Well, here we are. We have arrived at the end of the semester! Congratulations on surviving until the last week!
For this week, I would like you to post 2-3 paragraphs reflecting on what you have learned about Cuba this semester. Think of structuring this as a mini-essay of sorts: you should have a clear point that you are making, and you should back up what you are saying with specific examples.
For example, you may wish to focus on matters like generational differences between Cuban-Americans, various waves of exiles, portrayal of Cuba in literature and/or film, problems and challenges in the current economy in Cuba, etc. The list of possibilities is, of course, nearly endless! Don't feel limited. Choose whatever you have found most interesting to focus on, but also give me an idea of the whole range of information you feel you have most gained from this course.
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Although Cuba may seem like a secluded society with the embargo emplace, a sense of cultural diffusion has been taking place for many decades. Some major cultural aspects that have been interchanged between the US and Cuba include music and heritage. What helps with this cultural diffusion is the fact that the US is only 100 miles away from this island and the US has had a long history of intervention with Cuban affairs.
Music is one of Cuba’s last forms of expression with out censorship. Due to the strict state that Cuba has been in and the tenacious grip the government has on practically all aspects of Cuban life, there is not much freedom of speech. However, the people have turned to music to express this oppression for the Cuban government and society with their indirect lyrics. Popular genres of music including hip-hop and rock have become well established in Cuba. These genres were met with a repulsive force as they were first introduced in Cuba. However, the younger generation seemed to be attracted by these new sounds. This popularity of the foreign music that was introduced to Cuba is evident from the movie seen in class about Cuban Hip-Hip.
Cubans had to forcefully leave their country because of their disapproval for new government. This caused a massive migration of Cubans to the US. Although Cubans were not allowed to bring with them much personal belongings, they brought with them a rich culture. This rich culture is highly evident in Florida and many other places where there are large amounts of Cuban people living. The movie, The Lost City directed by Andy Garcia depicts a family being torn apart because of the new government and the revolution they were implementing. The main character of the movie ends up leaving Cuba for a better life and struggling as a worker in a restaurant when he was once a famous club owner in Cuba. With this new wave of people migrating, the US had to account for this by providing more bilingual classes and more jobs. They have since than been integrated into society.
Despite the fact that the embargo is in place that prevents practically anything from the US entering Cuba and vise-versa, a lot of aspects of culture have been passed freely amongst the two countries. These aspects have further improved and enriched each other’s cultures.
Wow, the semester is almost over and I have learned an abundance of information about Cuba. I learned things from the 1959 Revolution to the current rule of Raul Castro. I think that this was very interesting and a wonderful time to be learning about Cuba. I thought this course was well structured and had many different ways to learn about Cuba. I am half Cuban and went into the class knowing very little, but now I feel like I have a strong base of knowledge in regards to Cuba.
When we first started the class I learned about the four waves of exiles that came to Miami in response to Fidel Castro and his Communist government. The people came in thousands and with an anti-sentiment for Cuba. These exiles came in hope that Fidel Castro would be killed and they would be able to return to their country. I really was able to see this from a first hand point of view in reading Perez-Firmat’s book, which portrayed the affects of assimilation in the U.S. After this I learned how Cuba and the U.S. would react to one another, thus leading to an embargo. All the history involved during this time really intrigued me, but I was more interested in contemporary Cuba. After learning about Fidel and his regime I began to feel lost and the assignment that caused this uncertainty was the Pro/Anti- Fidel debate (Torturas and FIDEL movie).
This left me wanting more and my favorite part of the class came around. Music and life in Cuba under Raul (being able to compare after knowing the history) were the aspects that intrigued me most. I enjoyed watching the movies, especially Habana Blues and The Lost City. During this time I was able to see the control of the government and their censorship on music. This was further exemplified through Habana Blues. I saw how music and family was a predominant role in Cuban culture no matter where one is located. This then brought us to Cuban Hip-Hop. I loved listening to the many Cuban groups and how they express themselves and their emotions through encrypted music. I also found it very interesting that older generations do not accept it as Cuban music and cannot relate. We then spoke about life in Cuba under Raul, where I gained much knowledge and kept up with current news under Cuba. I enjoyed learning about Raul’s new policies and reforms and whether or not they were sincere and a foreshadowing of a changing Communist state in Cuba. With this being said, I have been instilled with Cuban knowledge through films, books, and discussions that has led me to come in touch with my Cuban heritage.
