11/23/2005 - Two families meet after 32 years of friendship
What can a US family from the small town of Luverne, Minnesota, have in common with a family from Asunción, Paraguay? It is not the language, that’s for sure. It could perhaps be the celebration of their 50th Wedding Anniversary, which they both share this year. But the key to their relationship actually goes back to 1974 when the young 17-year-old Francisco “Tachi” Cazal of Paraguay received a scholarship from AFS, the not-for-profit organization with international offices in New York, of which he is now President. The actual encounter between his adoptive and biological families took place after 32 years of friendship.
Darell Siebert (70) and Eleonor Siebert (72), the couple who hosted “Tachi” Cazal in the United States, arrived to Asunción on Wednesday. Their arrival was a day behind schedule due to Hurricane Wilma, which caused the cancellation of 2,000 flights in Miami and forced the passengers to make several trying stopovers.
The first thing the couple did was to meet Pedro Cazal (88) and “Doña” Rosa Miniotis (78), who last night celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary giving a large feast. “We also celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary on May 6,” comment the Sieberts, “but it was a more intimate affair.”
Three decades ago, the Paraguayan family sent one of its children to study to the United States and live with a family who adopted him for that year. While there, he gained three more siblings: Alan, Emy and Ann. Although both parent families did not meet until last week, from that time on they developed a strong friendship and a close relationship.
THE GREAT “MEETING DAY”
“I feel a strong satisfaction at having sent my son Francisco to study there. It was the right decision. After he left, Jorge also went,” says Pedro proudly. Darell replies, “I admire them because they had the courage to entrust their son to a family they didn’t know in a country they didn’t know either during a time where communication was difficult.”
On Thursday night, the visitors received their initiation to the culture by meeting all of their adoptive son’s relatives. By saying that the event evoked scenes from the movie “My Great Fat Big Wedding,” we are not striding too far from reality. “Tachi” Cazal’s mother is actually the daughter of a Greek father and an Arab mother who immigrated to Paraguay. “What surprised us the most is people’s hospitality and the warmth of those present,” says Mr. Siebert, who assured us that, regardless of the language barrier, “were able to communicate perfectly well because not everything is based on spoken language.”
“And we’re happy because we have a doctor and a nurse in the house,” jest the Cazals, referring to their retired visitors’ professions.
REVERSED ROLES
For “Tachi” Cazal the evening brings back memories of an unforgettable part of his life. For him it is as if the Sieberts were undergoing what he himself experienced decades ago when he just arrived to the States. “The anxiety of wanting to communicate with others, constantly consulting the dictionary and making hand signals, depending on translations…all of this takes me back to the past,” says Francisco. Dr. Darell illustrates Francisco’s comments with an anecdote. “He used to nod his head to everything we said to him. After two weeks, we realized he didn’t understand almost anything we were saying. It’s the same now that we don’t understand Spanish.”
While Francisco’s Paraguayan parents witnessed his first steps in life, his North American counterparts also witnessed Francisco’s first steps as a teenager. They even witnessed when he saw snow for the first time and tossed himself in it.
LETTERS AND MORE LETTERS
Back then, there was no e-mail or cell phones. Tachi had to stay in touch with his biological parents via letters, which would take two weeks to reach them. Communication was difficult and very expensive. For a whole year, he was only able to speak with his parents on two occasions, one on Christmas and the other on his birthday.
“I would suffer very much at being away from my son, but then we had the great satisfaction of seeing how well he did for himself,” says Doña Rosa.
For the father, the impact was less strong than for Francisco’s mother, as he had always wanted for his sons to travel to other countries and progress in life. “I had the chance to visit other countries that I thought would be more backward than ours, but I learnt that we were the backward ones. That’s why I wanted my children to travel,” notes Don Pedro Cazal, former Technical Director of the National Female Basketball team of Ciudad Nueva (Club Guaraní).
THE ONLY SCHOLARSHIP
Tachi Cazal was the only scholarship recipient from AFS hosted by the Siebert family. A few years later, after finishing his studies, Tachi always kept in touch with those who welcomed him in their home. “He never forgets the holidays or the birthdays. We have developed a strong relationship,” says Dr. Siebert while complimenting Tachi for his humility, nobility and great heart.
For the actual president of AFS International, the meeting between his two families again brings back the memories of very special moments in his own life, because “the confluence of two totally different worlds is a very powerful experience.”
In the photo: (L to R) Pedro Cazal, Rosa Miniotis, Eleonor Siebert, Darell Siebert and Tachi Cazal. Reprinted with permission from the ABC Color, Asuncion, Paraguay, October 30, 2005.
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