From humble beginnings as a Cuban exile, attorney now guides Miami law firm
Florida attorney Jacqueline Calderín has a piano in her living room that her parents bought for her when she was 7. That second-hand piano — purchased on layaway — is a reminder of her parents’ sacrifices, their commitment to education, and of the family’s odyssey as Cuban exiles.
Calderín’s parents left Cuba when she was only a year old and her sister was a mere 40 days. The young family was among thousands of middle-class Cubans from 1965 to 1973 who uprooted their lives to board “Freedom Flights” to Miami.
“We left thinking we were going into exile, which is different than a lot of immigration to the United States,” says Calderín, who is passionate about a history she says few people outside of the Cuban-American community know. “Our families really believed we were going back at some point.”
In Miami, her parents were forced to rebuild their lives from virtually nothing. A diamond cutter before the Cuban Revolution, Calderín’s father found factory work, as did her mother, who had studied business back in Cuba. Her parents were determined to preserve their language and culture for their children, which is why Calderín remains fully literate in Spanish, her first language.
“It was very important to them that we be well educated and rounded,” says Calderín. “My mom and dad worked in a factory, but we had piano lessons and we went to cotillion and we had etiquette classes.”
There was little money for “extra” things, but Calderín remembers vacations in the family Chevy Impala.
“We never knew that we were poor,” she says. “We never felt it.”
Her family’s experience as exiles and later as immigrants is a foundational block of Calderín’s identity and acted as a foundry for her future values, both personal and professional.
While drawn to the performing arts in high school, Calderín knew she was expected to pursue a career that her parents would view as practical and stable. Her sister became a teacher. Calderín took three years of pre-med at Barry University on a science scholarship before realizing medicine was not her calling and transferring to Florida International University where she majored in English and Spanish Literature.
“As much as I wanted to be a doctor in my mind, I think I was trying to let my dad live vicariously through me because he always said he should have gone to medical school,” she says.
After earning her degree, Calderín gave some consideration to applying to a few MFA programs, but at that point she was newly divorced and the young mother of two daughters and she decided she needed to find a more reliable career path.
“When you have kids, you grow up overnight,” she says. “Everything you do from the moment they’re born, every decision you make is fashioned around how is my decision going to impact my children.”
She knew she was a good writer and had always been able to argue her way out of anything. She took the LSAT on a whim, she says, but it proved a smart decision. At the age of 29 and with two small children, Calderín enrolled at the University of Miami School of Law.
Calderín’s parents left Cuba when she was only a year old and her sister was a mere 40 days. The young family was among thousands of middle-class Cubans from 1965 to 1973 who uprooted their lives to board “Freedom Flights” to Miami.
“We left thinking we were going into exile, which is different than a lot of immigration to the United States,” says Calderín, who is passionate about a history she says few people outside of the Cuban-American community know. “Our families really believed we were going back at some point.”
In Miami, her parents were forced to rebuild their lives from virtually nothing. A diamond cutter before the Cuban Revolution, Calderín’s father found factory work, as did her mother, who had studied business back in Cuba. Her parents were determined to preserve their language and culture for their children, which is why Calderín remains fully literate in Spanish, her first language.
“It was very important to them that we be well educated and rounded,” says Calderín. “My mom and dad worked in a factory, but we had piano lessons and we went to cotillion and we had etiquette classes.”
There was little money for “extra” things, but Calderín remembers vacations in the family Chevy Impala.
“We never knew that we were poor,” she says. “We never felt it.”
Her family’s experience as exiles and later as immigrants is a foundational block of Calderín’s identity and acted as a foundry for her future values, both personal and professional.
While drawn to the performing arts in high school, Calderín knew she was expected to pursue a career that her parents would view as practical and stable. Her sister became a teacher. Calderín took three years of pre-med at Barry University on a science scholarship before realizing medicine was not her calling and transferring to Florida International University where she majored in English and Spanish Literature.
“As much as I wanted to be a doctor in my mind, I think I was trying to let my dad live vicariously through me because he always said he should have gone to medical school,” she says.
After earning her degree, Calderín gave some consideration to applying to a few MFA programs, but at that point she was newly divorced and the young mother of two daughters and she decided she needed to find a more reliable career path.