I knew very little about Cuba before entering this class, but feel that I have now gained a good (but by no means comprehensive) understanding of various aspects of Cuban history, culture and politics. Additionally, I feel that this class has helped me to become a more proficient writer, something that will aid me in all subjects.
One of the aspects of the course I found most interesting was to hear the thoughts and opinions of the class’ Cuban American students. I feel that this often allowed me to see how the issues discussed actually affected real people, and gave a first hand view of just how diverse, passionate and contentious views on the present state of Cuba can be. I am really glad this class was a discussion-led seminar, as I feel these positive attributes would have been lost were it lecture-style. Overall, I gained much of my ideas and knowledge from listening to and talking with the other students, and feel that they always had unique, valid and interesting things to share.
Another aspect of the class I benefited from was the diverse ways in which information was presented and learning was conducted. Specifically, I enjoyed being exposed to the various books, handouts, movies, articles and music that was utilized throughout the semester. I feel this approach not only gave me a more complete and multidimensional picture of the various topics covered, but also mirrored the eclectic and colorful Cuban culture, full of pictures and vivid imagery. Additionally, the use of multimedia (most notably film) very successfully instilled in me the deep emotions stirred by some of the issues we studied. This had the effect of giving me a more personal understanding of these otherwise potentially difficult to grasp subjects (especially if one is not Cuban), and also made the studying more fun and interesting.
I benefited from a number of other parts of this course and the way in which it was taught. These two aspects, however, instilled in me something I would not have gained were it simply a lecture-style class with accompanying readings. Therefore, I feel they deserve special mention for helping to craft my now slightly more developed and mature view of present-day Cuba.
The communist rule and censorship that emerged with Fidel’s rule force individuals out of their home. Many Cuban’s migrated to the United States to await the end of his rule. The first to leave were the upper-class and the middle class followed suit not too long afterwards. What was initially a temporary solution became a permanent situation as Fidel continued his rule for over four decades. As a result exile, many Cubans express resentment towards Fidel and nostalgia for the livelihood they left behind. These sentiments create an interesting position for American born Cubans; the very existence of an American born Cuban exile is an interesting phenomenon (Firmat).
Cubans have been in exile for over four decades and of individuals continue to view themselves and their off-spring as exiles. At what point in time does an individual stop being an exile and become a citizen? Why the descents of exiles are considered exiles themselves when they have no relationship to the country? The most interesting question regarding this phenomenon is do these exiles intend on returning to Cuba after four decades of absence?
Gustavo Pérez-Firmat explained in his novel Next Year in Cuba, that there is no time associated it with exile. It is the experience that creates nostalgia and it is that nostalgia that fuels the existence of exile (Anna Menendez). The question that was not answered in either of these books however is whether or not these individuals still intend on returning to Cuba after Castro’s rule. This is particularly interesting because Fidel is no longer in office and Cubans have yet to migrate back to the island. The sad fact is if Cuban exiles do return ‘home,’ it will not be the home they left behind, which can produce more heart ache than healing.
New developments in music have greatly amazed me during the last few years. Throughout this semester, I have had the opportunity to learn more about the new music movements taking shape in Cuba. This was the most interesting aspect of the course, since I did not know a great deal about contemporary Cuban music.
Cuba has always, in spite of the embargo, been attracted to music and culture from abroad. Cuba's cultural influences are even foreign (Spanish and African) since most of Cuba's indigenous population died during the first century after the conquest. Following the Cuban Revolution, Cubans continued to enjoy foreign music such as the Beetles, the Eagles, ABBA and many other that became popular during the 1960s and 1970s.
Now, we are seeing a new movement in Cuba. This movement revolves around rock, hip hop, and rap. These music styles are becoming increasingly popular among the youth and are helping revolutionize Cuban music. They are also provided the youth with a way of expression their hopes, frustrations, and desires. Unlike, what happened with foreign music in the 1960s and 1970s, the Cuban government is now endorsing some of these musical movements as long as they conform to the official opinion of the state.
In class, we have been able to witness these changes through films like Havana Blues and through documentaries that depict Cuba's official as well as underground rap and hip hop movements. They have personally amazed me and shown me that Cuba is much more musically diverse than I originally imagined.
