A member of Country Fox Music has shared a long-standing and cherished friendship with two brothers whose remarkable story began in Cuba. As young teenagers, they became part of the exodus of Cuban children who came to the United States following Fidel Castro’s rise to power and the establishment of Communist rule in Cuba.
Their story is one of fear and uncertainty, of a family faced with an extraordinarily difficult decision, of separation that lasted for years, and ultimately of reunion. The two young brothers who left Cuba eventually built new lives in the United States, becoming proud and valued Cuban-American citizens.
Their journey was part of what became known as Operation Pedro Pan, which brought more than 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban children to the United States between 1960 and 1962. Their parents sent them away amid growing fears about what Communist rule could mean for their children and their families.
The story of Operation Pedro Pan has been told before, including through music, but it remains unfamiliar to many people. Country Fox Music believed the story of these two brothers deserved to be told—not simply as a story of history, but as a deeply personal story of family, sacrifice, separation, reunion, and the value of freedom.
"Dos Hermanos" is our effort to honor their journey and to share their story with a new generation.
LYRICS
In Sagua la Grande where the warm winds blow
We were just two young boys, didn't want to let go
Shadows grew longer under Communist rule
Freedom felt distant like a life we once knew
Mami held my hand, said, You must be strong
But I saw goodbye in her eyes all along
Mijo tienes que irte, para poder vivir
I was the first one I had to go
Duffel bag only all I could hold
Soldiers standin' voices cold
Called us "worms like we had no soul
Boarded that plane, I walked away
My younger brother didn't know what to say
Papi said, He'll be alright
But that house fell silent every night
Back in Cuba I waited my turn
Watched the months pass felt the burn
Dreamed of the day I'd see your face
Leave this island find my place
Suitcase packed just clothes and hope
Held onto faith that helped me cope
Ahora era mi tiempo it was my time to go
No money no English just faith to stand
In a world we didn't understand
But love held strong through every fear
And carried us through year by year
We never lost faith
Dos hermanos one answered prayer
Now together in a land we share
All those miles and the pain we hid
Never kept us from the life we lived
No money, no English but hearts that fight
Turned long dark days into somethin' bright
Yeah love held on never let go
Brought us back to a life we know
We found our way in a foreign land
Didn't know a soul didn't understand
Every night we'd say your names
Mami and Papi through the pain
Different roads same heartbeat
God brought us back so we could meet
Cada día más cerca
We were just boys tryin' to be brave
Strangers gave us loving places to stay
Taught us words we still use today
I held on to the thought of you
Believed somehow I'd make it through
We worked and learned we found our way
Prayed for one chance every day
We turned nothin' into somethin' strong
Held onto hope all along
Con fe y con fuerza seguimos los dos
Duffel bag a suitcase and hopeful hearts
Our new life was built on faith and a brand new start
Years of prayin' finally came true
When Mami and Papi came here too
From Sagua's streets to a brand new dream
Through tears and time in between
Yeah love held strong never let go
That's how two boys found their home
Al fin juntos gracias a Dios
Now we are Americans, side by side
Some we left and some who cried
Two young boys with nothin' to their name
Who crossed the Straits and forever changed
Nunca estuvimos solos