The Portela Family

“I am always proud to be considered a true Key Rat!”

by Rafael & Carolina Portela

Our family arrived in the United States from Cuba in 1960. That same year, my maternal grandfather was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and he was given the choice of treatment vs. a better quality of life for a shorter period of time. He chose the latter. He asked my mother to go to Miami to find a place that reminded her of Cuba so he could live the remainder of his life in the United States. My mother came to Miami and a realtor showed her many areas of the city, and last they showed her Key Biscayne. The realtor prefaced her statements about the Key by saying it was an island full of mosquitos, frogs and snakes, and even had a drawbridge! And on top of it all, flooding was a huge problem! How could she ever have imagined it would become our home for the next 60 years?

Our parents rented a three-bedroom, one-bathroom Mackle home where I grew up with my four younger brothers: Carlos (deceased), Jorge (deceased), Juan, “Pany” and Fernando, “Chimy.” We grew up with a very large group of friends. No matter what group you belonged to, you would ride around together on your Schwinn Stingray bicycles and go to the beach, zoo or each other’s houses and enjoy the freedom on the Key. It was very similar to what we have now.

We all attended the Key Biscayne Community School and later Coral Gables Senior High. Those years were spent enjoying the Key Biscayne Yacht Club, skiing along the mangroves, visiting the Key Biscayne Beach Club and Crandon’s Cabana Beach, going to the 4th of July Parade and taking the “B” bus to see the Fun Show at the Olympia Theater in downtown Miami.

We went from being a place that was not known to many people to one that was on the nightly news on a daily basis. Our parents were instrumental in allowing us to participate in the many activities that were offered on the Key. We can say we were part of the first group of kids who played soccer for the Key Biscayne Athletic Club. I remember clearly Mr. Ralph Foster single-handedly created the best athletic club a kid could ask for. We held our own against just about everyone except maybe Miami Shores and Cutler Ridge. We definitely always had a great time.

Now look at the youth athletic program on the Key! Although the numbers are greater, the human interactions and friendships created through sports are still the same. We all must get along! Teammates will always be teammates.

The early years remind me a lot of what is going on in Key Biscayne at the present time. Strangers come together because of political unrest in their own countries and instantly become Key Rats. The diversity on this island is what entices so many people to make it their home.