In 2008, a few of us took an illegal trip to Cuba for the Decimotercero Festival Internacional de la Poesia, a plein air annual poetry festival in Havana, Cuba. I say “illegal†because the US Presidents George grande y el chico, were sticking to the strict rule of penalizing US citizens [who traveled to Cuba without permission] with a $10,000 fine.
At that point many artist and musician friends had been going back and forth all this time, to visit and attend the historically rich music, art and cultural events sponsored by the Cuban government. Their stories made me salivate with desire to follow their footsteps. After all, we are not people to be held back from where we want to go, because of some ridiculous rules and regulations.
When some local eastside poets got invited to go to this poetry festival in 2008—I latched my wagon onto theirs. Calls were made to the Cuban festival organizers from Tijuana about accommodations, schedules, side cultural trips, todo—and we were all set. Hopping over, on one of Mexico’s daily flights to Cuba still had its risks, because the US could request Mexico’s flight manifestos where our names would be listed and we would be so busted. Ni modo.
I wanted to see Cuba before Castro died, before it changed into another commercial beach resort dotted with European style hotels. It could happen! So here are my photos. Photos I was too afraid to share with you on LAeastside in 2008—because I did not want to be caught for doing this supposedly un-American thing. My courage comes from Obama easing the penalties on Americans traveling to Cuba a few weeks ago and legitimate flights being organized for non-profits to go to Cuba from the USA on cultural exchanges. Yay!
Poets from all over the world gathered each day at a gorgeous cultural center in Havana, who’s grounds and building looked like a wealthy estate, marble spiral staircase and all. My traveling companion quipped, “There must be some angry family living in Florida, who got thrown out of here!”
Poetry was recited in everyone poet’s native language—from South American indigenous languages to European: Spanish, English, Italian and French. You didn’t have to know what was being said, because the intonation, rhythm and presentation translated its meaning.
The festival lasted a few weeks with different venues, from small community spaces to the Havana Cathedral. The Caribbean poetry evening began with lots of drumming and a traditional Yoruba spiritual dance blessing.
Of course, the poetry of El Caribe brought it home for me, as well as our eastside poets. No kidding, our ELA orators were so captivating, that their faces would be all over the Cuban TV when we got to our hotel at night.
Old Havana is one of the most charming areas. There is restoration going on to keep the original flavor and color of its colonial architecture and walking-only paver streets. It is a bit touristy–but we got the most delicious coffee jolt there each day con panquesito. There’s nothing like a shot of Cuban coffee espresso.
And. . . . it’s true about the cars in Cuba being in a 1950’s revolution time warp. There are so many mid-century models cruising all over the place–you feel like you are in a car club’s wet dream. I took this picture walking to our bus.
One of our stops was to a print studio, very much like Self Help Graphics. It was a cooperative, where artists could use the presses to print and take classes on printing too. Above is the print sales room. Striking color and design aesthetics of the region distinguished these prints. They reminded us very much of Los de Abajo Print Collective work.
About 40 minutes outside of Havana, we visited a handmade book making studio. They made limited editions of less than 100. Since this was a government run artist studio, we could only use Cuban money to make purchases . There is one currency available to tourists (especially Americans) and it is sold for a higher price than Cuban currency which is used solely by the Cubans and their allies. Wouldn’t you know that one of our ELA poets had some of the Cuban currency? He must have looked local. He bought us each 4 handmade, hand painted, intricate constructed, limited edition books for $1 each. Wow! That’s the type of artistic craftsmanship that only a government sponsor could support.
By one of the swanky hotels, where some of the poets stayed, not us though—there was this ice cream cafe. Under the Che icon, we enjoyed our helado break. Near our modest hotel, was a bus terminal. Soon our ELA entourage discovered that they could score rum in containers that looked like juice boxes—inexpensively at that bus terminal. Each night, we sat on the hotel stoop, drinking rum out of juice boxes, while the poets performed personally on the fly. Other hotel guests, some of the neighbors and hotel employees joined in our homestyle hanging-out each night. We laughed, drank, met new friends, listened to poems and gossiped about who at the festival had hooked up romantically that day.
It was refreshing to see a country with no commercial signs, ads, bill boards anywhere. No liquor stores, no grocery stores, no take out joints, no 99Cents Only places—-nothing that is about ‘buying, buying, buying”. You could actually enjoy the scenery without having to digest some sort of sales offering. When those discrete beggars got close to you, they’d ask in a whisper “tienes caramelitos?”/do you have candy? I was there, I witnessed it, I have my memories.
