March 22, 2016 will be a momentous day, not only in politics but also in the sports world. Cuban-American relations have grown, and for the first time since 1923 a sitting President is going to be in the country of Cuba. Cuba and the United States have shared a strained and often nonexistent relationship with each other since the embargo of 1960. President Barack Obama is making several leaps and bounds to restore diplomatic ties with Cuba. This is not all that the two nations will be doing today, however, as both nations also share a common interest: baseball. It is apropos for these two nations to bond and compete over this sport. For the first time in the 21st century, we will see a Major League Baseball team playing in Havana. Truly, this is a historic moment that will live on for generations. It is a universal truth that sports bring people from uncommon backgrounds together and hopefully through sports better relations can be obtained.
This day, for all of its feel-good stories, is still bittersweet. For Americans, this change of heart in relations will prove to be beneficial economically and socially, as Americans will be able to freely travel to Cuba. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy with the restoration of relations. Cuban defectors have been very blunt about their weariness of the Cuban government. Let’s be mindful that the regime that the United States embargoed over half a century ago is still in place. Cubans who have been exiled or who fled from Cuba to seek a better life are adamantly disagreeing with Cuban-American relations. ESPN analyst and personality Dan Le Batard spoke up about his dismay as he explained the troubles that his family endured when trying to defect from Cuba. His story is just one that was heard today, as many Cuban-Americans have at one point or another been oppressed by the Cuban regime that has reigned for more than half a century; their message is one of remembrance.
Americans and Cubans alike should celebrate this occasion and should also enjoy the spectacle of baseball today, but both nations should remember that there is still a long way to go. Optimistically, this is one giant leap toward a better future for both of these nations.