CUBAN TRANSITIONS

There’s perhaps no greater insignia of tourism than the camera. The stereotypical image of any tourist, regardless of country and culture, invariably includes a camera hanging from a neck or firmly grasped in hand. Today, the first thing we do upon arrival in a new country  – after we’ve located our luggage and potentially the […]

Read Full Post »

During our second stay in Havana I made a trip to the University of Havana with a few other students from the group to conduct interviews with students there about our research topics. It was the first time that I had entered the campus, though we had passed its towering staircase with the Alma Mater […]

Read Full Post »

The most interesting part about being in Cuba, by and large, was that after writing a thesis about tourism and Cuba in the 1990s, it was incredibly interesting to see how much research applied to the current situation in Cuba. Two certain themes come to mind when thinking of how my research applies to Cuba […]

Read Full Post »

When we visited Cuba, some of us had the opportunity to see a performance by the National Cuban Ballet. The performance of Copelia was spectacular. I am not a dancer. I am not a Cuban citizen. I am not of Cuban descent. Even though I am not any of these things, that does not mean […]

Read Full Post »

“…all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, […]

Read Full Post »

When the Revolutionary government took control of Cuba in 1959, an important part of their campaign to consolidate power was changing the way the population thought. This became especially important after 1961 when the Revolution was declared socialist, and the government made a concerted effort to move away from the pro-capitalist thought that was so […]

Read Full Post »

When today’s generation thinks Communism, we tend to think Soviet Russia. Grey streets, repressed people, cold wars, doomed planning. From our seats in high school history class, full of boredom and angst, we’re taught that the Communist system was a) Destined To Fail and b) Responsible for Plunging the World into the Longest Continuous State […]

Read Full Post »

I didn’t expect to leave this Cuba more confused than when I’d arrived, though I have, but it is important to note that for me this is in no way a negative conclusion. The reason behind my grandparents’ decision to send their two eldest sons to the United States through the Peter Pan Program in […]

Read Full Post »

On the morning of our first day in Cuba we gathered together in Old Havana to take a guided walking tour through the city’s historical center. Our guide opened proudly with a statement that we were standing in the middle of one of an area that the government had recently restored. It was one of […]

Read Full Post »

Prior to our trip to Cuba, we learned and were warned about the presence of jineteros on the island.  These Cubans were reportedly found in tourist areas offering various services, ranging from directions to the nearest bar to sexual favors, or simply asking for handouts.  Upon arriving in Cuba, I did indeed see many examples […]

Read Full Post »