WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara has a tough challenge ahead of him, as he prepares to lock horns with former two-division champion Danny Garcia in the coming weekend. This has renewed fans’ interest in ‘The American Dream,’ especially his ethnicity, nationality, origins, and the adversity-filled journey that defined his success in the sport.

Lara and Garcia will clash for Lara’s WBA middleweight title on September 14th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, as part of the undercard for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga event. But before the bout, let’s take a moment to revisit the 41-year-old’s roots in his home country and how it molded him into the fighter he is today.

Where was Erislandy Lara born? Early life, ethnicity, and parents

Given the heights Erislandy Lara has reached in his career, his childhood played a pivotal role in shaping his path to success. Lara was born on April 11, 1983, in Guantánamo, Cuba, a country known for having the sport of boxing deeply embedded in its culture. As if it was destiny, Lara found himself drawn to the sport from an early age.

However, even at an early age, Lara met challenges typical of living in Cuba, where opportunity was scarce and resources were nowhere to be seen. Despite these challenges, Lara showed remarkable resilience, and his talent in boxing was apparent, which helped him quickly rise through the ranks of the Cuban amateur boxing scene. 

Ethnically, the 41-year-old is an Afro-Cuban descent, which perfectly reflects the rich cultural diversity of Cuba and the people living within it. Growing up, Lara never met his father, while his mother, Marisol, mostly spent her days in a drunken stupor. However, his grandmother, Silva, had taken up that role while raising him and his younger sister. All this while juggling a full-time job as a short-order cook. Unfortunately, she passed away when Lara was just eleven. Years later, he would take huge risks to leave behind his life in Cuba and start a new one in the States. 

Erislandy Lara’s defection attempts

Lara’s drive to get a better life was so strong he attempted to defect from his country not once, but twice. His talent in the sport of boxing saw him rise to become the captain of Cuba’s national boxing team. This was key in his first attempt to leave his country of Cuba, but unfortunately, Lara failed and had to plot another plan. 

In July 2007, the Pan American Games were being held in Brazil—this is when Lara, alongside his fellow boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux, first tried to defect from the country. They were promptly captured and returned to Cuba, but it got even worse. They were banned from boxing in the country and labeled deserters. 

However, this setback wasn’t going to stop Lara from achieving his dream, and he remained determined. In early 2008, Lara was ready for a second attempt to escape the country. He embarked on a dangerous journey across the shark-infested waters of the Yucatan Channel. Despite the dangers involved in such an undertaking, this was a difficult decision for Lara, as he had to leave behind his mother, sister, and two sons back in Cuba. 

He eventually reached Cancun, Mexico, and was then transported to Hamburg, Germany, where he signed a promotional deal with Ahmet Öner, who had arranged for Lara’s perilous journey to the country. He would later move to America after some success in the professional ranks and currently lives in Huston. 

Lara’s defection from Cuba might simply seem like a pursuit of a better life and opportunities, but in reality, it was a leap toward realizing his dreams, which could have gone horribly wrong. His entire journey is a testament to his resilience and determination, which has also made him the champion he is today.

What is Erislandy Lara’s nationality now?

After long last and countless adversities, Erislandy Lara achieved what he set out to do in his first attempt at defection from Cuba. After starting his professional boxing journey in Germany, he moved to the States in 2008. However, it would take close to a decade for him to get citizenship in the country. 

It’s a long time, but it did happen in February 2017, when he and his wife Yudi Lara became official American citizens. While reflecting on realizing his dream and the adversities, he stated, “When I arrived in the United States in 2008, my main goal was to become a citizen of this great nation.” He could not hold his joy, having suffered countless obstacles in his path. 

“It brings me great joy to know that I am now a legal citizen of the United States of America,” he said. He described the process of becoming a U.S. citizen as “the biggest fight I’ve been in,” highlighting the significance of this achievement in his life. Over the years, Lara has been naturalized to the country and the lifestyle. 

He continued, “Living here in the States has been a tremendous blessing to me and my family.” His citizenship reflects both his personal triumph and the pivotal role the U.S. has played in his boxing career.

Who would have thought a kid with nothing to his name in Cuba would start a journey that would land him at the peak of boxing brilliance? Others might not have, but Erislandy Lara—he knew it all along. What did you think about Lara’s journey?