“When you have kids, you grow up overnight,” she says. “Everything you do from the moment they’re born, every decision you make is fashioned around how is my decision going to impact my children.”
She knew she was a good writer and had always been able to argue her way out of anything. She took the LSAT on a whim, she says, but it proved a smart decision. At the age of 29 and with two small children, Calderín enrolled at the University of Miami School of Law.
Denise Shafer
International Society of Primerus Law Firms™, Ada, Michigan
International Society of Primerus Law Firms™, Ada, Michigan
What is your position with Primerus™, how long have you been with the organization, and what can members and clients come to you for?
I have only been with Primerus for a few weeks and am the new Member Services Coordinator. I will be working closely with the Primerus Personal Injury Institute members, as well as member organization such as the Marketing Partners and Staff Section and the Women Lawyers Section. I am eager to jump in!
I have only been with Primerus for a few weeks and am the new Member Services Coordinator. I will be working closely with the Primerus Personal Injury Institute members, as well as member organization such as the Marketing Partners and Staff Section and the Women Lawyers Section. I am eager to jump in!
Cocktails & Conversation
Thursday, July 13th, 2023 at 4pm EDT
Leadership Qualities: Empowering Your Team to be Successful
Chase Victorson
Association of Corporate Counsel International Legal Affairs Network, New York, New York
Thursday, July 13th, 2023 at 4pm EDT
Leadership Qualities: Empowering Your Team to be Successful
Chase Victorson
Association of Corporate Counsel International Legal Affairs Network, New York, New York
Coffee & Conversation
Monday, July 17th, 2023 at 10am EDT
The New Faces of Primerus
Robin Lewis
International Society of Primerus™ Law Firms, Ada, Michigan
Monday, July 17th, 2023 at 10am EDT
The New Faces of Primerus
Robin Lewis
International Society of Primerus™ Law Firms, Ada, Michigan
If you are interested in being featured in a future edition of the Primerus™ Weekly, please contact Katie Bundyra at kbundyra@primerus.com.
Socializing matters and can greatly improve your health in the long run
Loneliness is more than just a feeling and can lead to severe health consequences, including anxiety, depression, heart disease, dementia, and stroke.
In a recent public statement titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community,” Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy calls for attention to the loneliness epidemic as an urgent public health issue in the United States and provides recommendations for how to address it. According to the advisory, approximately half of U.S. adults report experiencing loneliness, with some of the highest rates among young adults.
By nature, humans are social beings and loneliness can stem from the lack of social interaction and connection, according to medical experts. There are several factors and habits preventing individuals from taking more time to socialize. Social media, texting, and remote meetings do not satisfy biological socializing needs nor prevent the risk of loneliness. It is important to be intentional in allocating and devoting sufficient time to in-person interaction and socialization with family and friends.
Remember, as members of Primerus, we are not participating in a passive referral organization, as we are all part of a global society of law firms. Primerus encourages the development of relationships, offering a platform to make meaningful friendships while promoting professional networking opportunities. Socializing through Primerus programs and attending in-person events can contribute to individual health improvement, offering a guardrail to experiencing the plague of loneliness in society.
In a recent public statement titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community,” Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy calls for attention to the loneliness epidemic as an urgent public health issue in the United States and provides recommendations for how to address it. According to the advisory, approximately half of U.S. adults report experiencing loneliness, with some of the highest rates among young adults.
By nature, humans are social beings and loneliness can stem from the lack of social interaction and connection, according to medical experts. There are several factors and habits preventing individuals from taking more time to socialize. Social media, texting, and remote meetings do not satisfy biological socializing needs nor prevent the risk of loneliness. It is important to be intentional in allocating and devoting sufficient time to in-person interaction and socialization with family and friends.
Remember, as members of Primerus, we are not participating in a passive referral organization, as we are all part of a global society of law firms. Primerus encourages the development of relationships, offering a platform to make meaningful friendships while promoting professional networking opportunities. Socializing through Primerus programs and attending in-person events can contribute to individual health improvement, offering a guardrail to experiencing the plague of loneliness in society.
This Wellness Tip was brought to you by the Quality of Life Subcommittee of the Primerus™ Quality Assurance Board and Featured Contributor Nicole Quintana. We also welcome your tips, which can be submitted to Paige Neirman at pneirman@primerus.com for publication consideration.
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