CUBAN TRANSITIONS

When the Cuban Revolution triumphed, one of the main goals of the new government was to eradicate racism from Cuban society. The revolutionary government made several strides in creating structural equality, especially in terms of employment access, education, health care, and access to public spaces. When Cuba entered into the Special Period, however, inequalities between the races began to become a part of daily life in Cuba once again. This renewed inequality was due partly to differential access to jobs in the tourist sector. These jobs pay a great deal more than jobs in the state sector. Afro-Cubans were prevented from obtaining these positions for reasons that were indicative of underlying prejudices that had survived the Revolution. [1]

While in Cuba, we saw several striking examples of these lingering racial prejudices. One of the most striking, however, was the portrayals of different races in souvenirs marketed for tourist consumption. One particular souvenir stand sticks out in my mind when I think back to the racially marked souvenirs that I saw while in Cuba. This stand was located in a a craft market in Havana and was called “Artesania Muñecas.” As the name suggests, this souvenir stand specialized in dolls.

Souvenir Stand in Havana Craft Market

The difference between the white and black dolls sold in this store were very apparent. Dolls with light-colored skin were made of porcelain or a similar material. Their dresses were elaborate and highly decorative and their facial features were delicately crafted. These light-skinned dolls gave off an air of poise and elegance and seemed meant to adorn a mantel rather than for play. The dark-skinned dolls, on the other hand, were made of cloth. The outfits on these dolls are similar to those that are commonly associated with santería ceremonies. The eyes and lips on these dolls seem slightly exaggerated in comparison to the fine features of their light-skinned counterparts.

The sign above this shop includes the phrase “Soy Cubana. Soy popular./ I’m Cuban. I’m popular.” The inclusion of this phrase is interesting in relation to the racial stereotypes that it portrays. What the souvenirs in this stand show is that racism and prejudice are still very much a part of the Cuban reality and what it means to be Cuban.

Sources:

[1] Alejandro de la Fuente, “Race and Income Inequality in Contemporary Cuba,” in NACLA Report on the Americas44:4 (Jul/Aug 2011), 30-33, 43.