In Old Havana, in one of the government run galleries (in fact, this one above)—I exhibited my art work to some curious locals who looked deeply and thoughtfully at each piece.
Hola Victoria,
Thanks for this post! I also went to Cuba in 2008 and had to go through the whole fly to Mexico, bribe the Customs agent not to stamp my passport, fly to Cuba etc…
I had watched a wonderful Fidel documentary earlier in the year and decided that I had to go while Fidel was still in power since there was talk of his failing health. I was also taken by the non-existent billboards or advertisements. I think the only one I saw was a billboard of Bush with a huge red X over his face. I remember being scared that I would run out of money during the trip for fear that I would have to use my atm and then get tracked and busted. I stayed in Old Havana…close to the chocolate museum. mmmm. I remember trying to be cool and smoke cigars which only led to me throwing up the delicious food I had eaten in one of the paladares I had found. There was such a vibrancy to the city, the art, the poets, the music… One of the things that tripped me out was the various renditions of Hotel California I heard in the local bars??? The entire trip was amazing with the exception of one thing… I remember walking to the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. As I got a few blocks away from the hotel I was walking behind a man with three young women/girls. As I over heard the conversation…he was schooling them on what to say, how to act, and how to get the money from the Johns they were about to meet at the hotel. These girls were barely women. One was excited and kind of showing off to her girlfriends…’I got this’
while the other two were visibly nervous. As they approached the hotel the “pimp” went to speak to the door man. They obviously had an arrangement. I felt really naive at that point that I had not considered the sex trafficking and prostitution in Havana. When i got back to my hotel I researched how the government had a crack down on Aids to protect their sex trade. As I continued my stay it was hard not to see it all around me once the sun went down. One night as I made my way to the Bodegita del Medio for a famous mojito, a man approached me asking if I was looking for something. I said no and kept walking. He followed after me and although I was walking with a friend he grabbed me by my arm and pulled me back and said “i’m talking to you”… I freed my self from him and yelled in his face all chola style and kept walking. I’ve traveled the world and been in some dangerous situations and that had never happened to me… it was out in public…it was visible…it was fckd up. Maybe the availability of prostitution has also desensitized the general public. I don’t know but I think it’s important for women traveling to Cuba to know this so they can take extra precaution. This experience didn’t ruin my trip. I continued to search for galleries, artists, food and real connections… and found them.
Thanks for the post. I had no idea that there were so many rules, and penalties if you went to visit Cuba. I always thought you can go to Cuba as you please, it it because it is communist? if so why can we go to China? Lovley photos V and for E Flores maybe you should a wrote a blog post as a guest about your experience, it sounds interesting.
E, I usually travel with at least 1 man, because some countries are just old-fashioned– they think you are something else as a single woman of color traveling alone. We also noticed a few prostitutes at night near the Havana harbor. We went to a pretty cool night club one night, that had a floor show [no cover], the drinks were mega-cheap and it was kinda elegant. When we were able to see well enough in the dark, we noticed that there were nothing but couples at each table—always an older business man type, with a very young woman. The women didn’t appear to be ‘pros’–it looked more like a hook-up to get a nice dinner, drinks, flowers and other little gifts the peddlers brought around. Sad that one of the points of the Cuban revolution was to end the overwhelming sex-trade business that commoditized Cuba youth.
Yes, Dona Junta—there has been a governmental economic embargo against Cuba since Eisenhower (I believe). Not because they are communist, but because all these US Presidents and politicians have hated Castro (in concert with all the Cubans that left after the revolution).
(in concert with all the Cubans that left after the revolution).
You’re such an elitist. I bet you love it when people generalize about you and dismiss your reasons for being as angry as you are. I’m sure that the Cuban government would love to have you. And, btw, the people who left the brothers Castro’s Cuba after the revolution — about a million or more Cubans in exile (plus their offspring), fled totalitarianism. They left everything behind. What would you know about sacrifice and alianation while you plan little trips to exotic prison islands and read to them condescending poetry? Migdia Chinea
True, I know nothing about sacrifice or alienation—must be from all the exotic prisons I visit while listening to condescending poetry.