Coming into this course, the only ideas I had about Cuba were related to Communism and Fidel Castro. But, over the course of the semester the bitterness I felt toward the country because of its economic stance and relationship with the United States fell aside as I discovered Cuba had so much more substance and depth than I had previously thought. Many of the things I learned about Cuba came from the perspectives of Cuban-exiles. The dichotomy of wanting to go back to a place that you have left is very fascinating and overwhelming. The struggle that Cuban-exiles must go through to define their identity and decide which culture they should adopt is a trying experience that may or may not prevent the Cuban culture from evolving in America. In some ways Cuban exiles may want to stick to the old ways, so new elements of the Cuban culture like rap may not be accepted in America.
The struggle people within Cuba must face is another interesting element of the course. Cubans love their country, but most cannot stand the government. The constant stifling of opinion and lack of basic freedoms is posed against the beauty of the country, rich artistic and musical culture, intellectualism, and innate love that people have for their homeland. The struggle Cubans must face is endless, whether they are inside their country or in a foreign nation, there is no end to the problems that face the modern Cuban.
Cuba's struggles are much more complex than the image that is sometimes portrayed in the media. It is easy to view the island's problems from only the frame of communism vs capitalism, but this doesn't properly describe the country and it's issues. I think that this course did a very good job of viewing Cuba from the multitude of frames needed to understand it.
The two works of Cuban Literature, In Cuba I was a German Shepherd and Next Year in Cuba gave very enlightening views of exile and the Cuban government that are not often portrayed in the United States. In the US media, most opinions of Cuba are presented by US politicians who have no direct connection to the island. Reading the opinions of actual Cuban exiles gave a different perspective (that didn't necessarily disagree with what politicians might say about Cuba) that felt very authentic.
I thought that reading the blog posts from Generation Y was particularly useful. Also, the movies were very interesting. Fidel: The Untold Story was the first pro-Castro work I had seen in my life. although it was radically biased, hearing the perspective was educational. The Lost City (although it was fiction) provided a good representation of the revolution. I was glad to see that it made the atrocities of Batista as clear as those of Castro, making it much more balanced.
Cuban Americans today has done a very effective job at becoming productive individuals in the American society. Although essentially being forced out of Cuba due to its unfair laws and treatment of individuals, Cubans moved to their free neighboring country and attempted to convert to the American way of life. It was not easy for these people to start a whole new life, speak a new language and find new jobs, but they overcame the odds and became very successful for the most part.
Now that Raul Castro is in power, and providing new opportunities for his people, would any Cuban exiles ever consider returning to the land that destroyed their lives? Raul has given his people the opportunity to own land and other small items that we, in America, take for granted. If communism were to ever be extinct in Cuba, and the economy completely recovered, is it possible that Cuban Americans would call Cuba home again? I feel that if the people in Cuba were guaranteed freedom, they would return. If renovated, Cuba can easily become the tropical paradise that it once was. I would personally consider spending a few years in my parents homeland, if it were not the dump it is right now. I feel it has the potential to change and become a desirable home once a gain.
One of the most important points about Cuba I have learned with respect to exile is that Cubans foster a great deal of patriotism and nostalgia for their country. Whatever the political circumstances in Cuba, those living on the island and those in exile proudly claim their identity as Cubans. Leaving the island for a number of reasons, but mostly to escape the effects of the corrupt Cuban government, Cubans express their identity through the traditions and customs they bring with them. One important distinction is that Cubans in a new country, such as the United States, consider them exiles, not immigrants.
This claim leads to the nostalgia that the exiles feel for their native land. Gustavo Pérez Firmat’s Next Year in Cuba and Ana Menéndez’s In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd both share elements of nostalgia. The Cuban identity among Cuban Americans is clearly presented in these books. Furthermore, in a text not studied in class, Zoé Valdés’s essay, “Retrato de una infancia habanaviejera,” provides another example of the love that Cubans feel for their country. In this essay, the narrator confesses the pride she feels for being Cuban. While they may not necessarily agree with the actions of the Cuban government, the Cubans still hold a special place in their hearts for their native land.
In addition to the patriotism and Cuban identity, I have learned a considerable amount about Cuba. Ranging from colonial Cuban history to contemporary Cuba, I have studied a number of topics. Focusing on the Revolution and exile as a large part of the course, I learned much about Cuban American mentality. Recent events have prompted me to study current thought pertaining to Cuba, such as whether the U.S. embargo should be lifted. Overall, this class provided me with a great amount of insight into Cuba.
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