"Pam Sporn's documentary leaves us with a lump in the throat, but at the same time the satisfaction of seeing, for the first time, the other facet of the black Cuban who is still trapped in the conflicts of his/her Cuban identity, as if time had not moved."
- Pedro Perez Sarduy, Cuban poet, novelist and journalist
"An important documentary about one family's odyssey in overcoming migration, language difficulties, culture and personal tragedies, to settle in and prosper in the United States… [The film] tells the story of migration from an Afro-Cuban perspective, which is clearly at variance with the story of exile and nostalgia of white Cubans…"
- Linden Lewis, Bucknell University, Caribbean Studies Journal
"…we are witnesses to unique anecdotes because almost all other documentaries about Cuban immigration to the United States are about white Cubans who settled in Miami. Cuban Roots/Bronx Stories tells the story of black Cubans who participated in events in the United States like the Vietnam War. Pamela Sporn has created her documentary in a straightforward style. She is conscious of having a little explored history in her hands and therefore gives center stage to her storytellers."
- Pedro Noa, Diario del Festival
"I got a chance to see Pam Sporn’s moving documentary Cuban Roots/Bronx Stories at the 22nd Festival del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano in Havana in December 2000. From the first images of the breadfruit, the Cuban flag waving to the beat of the “son,” the Havana skyline rising behind the Malecón, and a family portrait, the director of the documentary prepares us for an impressionistic journey. We are filled with the nostalgia of a working class family of black Cubans who left Cuba in January of 1962, in the middle of the frenzied stampede caused by the US foreign policy. Throughout the documentary the director provides us with the context of US foreign and domestic policy, contrasting the viewpoints of each of the protagonists of the film with periods in contemporary North American history. Pam Sporn’s documentary leaves us with a lump in the throat, but at the same time the satisfaction of seeing, for the first time, the face of the black Cuban, who is still trapped in the conflicts of his/her Cuban identity, as if time had not moved."
- Pedro Pérez-Sarduy, Cuban poet, novelist, and journalist
"An important documentary about one family's odyssey in overcoming migration, language difficulties, culture and personal tragedies, to settle in and prosper in the United States… [The film] tells the story of migration from an Afro-Cuban perspective, which is clearly at variance with the story of exile and nostalgia of white Cubans…"
- Linden Lewis, Bucknell University, in Caribbean Studies Journal
“Where are you from?” is a typical question posed to Latinos in the United States. In the case of the Fosters the answer is complicated by multiple migrations---Africa, Jamaica, Cuba, New York--- and the major political and social events that marked their lives. Cuban Roots, Bronx Stories presents us with a historically contextualized and moving personal portrait of one family’s experiences, in which class, race, ethnicity and gender always play a role but result in different individual perspectives and choices. This film is an important and unique contribution to our understanding of Afro-Latino realities."
- Miriam Jiménez Román, afrolatin@ forum
"There’s great cinematography and wonderful portraits of a young Fidel Castro, depictions of the eastern Cuban countryside, and great stories of siblings who grew up in the ‘60s. …A rich cinematic experience."
- Wanda Sabir, San Francisco BAY VIEW
"Cuban Roots/Bronx Stories has been an invaluable resource for teaching Cuban history. My students always mark it as one of the most eye-opening resources of the semester. I will be teaching it for a long time!"
- Devyn Spence Benson, Ph.D, Africana Studies Department, Davidson College