True. But you neglected to remind us how discreet the Cuban beggars were in asking for “caramelitos.” Your compassion and ability for social analysis are overwhelming. Let them read poetry, huh?
Migdia Chinea UCLA MFA TFTDM Screenwriting/Directing.
http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi3321207577/
To Dona Juana — Cuba is now a mega mecca for prostitution –and the prostitutes are pre-pubescent in many cases. In this island paradise, the white sanded beaches, restaurants and fancy hotels are off-limits to the locals. The money that you invested going there went right into the Castro brothers’ pocket — who, according to Forbes, are among the richest men in the world, while the Cuban people suffer from lack of everything as well as horrendous moral and social indignities. There’s NO free speech, no private property and no right to free assembly in Cuba to name but a few no’s, whereas the aging Castro brothers have annointed themselves emperors for life. Let’s not glamorize the Cuban revolution by overlooking or rationalizing the presence of nubile young hookers, ass-grabbing older communists, and desperate young people who will risk their lives on the high seas in makeshift rafts to flee the island.
Migdia Chinea —
The United States has no moral high ground whatsoever to pass judgment on any Latin American government, no matter how bad they are.
So, forgive me if I just have trouble finding the elitism in someone enjoying the beauty of Cuba’s landscape and reading poetry to people there. If you ask me, it might be their critic who’s the real elitist.
Are you saying that commenting or observing Cuba’s lack of human rights is passing judgement — on what? How egalitarian of you. Would you have passed judgement on Mussolini? I think it’s elitism to go to a country that is not yours and make references about the natives as fun people without knowing a bit of what makes them tick. Many people just want to go against the reality that is Cuba and if we don’t pass judgement on these dictatorships, then, we might as well accept the nazis or Pol Pot and not pass judgement in their regard either. Would you have read poetry to the Jews in Aushwitz without ever passing judgement? And does it make me elitist that I do not accept dictatorships? I think there’s something really sick and twisted here. Go for it, pal. Go read your poetry to hungry Cubans and give them some trinkets while you’re at it. They might like the latter better. But never “pass judgement.” Way to go.
Migdia, you are so blinded by being right, by your history, by your personal story, by your bitterness— that you are reading something into this that doesn’t exist. There is no perfect place in the world—every country has its corruption, its human trafficking, drugs, uneven economic classes and injustices. Who can say who has suffered the most?
Excuse me — but you’re the one going to Cuba. Not me. I would NOT go there. Just as I would not have traveletd to South Africa during apartheid. There are serious political reasons why travel to Cuba is ILLEGAL. What bitterness are you referring to? The fact that I’ve pointed out the truth? What you call bitterness is indignation. You could have been a witness to what is going on in Cuba.
Instead, you rationalize the government-sponsored prostitution of young girls, the “discreet beggar” on the street, and the whole corrupt communist system and turn your back on these poor people while pontificating to me. The last refuge of the coward is to call others “bitter.” Meanwhile, like a tone deaf Marie Antpoinette you seem to be saying “Just let them read poetry.” And you don’t know my history, nor my personal story — in fact, you know nothing. Migdia Chinea —
Migdea, I never said it wasn’t ok for people in general to pass judgment, I said that The United States government (and I’ll add to that their blind historical supporters), does NOT have the moral high ground to pass judgment on ANY Latin American country, EVER.
I disagree, Rob. This country has a right to make certain decisions based on self interest. These other countries — Latin countries among them — have a right to defend themselves against and/or to criticize US foreign policy.
It’s true that cards are stacked against Latin countries, but there’s a point at which one must take personal responsibility into account and move on that. If only what went on in Egypt had happened in Cuba… but the recent demonstrations in Egypt probably say more about the sort of government that allowed them in the first place and the role of US Middle East policy in that regard. In Cuba, all the protesters would have been shot. End of story. And in a country, such as Cuba, in which there’s only one press outlet. we would probably would have heard nothing or a sanitized government version of events calling them a Yanqui conspiracy. US-inspired and financed.
For a long time I have kept reading and hearing people such as Delgadillo make references — negative references — about the Cuban exile community in favor of the failed Cuban communist revolution. I am lucky to be able to write; that I have historical knowledge of world politics and a computer with which to do so.
I’m home writing a sci-fi thriller screenplay for a class — not just sitting here waiting soe someone to write the next insensitive or ill-informed comment But in memory of my father, I feel compelled to do so.
