Inside the Regime, Essay Example

The Adaptability and Quirks of Cuban Culture and History

From the time that Columbus “discovered” the island now known as Cuba it has been its own melting pot. “New World” indigenous tribes and African, Spanish, French, English, and American citizens were on a collision course which would produce a country rich in culture. Originally they successfully co-existed.

One of the most popular historic tales told is about a German immigrant, Sochay, who settled in Havana and supervised a coffee plantation.  He fell in love with Ursula, a Haitian slave who was essentially banned from returning to her home country because she had been involved in the famous slave rebellions there. Together they farmed the plantation before slavery was abolished in Cuba, and Sochay built a magnificent house for her. The statue of the goddess Angerona- which the plantation was named after- welcomed visitors (Angerona 1).

However, when sugar replaced coffee as the prime export, the plantation fell into ruin until it was declared a historical and architectural national monument. Today the Angerona statue and the other plantation remnants are tended by local museum employees, but the countrymen have not forgotten the treasured story. In 2005 the film  Roble de Olor was produced based on this beloved and true romance (Angerona 1).

With the rise of the demand for sugar cane there was an influx of slaves, immigrants, and indentured servants. When enough sugar was produced for even the common citizens to taste ice cream, manufacturers took notice. Today a Cuban favorite dish is an inexpensive ice cream salad (Hodge 3).

Another effect of the rise of sugar cane in Cuba was that a large number of African slaves were brought onto the island. With time the Afro-Cuban population flourished and a campaign began to curb their numbers through legal and informal measures. At that time the women were far outnumbered, so the Cuban government began to regulate marriages by requiring their approval in cases where there was no pregnancy. They decided who was compatible according to the government’s social agenda and the ethnicity, wealth, reputation, and virginity (or lack thereof) of the applicants. Thus unofficial marriage was especially common in controversial matches and less-populated areas (Hodge 2).

When slavery was abolished in Cuba the leaders of the new, socialist government encouraged unity. Racial differences did not dissolve overnight, so advocacy groups (much like America’s special-interest groups) formed to protect the rights of Afro-Cubans especially. When a group called the Independent Party of Color was banned and protested despite the prohibitive laws of 1910, there was a violent incident, a “massacre” (Hodge 1). The conflict between the races in Cuba was perpetuated and racial relations worsened, despite the fact that “whiter” Cuban citizens embraced the music of the Afro-Cubans- most likely because the music was also part of the historical legacy of early Cuba (Quirk 1).

Music and dance are favorite pastimes in Cuba. The Son is a spirited dance which is often accompanied by congas or guitars. What we know as Salsa music is, in fact, a combination of a variety of Cuban music types: the Danzon, Guaguanco, Rumba, Sucu sucu, and Cha cha among others (Popular 1).

Carnivals and feasts perpetuate the Afro-Cuban celebration of the Corpus Christi and the Epiphany. Years ago the majority of Afro-Cuban slaves were granted a few days off so that they may participate in the dances and parades. Today the celebration is a hodgepodge of culture: Creole musical influences, Chinese instruments, and Afro-Cuban traditions. This is epitomized in the masquerades, feasts, parades, and street-corner musical performances. Havana’s muñecones, large traditional representations of the characters of the holiday, and artists are a vital part of the ambience. It is a national time for frivolity for a usually-modest population (Carnivals 1-2).

Today Cuba has a socialist government, but the pursuit of individual talents is encouraged by the government (Hodge 5).  Although it generally limits the wealth of each person individually, a person there may see a movie for fourteen cents or a ballet for twenty-five cents. Havana hosts the annual New Latin American Film Festival. The government has rewarded the artistic citizens’ efforts with the establishment of the Cuban Film Institute and the National School for the Arts (Hodge 3).

This is not limited to the live arts. In the early years of the emerging government censorship was strict, but once literature produced revenue the unofficial political guidelines of censorship were relaxed. José Martí is a national literary hero, and his poetry has been read and praised throughout the world. He publicly supported the unification of the races, saying, according to Hodge, that there were “no blacks or whites in Cuba, only Cubans”(Hodge 2-5).

Domestic cultural differences are notable as well. There is an intimacy in the interactions of Cuban inhabitants- partially due to close-proximity housing. Yards and doors are left open, and it is rude not to shake the hand of a man or kiss the cheek of a woman. Group socialization and acceptance of the revolutionary failures of housing reinforce the socialist emphasis on the community and the collective good (Hodge 4).

According to Derrick Hodge the main three national patriotic symbols are the Cuban national anthem (which was produced at the beginning of the ten-year struggle for independence), the Cuban flag, and the flag of the 26^th of July (Hodge 1). The 26^th of July flag commemorates the uprising which displaced a dictator named Batista. On that day in 1953 a group of revolutionaries successfully attacked a barracks of Batista. The name of thie brave young lawyer who led the revolutionaries and kept the movement alive was Fidel Castro (Quirk 1). It is no coincidence that this day of national pride falls during the previously-mentioned festivals (Hodge 3).

Batista’s concept of capitalism has left an unfavorable impression about such industry in the psyche of the majority of the Cuban population. However, the young generations who do not recall this period of their history embrace the pursuit of commodities in the light of constant sameness (Hodge 6).

A pair of brand-name shoes is highly coveted, especially in the years of early adulthood when the compulsory year of militant life begins. It has been said that the military service of the young usually consists mostly of gossip. This is not discouraged. Another legacy of the revolution against Barista was the establishment of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. The CDR recruited citizens to observe and report any illegal, traitorous, or threatening behavior. At one point in the 1960’s the CDR sent groups of social undesirables to army work camps. Needless to say, with the continued presence and strength of the CDR gossip and paranoia are constants within Cuban communication (Hodge 2).

Cuba still has a flavor of its own, which only seems to increase and grow more distinctive with time. It does not equate affluence with the level of happiness. Cuba rolls with the punches, and –despite any points of disagreement concerning execution of the finer points- the world needs more Cuban spirit.

Works Cited

Angerona: A Love Story of a German and a Slave. 14 May 2007. IberSoluciones.com. 13 May 2010 <http://www.cuban-traditions.com/?cultural_traditions/?angerona_a_love_story/angerona_a_love_story_of_a_german_and_a_slave.html>.

Carnivals and Masquerades Feats. 14 May 2006. IberSoluciones.com. 11 May 2010      <http://www.cuban-traditions.com/?cultural_traditions/?carnivals_and_masquerades_feats/? carnivals_and_masquerades_feats.html>.

Hodge, Derrick G. Culture of Cuba. 2010 Advameg, Inc. 14 May 2010 <http://www.everyculture.com/?cr-ga/?cuba.html>.

Popular Cuban Rhythms. 14 May 2006. IberSoluciones.com. 13 May 2010 <http://www.cuban-traditions.com/?cultural_traditions/?popular_cuban_rhythms/?       popular_cuban_rhythms.html>.

Robert, Quirk. General Information on Cuba. 14 May 1993. Florida International University. 13     May 2010 <http://www2.fiu.edu/?~fcf/?gen.info.cuba.html>.