College Football National Championship is the result of a Miami immigrant story | Opinion

Enjoy the game

The College Football National Championship comes to Hard Rock Stadium Monday night and the two teams playing are an Only in Miami story, as the University of Miami Hurricanes face the Indiana University Hoosiers.

Miami is coached by Mario Cristobal, a Cuban American and Christopher Columbus High School graduate.

Indiana is led by quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, also Cuban American and Columbus High grad.

I’m also Cuban American and Columbus grad, as is Mendoza’s father and maternal grandfather. Additionally, we’re related through the Kindelan family. My maternal grandfather, Juan Kindelan, a Cuban resident, played football at Yale University.

Columbus High and the University of Miami gave newly arrived Cubans in the 1960s an opportunity to earn a great education.

As a college football fan and close follower of the sport, I have not read any story like this in the game’s 155-year history.

Leslie Pantin,

president,

Pantin/Beber Silverstein Public Relations,

Coral Gables

Trump’s overreach

I had the honor and privilege of serving on the Miami branch of the Federal Reserve Board in the early 2000s. During my term, I gained an in-depth knowledge and appreciation for this outstanding organization, one dedicated to the highest level of integrity, independence of political interference and preserving the long-term economic health of the United States.

On Jan. 9, the Justice Department initiated a criminal investigation, directly challenging the central bank’s ability to operate free of political control. President Trump’s pressure or attempt to control the Federal Reserve should concern every American, regardless of political party. The Fed’s independence is not just a technical detail — it is a cornerstone of economic stability.

When monetary policy is bent to serve short-term political goals, history has shown the results can be disastrous: inflation, market instability and the loss of global confidence in the U.S. economy.

Protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political manipulation is a bedrock principle of our democracy — and definitely in the best interest of the American people.

Brian E. Keeley,

former member,

Miami Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

An American story

As South Florida and the nation fixate on the spectacle and stakes of an NCAA football championship, it’s worth pausing — briefly — to notice a deeper story.

Indiana Hoosiers’ quarterback Fernando Mendoza is not just an athlete; he is a clear example of what happens when the descendants of immigrants are given real opportunity and judged by effort, discipline and results.

Mendoza’s roots trace to his Cuban-born grandparents, who came to this country with little more than resolve and values: faith in God, hard work, education and belief in responsibility over entitlement. His parents — American-born and raised in that same ethic — carried those values forward. They worked, sacrificed and invested in their child’s future.

There is nothing accidental about the outcome.

Excellence at this level is built on repetition, accountability, resilience and the ability to absorb pressure without excuses — the same traits that have defined immigrant success in America for generations.

This is the part of the immigration story that is too often lost; it’s not slogans, not abstractions, not politics. Just families who show up every day and climb. Win or lose, the moment matters.

Beyond the scoreboard is a reminder worth holding onto: America still works when it rewards effort, character and commitment, no matter your grandparents’ birthplace.

Julio Rumbaut,

Miramar

Whither Epstein?

What happened to the Justice Department’s probe into Jeffrey Epstein?

The president’s distractive acts have overshadowed the DOJ’s activities and their findings. Citizens need to know the truth of Trump’s horrendous events and crimes. Stop covering up for these criminals!

Robert Gish,

Edgewater

Matter of trust

The Jan. 11 story, “Miami agrees to hand the Tower Theater back to Miami Dade College,” was informative, however, there was no mention of the MDC and Freedom Tower controversy, which resulted in handing public land to Donald Trump at below market price. In the commercial market, the property was estimated at $250 million to $350 million.

Why then, should we trust that the same fate will not come to the Olympia Theatre, which was sold to SLAM (Sports Leadership Arts Management) in September for $10?

Why should we trust Miami Dade College this time?

Miami’s control of the city’s historical landmarks should never be relinquished to any extent, for any reason. If this transfer goes through, the deal must contain protections for the city, including taking back the theater for any breach of the transfer agreement.

Peter R. Evans,

Miami

Proxy echoes

Re: the Jan. 11 op-ed by Michel Hausmann, “I oppose Trump and still think Maduro belongs in prison.” I can understand celebrating Maduro’s removal, but everything about it was wrong.

Hausmann wrote that he is aware of President Trump’s motives. That it’s for oil and power without helping Venezuela move toward democracy. That alone makes Maduro’s removal all wrong.

Hausmann also wrote, “Maduro is not a misunderstood anti-imperialist icon. He is the head of a brutal dictatorship that destroyed the nation. His regime shut down the media, jailed people for their opinions, tortured dissidents, killed protesters and crushed peaceful resistance.”

Does Hausmann not see the similarities in the Trump administration?

Andrea Bamberg,

Fort Lauderdale

Diet deceit

Since the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs Dietary Goals for Americans recommended reduced meat consumption in 1977, the meat and dairy lobbies have battled nutritionists and other health professionals for the dietary soul of the American people. In the most recent reissue of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the meat and dairy lobbies have won, with the misguided support of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Scores of other scientific studies, involving thousands, have clearly established a strong association between consumption of meat and dairy products and elevated incidences of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain types of cancer since the 1977 report. No credible study has claimed the contrary.

Moreover, if Kennedy is concerned about processed foods, his touting of meat and dairy products is misplaced, as such products are plant foods that have been highly processed by the digestive tracts of pigs and cows.

Fortunately, the American public is much more informed and less likely to be deceived than in 1977. Today, every supermarket offers a rich variety of delightful, delicious, plant-based, eco-friendly main and side dishes, as well as milks, cheeses and ice creams. Most family restaurants and fast food franchises do as well.

Owen Abram,

Miami

Book talk reflection

In March 2025, I published a young adult, LGBTQ+, historical fiction novel, “Hollywood Pride.” To my astonishment, I was invited to last November’s Miami Book Fair. I gave my author talk (which I loved doing) on Nov. 22. The fair chose my title: “Friendship And A Fight Against Injustice,” applicable to many of today’s issues.

I struggle to pick a favorite moment. Maybe it was the empathic expressions in the audience, or when my moderator paused and held “Hollywood Pride” to her heart. Maybe it was the honor of speaking, during this Age of Banning Books, to support LGBTQ+. If I could have chosen any year to be a part of the Fair’s community, 2025 would have been it.

I’m deeply grateful to Miami Book Fair partners and organizers, authors and readers and to Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus, which hosted the event.

During this dangerous time in our country, when it’s often hard to find the light, this experience offered brightness and hope.

Amy Kaufman Burk,

Chapel Hill, NC