of colorism and racism can be. It all depends on the situation and the way things are said. When asked about how she felt being called by those nicknames, she replied: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey call me Black woman for everything. Normal. It matters how they say it. I do not feel that they are discriminating against me for being Black. Black woman over here, Black woman over there, OK. But everything is OK. I don’t have a problem with my color,\u201d Hecheveria said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She says that people confuse her with being African-American, and that she doesn’t feel a connection to Afro-Latino culture or words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I am Latina. Although they confuse me with being an African-American, I am Latina,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She says that she would like to see the Latino community be more united. In addition to the Cuban beaches, she misses her friends and the sense of community and brotherhood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWith almost 18 years living in the U.S., Hecheveria continues to have a special affection for her homeland. She has traveled to Cuba to bring food and medicine for her family, especially with the effects of COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
La Cubana is preparing for her next trip to Cuba with her husband: \u201cThis time I think I’ll be there for a month. Because now we do go with time. I\u2019ll travel with my husband, I’ll go with more peace of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We conclude with me asking, if you could go back in a time machine, what advice would you give yourself? And Hecheveria replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI would have studied something else. Maybe the hairdresser but with more effort… but since I don’t know English that stops me a little. But anyway, everything can be done. What you have to do here is fight and get on with it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The sound of the dryer can be heard from the sidewalk as one approaches Omar and Cristian’s salon. The light enters through the windows and the reflections of passing cars are seen in the mirrors. La Cubana runs her fingers through a customer’s hair, \u201cdone?\u201d she asks. She finishes combing his hair, walks to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":51019,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[10,6077,14,19070],"coauthors":[18445],"class_list":["post-51068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-community","tag-cuban","tag-mission-district","tag-style","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n