CUBAN TRANSITIONS

In one of her recent posts on the blog Generation Y, Yoani Sanchéz describes Avenida Quinta, or 5^th Avenue, in Havana, a street deemed “Avenue of the Americas” on which there is a consistent stream of joggers, pet-walkers, and other leisurely pedestrians. Sanchéz explains a typical scenario of one well-to-do after another passing by and chatting with familiar faces – A retired colonel and a new corporation manager, an official’s daughter and an actress just back from Europe, as well as a poet and his “purebread dog”. She describes the scene before her as a rarity, “and not because such urban beauty is scarce on this island.” Rather, it is a unique for Cuba because the people on Avenida Quinta are engaging in activities exclusively for pleasure, exuding signs of opulence and carelessness not evident elsewhere in Cuba:

“There is a touch of comfort in them, an attention to their bodies and attire, a tranquility derived from the lack of daily annoyances. They are like some caricature of the bourgeoisie that official discourse tried to make us hate from the time we were little.”

After discussing the concept of “space” in our class within several different contexts – racially segregated neighborhoods, spaces for homosexuals, jineteras and designated tourist spaces – I think it is interesting to look at this street as a space designated for the wealthy, or more specifically for the leisure of the wealthy.

(This video takes us on a long – and slightly dizzying – tour of Havana’s 5th Avenue)

The concept of a space for the wealthy reminds me of the the representation of status inequalities within the film Habanastation. We see how off putting it is for Mayito, coming from a wealthy background, to enter the space of Carlos’s more impoverished community, and we see from the terrified reactions of his teacher and parents that it is indeed not standard to venture into such neighborhoods, even though it is where one of his classmates lives. The film also portrays the way Mayito is unwilling to invite Carlos into his “space,” saying he is not allowed to host strangers in his home.

Although this might just be because Mayito is arrogant and naive (before his charming transformation), it is clear that there are distinct spaces that different social strata occupy exclusively. Although this is true in many countries, it was interesting in the movie to see how the two boys had such different home lives that in no way overlapped, and yet there were some spaces that the children still shared, such as the public school. To me this seems like a sort of ironic consequence of the revolution, that while stark inequalities exist there are indeed certain elements that are completely universal.

Going back to Avenida Quinta, it is especially interesting to look at a well defined space for the upper class to gather outside. While the lack of privacy and private property accounts for much of the well defined spaces of other groups, forcing them to congregate in parks or streets, the idea of a public space for an upper class is interesting because of their, most likely, more well developed spaces of their own. This might suggest that jogging along Avenida Quinta – “wearing Adidas, bottles of water, and white earbuds” – is a way of flaunting a certain status, a very antirevolutionary idea.

Habanastation provides some evidence to this idea that Mayito’s space is less appreciative and nationalistic toward Cuba and the revolution. Mayito spends his time alone – indoors with no friends, supported only by his parents (perhaps excessively). He is not encouraged to take advantage of the nature he is surrounded by and, in fact, on rainy days he is apparently forbidden! Carlos’s neighborhood, on the other hand, greatly appreciates the outdoors. Having no access to foreign goods (such as playstations) they thrive on the natural beauty of their city and accept their Cuban commodities. This more communal neighborhood seems to better represent the goals of the revolution, with the inhabitants more appreciative of what their own country has to offer.

However one of the comments on Yoani Sanchez’s post about on inequalities represented by Avenida Quinta seems to blatantly disagree. A blogger by the name of “Cuba Libre” criticizes the post, saying:

“Thank you Miss Sanchez for posting such a wonderful post. I guess 5th Avenue is the perfect example to prove that life is good in Cuba if you abide by the laws. Maybe if you used all your talents as a writer to boast the achievements of the Revolutionary government instead of defaming it with your lies, maybe you also would have a house on 5th Avenue.”

This comment struck me because it reveals some of the inherent contradictions of Cuban society that we have been talking about. Whereas playing by the rules is indeed a message that should indicate a road to success, it is clear that within Cuba, the spaces occupied by those who are successful are the same spaces where it is often impossible to play by the rules.