Familia Schoening

I arrived in a hot Miami at 2pm in the afternoon. After lugging my equipment to the rental car office, I got the keys to my classy Dodge Neon and hit the road. South. My mother told me to pay attention because "Miami is a confusing place and people drive like they are in Latin America." This is true and perhaps Miami should just secede from the union and get it over with. This is Latin America.... drivers and all. I actually really like Miami. Everytime I come here I feel more comfortable....and kind of into the whole scene. It definitely is a scene, though (at least in some neighborhoods).

On to what you really want to read about: The Schoenings. Ricardo (AKA Dicky) and his wife Betty welcomed me into their beautiful home in the Kendall area of Miami. I fell in love with one of their dogs (later I would find out that they had four total and one extra dog in El Salvador). The house reminded me of homes I had visited before....beautiful plants, many pictures, interesting art, and many hints of a prior life in El Salvador. I was early and took some the downtime to think about the interview. The lovely thing about this Florida visit is that I really don't know most of these people well. I've heard about them by name but could not pick them out of any Bar Mitzvah crowd. Same with Dicky and Betty--this would be our first meeting. A few moments later, Dicky comes in with a booming voice and big hug. We sit down and soon Betty joins.....we are all finally together after so many emails. I am thrilled. We chat for about half an hour and then I start setting up. The oral history begins a few minutes later.

The Schoenings are an interesting family. They are of German descent and Dicky along with his two siblings were born in El Salvador. He loved his childhood in El Salvador and was proud to be a part of one of the first classes at the newly created American School/Escuela Americana. Even so, he remembered that his first lessons about diversity happed in high school-in the United States. Along with many other young people in El Salvador, Dicky was sent to the States for high school since the American School only went up to the tenth grade. He was in Massachusetts, my mother in Vermont, etc.

After two years at the University of Rochester, Dicky decided to go back to Salvador. The business was waiting for him and he had enough of school and the US. Luckily, it didn't take him too long to meet his Betty. I only heard hints of Betty's history but will have sufficient time to sit down with her on Thursday. Her story appears fascinating yet complex.

What I found most fascinating about Dicky is his connection to Germany. Unlike other individuals with whom I have spoken, Dicky feels nothing but warmth for Germany. He has many German friends, visits often, etc. This seems to be a generational issue because others (namely older community members) still hold a good amount of resentment towards Deutschland. The Holocaust isn't that far away for them....nor will it ever be. Sometimes that transferred on to their children. Sometimes it didn't (hence the example of Dicky).

It was refreshing to hear his perspective but then again, the Schoenings were lucky enough not to lose anyone in the war.

A good 2 hours of oral history continued and then I was invited to stay for dinner....pupusas and all. Mil gracias to the familia for their time, generosity, and hospitality.

On to Brickell Avenue tomorrow.