CUBAN TRANSITIONS

“¡Hola! ¿Cómo están chicas?” An amiable address from the smiling bookstore owner welcomes us as we slow our stroll through Cienfuegos and peer into his shop. To allow us inside, the owner, Anabel, has to move the front display table back from the doorway. We squeeze into the small anteroom filled with Cuban books, posters […]

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Upon returning to the United States, all of my friends and family members have asked me about my trip to Cuba. Immediately, my mind wanders to the symbols of Cuba. I found myself thinking of the notion of Cuban symbolism while in the country, and I imagine that I will be trying to comprehend this […]

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I’m not quite sure where our fascination with the vintage comes from.  Maybe it’s the sentimentality or the thought that everyone wants it and nobody can have it. Maybe it’s the idea of looking forward through the window of the past. Either way, the vintage cars in Cuba, with their bright colors and beautiful design, […]

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On the way down to Cuba we spent a lot of time sitting around in airports as our flights were delayed over and over. Though it seemed like the universe was conspiring to make it so that we would never get to Havana, the airport (Miami, not LaGuardia) proved to be a place of insightful […]

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As we explore the complexity of the nature of the nation and nationality in the Período Especial, the role of the artist in Cuban society becomes increasingly blurred and dynamic. As Sujatha Fernandes discusses in her article on postwar reconstructions, even the definitions of “commercial” and “underground” have become distorted. Cuban youth struggle to reconcile […]

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Cuba’s waters may be known for their rich biodiversity and healthy coral reefs, but they are now in the news for something different: oil. Geologic surveys suggest there are around five billion barrels of oil off of Cuba’s coast, and exploratory drilling to find those reserves began in late January of this year. A Chinese […]

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With the rise of social media and technology in our contemporary internationalized world, I wondered how a country like Cuba, where freedom of speech is often repressed, responds? Cuba’s population of 11 million[1] faces limited Internet access, particularly with social media and networking sites. Private ownership of a WiFi network is difficult, if not impossible […]

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When he found out I would be going to Cuba this spring, my 17 year-old-brother’s first comment was to request a certain souvenir: a pair of authentic Cuban cigars with which to celebrate his 18th birthday with our Dad.  And he wasn’t the only one to quickly associate cigars with Cuba; “Going to bring back […]

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  The 1960s brought a new outlet for Cuban revolution and aid that wasn’t focused inwards towards Cuba. As Fidel Castro officially adopted the specific title of Prime Minister of the Revolution in Cuba,  in 1974, Portugal was officially withdrawing from it’s colonial territories spread throughout Angola. With this withdrawal brought tension between opposing Angolan factions who […]

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Although the Cuban Revolution began with the 26th of July movement in 1953, finally overthrowing the Batista government on January 1, 1959, the revolution is far from over. In fact, today Cubans still speak of their support (or lack thereof) for the current system under which Cuba is operating as support for “la Revolución.” The […]

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