As the third day began, we arrived at the former villa of Jose Marti, one of Cuban’s most influential thinkers. (check out http://www.josemarti.cu/). It was an old alabaster structure with a slightly pinkish hue. It was somewhat hidden behind lush palm trees and as I split the palm trees it almost fell like I was walking into the past. It was an interesting mix of tropical, urban and secluded. There was an Afro Cuban with beautiful dark skin that grabbed my hand warmly and said “Welcome”. There is an affection and for the third straight day I wonder about the solidarity that I feel. I pulled the tour guide to the side and she says that Habana and Cuba are mostly Afro Cuban. The construction of race is different in Cuba though. There are 3 primary races: White, Mulatto and Afro Cuban. There is a pride among all people but the connection across the African Diaspora is undeniable. It is also suggest that there is a shared experience with race. Walking into the villa you get a sense of scale and it puts a material feel on the social class difference that existed before the revolution. I also think about how space, physical space, can encourage or discourage thought. The building itself bred an intellectual inquiry. The lecture and the group is pretty invested as the lecturer, a young Afro Cuban woman, explains Marti travels around the world and teachings, which was fascinating. She gave a particularly engaging of earthquake in Charleston in 1886. Marti’s description of the chaos of the phenomena served as a reminder that the power of nature is above all and serves of reminder who humans are at their essence beyond the social problems. The aftermath of the tragedy saw all people eating, drinking and living together as equals. The group was enthralled as the discussion of the climax with a Marti recounting the birth during the earthquake. Birth itself being another powerful event of nature, and serving as a dichotomy of beauty and destruction and life and death. (check out the essay here http://www.josemarti.cu/publicacion/el-terremoto-de-charleston/). Once this lecture concluded, we took a break before the next one started. There were drinks and cookies available and most walked but I ran (Only because I was thirsty lol) to the refreshments. As I bit down on that small delicious cookie, I felt relaxed and refreshed from the experience. Almost outside of time. As the economy lecture starts we learn that education, including college, housing, and health care are free but regulated by the government. Cuba has a highly educated population with the majority having at least a Bachelor’s degree. It’s funny, because usually when people speak in terms Cuba, it is with the context of a “developing” or “third world,” which generally are ethnocentric and prejudicial points of view anywhere, but it shows how little people know about Cuba and its people. There is also food rations cards for all citizens. These ration cards are connected to their houses. (This will become important in later discussions) This means that people are essentially debt which is sounds like heaven about now. Hard to imagine living debt free in the United States. Debt is the reason, I am scared to answer calls from numbers I don’t recognize anymore (lol). . Up until recently, the government owned 100% of the homes and still owns the overwhelming majority of homes in the country. There is no homelessness in Cuba. This is partly due to the housing system that is set up where people to stay in their family homes their entire lives. Even if they have families, their families move in. This means a house could possibly have 4 or 5 families including siblings and their parents. Can you imagine living with your siblings and parents basically your entire life? I mean my mother couldn’t wait until I was 18 (Just joking mama). I believe this helps nurture the communal perspective of people in the country. There are apartments and a system where one can request a house as well, but in terms of housing there is a lack of choice and space. The lecture on the economy, really enlightened the group on the structure of Cuban life and how much Cuba is changing as well as how the changes are effecting Cuba. In preparing to travel to Cuba, I was made aware that there are 2 different currencies in Cuba: the stronger and recent Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) and the Cuban Peso (CUP). Part of the economic issues in Cuba are linked to the fact that there is no universal agreement on the exchange rate on the currency. In major economic centers, 1 CUC equals 25 CUP. In others, particularly agriculture fields, 1 CUC equals 7 CUP. There are even places were 1 CUC equals 1 CUP. All government employers get paid the same regardless of degree level or job. Since education and healthcare are regulated by the government, all the professions including doctors and professors are government employees and make 30 CUCs a month just like other professions such as drivers and cashiers. Even with ration cards this is not enough and most Cubans have 2 or 3 jobs. We heard stories of college professors working as clowns and doctors moonlighting as doorpersons at tourist hotels. In Cuba, someone brings a doctor home and their family may sigh, “You will be broke forever.” Tourism is the number one industry and many professionals are leaving traditional professions and going into tourism. Though tour guides are government employees, the tips made from leading tours can make it a relatively lucrative career. This is having a tremendous effect on whether or not some Cubans go to college, as tourism is a lucrative and viable option once they finish high school. Cuba’s ability to survive is really attributed to the adaptation of its people. When I looked around Habana ad am amazed that despite what happen to its people (read embargo and Special period), they have thrived and remained true to their vision. What they have, is shared among the people and the refused revert back. It is admirable. The lecture emphasized that there are new fiscal laws to help stabilize the economy. This includes unifying the currencies and exchange, and the establishment of non-state property. She also openly questioned the government’s positions on some of the proposed economic changes. This stood out because in the United States we also hear about how scared people in Cuba are to discuss politics or the government. Image of the book 1984 are fed into our psyche as the big bad government throws people in the dungeon lol. Literally every lecture in Cuba that we attended, they questioned some governmental policies. I was not too surprised because that is what academia should foster at its roots. No matter how much you love a place, you are constantly thinking about how to make it better. Cuba’s a country that is rapidly changing. New laws proposed will stipulate that the president must be 62 years of age or younger and cannot serve longer than five years. There are new economic and social systems on the horizon for the people there. In terms of the people, they are rapidly shifting. There is, though, a concern about the role that capitalism and the new economics plays out, everyone understand that change is inevitable. One thing is for certain: Cuba will look very different over the next 20 years.
1 Comment
Dwight Fletcher
5/8/2017 08:07:05 pm
Very enlighting.
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Myron Strong
professor. learner. traveler. emerging artist Archives
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