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My Pre-Sojourn Research of Cuba

The way I group learning and understanding history has always been very American-centric. That’s not based in my own narcissism, it just happens that the world in general can be very American-centric. Because the United States is the world’s military powerhouse most of the media in the world is focused on us. In this fog of American-centrism it’s sometimes hard too hard to gain an understanding of other cultures. Every nation has its own culture but most of them now have the influences of current American culture, politics, and finance. Sometimes looking at other countries is like looking a mirror. An exception to this rule is Cuba; Cuba is one of the only countries in the western hemisphere to have had strict isolation from America.

  Cuba is an island-nation in the Caribbean, less than 100 miles south of Florida’s southern tip. Cuba occupies the largest island in the Caribbean, and with 11 million inhabitants it is the second most populated island in the Caribbean too.

             The island was populated by Taino Natives before they were subjugated by the Spanish conquistadores who showed up in 1492. The conquistadores later brought with them millions of enslaved Africans to burgeon a sugar-cane industry. Cultural and genetic miscegenation occurred from these three main groups of people on the Island. This pattern occurred in many nations throughout the hemisphere but Cuba is the best place to study the mix of these cultures because of Cuba became isolated from the west. From 1878 to 1899 revolts against Spanish rule occurred; resulting in the abolition of slavery and the establishment of an independent Cuba. Later, during World War II Cuba’s Castro Regime chose the side of the Soviet Union in the face of the USA. This resulted in the US prohibiting all Cuba-U.S. trade. The embargo, or ‘bloqueado’ as it is known in Spanish stymied political, economic, and cultural exchange between the US and even Latin America to marked degree. The current cultural and social landscape of Cuba reflects this isolated history.

 A result of Spanish influence, the main religion of Cuba is Roman Catholicism; however, syncretism has occurred with African religions. Syncretism is the combination of religions; Influences of African Yoruba traditions are heavy in Cuba’s catholic traditions. Santeria is an example of Cuba’s syncretic religions in which adherents consult babalawos for solutions to various problems (love, sex, luck, evil). Babalawos are common in Cuba: ritual experts who interpret the mysteries of an African Yoruba pantheon. Aside, African religions and rites themselves are practiced.  I’m particularly interested in Santeria; I plan to visit a babalawo to ask for herbal remedies to my illness. I’m skeptical of many new herbal remedies I’ve read online but out of desperation I’ll have some faith in an expert who can mix an ancient-stlye elixir right in front of me.

 Many people come to Cuba to see the antique aura of the colorful buildings and cars. The embargo prevented Cuba form purchasing cars from nearby U.S. but importing cars was also discouraged by the fact that cars had to be imported with government approval and many countries wouldn’t sell cars to Cuba because they would face red-tape penalties with the U.S. Because the now defunct Soviet Union was their primary ally for a long time there are many soviet cars there too. Economic restrictions have made the maintenance of Antique cars owned before Cuba’s Socialist revolution basically the only option for the few Cubans who can afford cars.

 The colorful buildings are host to a people who are equally colorful—Cuban fashion is a bit more colorful than that of the US. This is especially so for women who often wear colorful dresses. My dream is to dance amongst the colorful people. Many dances such as Mambo, Cha-Cha, and Danzon originate in Cuba; Salsa music originated in the U.S. from Cuban influences.

 The cuisine of Cuba seems to me very similar to that which I experienced in Costa Rica; Staples such as rice and beans, plantains, and fresh fruits are abundant. Cuba has become famous for its namesake sandwich; the Cuban. In a Cuban bread is baked using extra lard or fat, then roasted pork, sliced ham, pickles and mustard layer each other in the compressed sandwich. I’m conflicted because according to the CDC I should only eat packed foods or hot-served foods in restaurants. That is disappointing because many say the most flavorful Cuban food experiences come from street-food vendors. I particularly wanted to try having a home-cooked meal with a Cuban family. It would surely contain ‘moros y cristianos’(rice and beans) and roasted pulled pork.  

 Cuba’s cold political conditions and meticulous government have preserved much of Cuba’s 1950’s antiquity, and pristine environment—I fear that as tension warm up between Cuba and the world trade will diminish both qualities. Brazil is currently working to build-up Cuba’s oil infrastructure; American developers are eager to build resorts on Cuba’s largely untouched coastlines. I instinctually want to denounce those actions, but at the same time I must consider if those advents will mean better life for the Cuban people. Currently, the average working Cuban makes between $30-$100 per month, this isn’t a lot in general but must be considered in the context that many living expenses such as health-care are government subsidized. Cuban citizens may attend any level of school in the nation without any out-of-pocket tuition costs—just book expenses and community service. Because of the accessibility of education, many Cubans become doctors. Doctors in Cuba don’t make much more money than their counterparts so they often expatriate to countries where their skills are more lucrative. Conversely, the cheap education in Cuba attracts students world-wide.

 Cuba is certainly becoming more accessible to us Yankees; after decades of being prohibited regular flights connect the U.S. and Cuba—but only since 2016. The possible transience of these newfound relations does give me pause. A lot of people don’t know that Cuban President Raul Castro has declared that he will step down in 2018 after his 5-year term. Some, with reason, doubt that he will step down; I worry what direction the country would go post-Castro. Tim Rogers, an American who travels to Cuba, expressed in one of his articles that, although the chance is slim, Americans may become targets of aggression by political dissidents. I was advised to avoid contentious situations, abstain from political discussion. I was surprised to learn that things in Cuba are actually not very cheap; transportation in particular seems expensive: a car rental may run ~70 CUC/ day. I must also consider that while 1 USD generally converts to 1 CUC a 10% fee exists to exchange between them.

 All in all, my sojourn to Cuba will be some of the most culturally enriching of my life; Cuba’s isolation from the US has made it an irreplaceable destination; the architecture, antique automobiles, pristinely conserved habitat, and Afro-Spanish-Native cultural mix is unique to Cuba. I hope you’ll check this blog regularly to read my report when I return!

 Materials Referenced:

 https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/cuba

 http://fusion.net/want-to-go-to-cuba-heres-what-its-like-to-be-a-yanqui-1793855889

 http://www.studentsabroad.com/handbook/strategies-to-reduce-risk.php?country=General

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Safety Risks of Going to Cuba