Photo: Alberto Rodriguez/E!/Getty
Jeff Bezospaid tribute to his father Miguel Bezos at the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Awards.
On Thursday, the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation shareda videoof theAmazon founder, 58, opening up about his father’s experience as Cuban immigrant in America during the awards ceremony.
“Every immigrant who has come to this country, they all have their own unique stories. Fighting for a better life, hardships but they also end up having a belief in America,” he shares in the video. “They think this place creates opportunity and it does.”
“That’s certainly the story of my dad. He came from Santiago, Cuba. He was 16. He spoke no English, he had to make his way. He had those tough experiences. I think in every immigrant you’ll find a deep optimism and a deep resilience too,” he continues. “My dad is an intense hard worker. My dad is warm and he teaches an easy smile.”
As he tears up, Jeff says he and his siblings “not have had a better role model.”
“We celebrated Miguel’s incredible life story and his passion for education,” the post read.
In 2000, Miguel and his wife Jackie co-founded the Bezos Family Foundation which promotes education and positive learning environments for children throughout the U.S. after a 32-year career in Exxon Mobil, according to the post.
In 2019, Miguel shared more about his experience as a Cuban immigrant in an interview withAmazon.
His parents sent him to America to find a better life in the wake of Fidel Castro’s rise to power, according to the video.
“My parents were not allowed to go into the airport with me, so they dropped me off,” he shares. “I got on an airplane and landed in Miami 45 minutes later.”
Miguel moved to Wilmington, Delaware to attend high school after living in a refugee camp in Florida.
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Jeff adds in the video that he was proud of his father.
“He had an enormous amount of grit and determination, but he also had incredibly kind and supportive people to help guide him along the way,” he says. “My dad’s story really shows that people help each other.”
source: people.com