Regards,
Migdia —
P.S. I couldn’t use the edit option to correct grammatical errors. It kept scrolling up my text.
This country has a “right” to make decisions (affecting other countries, I presume) in its own self interest? A “right”? According to whom?
Look, I’m not going to get into that — I smell a trap. This country, the US, has the right to make decisions based on its own self-interest — there are supposed to be checks and balances. And the USt usually does make these sorts of decisions and we have the right to disagree in the public arena without censorship.
Accordingly, this country has gone into war to protect its interests and those of others — like during the First or Second World War. If you’re talking about hegemony — you are talking about a different issue. You’re also talking about China, perhaps.
I don’t hold animosity against the US for its foreign policy vis-a-vis Cuba going all the way back to the Maine. I think Cubans themselves are responsible for their own decisions. And Castro is the sad result of some of those decisions. Please, read “The End of History” by Frank Fukuyama. It’s a good poly sci book about these global issues.
But I will not get into a discussion that seems full of land mines and a trap for me to get into. I have work to do and my dogs need their shots.
I disagree, Rob. This country has a right to make certain decisions based on self-interest. These other countries — Latin countries among them — have a right to defend themselves against and/or to criticize US foreign policy.
It’s true that cards are stacked against Latin countries, but there’s a point at which one must take personal responsibility into account and move on that. If only what went on in Egypt had happened in Cuba… but the recent demonstrations in Egypt probably say more about the sort of government that allowed them in the first place and the role of US Middle East policy in that regard. In Cuba, all the protesters would have been shot. End of story. And in a country, such as Cuba, in which there’s only one press outlet, we probably would have heard nothing or heard a sanitized government version of events calling them a Yanqui conspiracy. US-inspired and financed, etc. the usual long-winded Castro rant.
For a long time I have kept reading and hearing people such as Delgadillo make references — negative references — about the Cuban exile community in favor of the failed Cuban communist revolution. I am lucky to be able to write; that I have historical knowledge of world politics and a computer with which to do so.
I’m home writing a sci-fi thriller screenplay for a class — not just sitting here waiting for someone to write the next insensitive or ill-informed comment But in memory of my father, I feel (felt) compelled to do so.
Another response:
Look, I’m not going to get into that — I smell a trap. This country, the US, has the right to make decisions based on its own self-interest — there are supposed to be checks and balances. And the US usually does make these sorts of decisions and we have the right to disagree in the public arena without censorship.
Accordingly, this country has gone into war to protect its interests and those of others — like during the First or Second World War. If you’re talking about hegemony — you are talking about a different issue. You’re also talking about China, perhaps.
I don’t hold animosity against the US for its foreign policy vis-a-vis Cuba going all the way back to the Maine. I think Cubans themselves are responsible for their own decisions. And Castro is the sad result of some of those decisions. Please, read “The End of History†by Frank Fukuyama. It’s a good poly sci book about these global issues. http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Politics/ComparativePolitics/LatinAmerica/?view=usa&ci=9780195368826
“Falling Behind Explaining the Development Gap Between Latin America and the United States.â€
But I will not get into a discussion that seems full of land mines and a trap for me to get into. I have work to do and my dogs need their shots.
I decided to repost this with a link to Frank Fukuuyama’s latest on Latin America. Gotta get back to my work.
Migdia Chinea
Just curious…why should I read a book you’re recommending when you’re disparaging someone who visited Cuba herself recently, and decided to share her observations with us? I’m thinking I should give your book recommendation the same respect you’ve given her. Waddya think?
Good post V!
The Miami Cuban’s, specifically the first wave of the ruling class’s, and their steadfast demand for a continuation of the embargo on Cuba is and has been a total failure and a stain on the democratic traditions of the United States. That failed embargo has been going on for over fifty years and has achieved nothing except more suffering for the Cuban people. The embargo only allowed Castro the excuse to circle the wagons even tighter, impose even more authoritarian rule, and to give credence to the awful reactionary paranoia of both the Castro regime and the reactionary Miami Cuban right wing caudillos, whose actions over the years often seem as totalitarian and undemocratic as Castro’s.
Here we are over 50 years later, the iron curtain has fallen, totalitarian regimes in Eastern Europe have embraced some form of democracy, China and Vietnam are both using free enterprise (or even monopoly capitalism is China’s case), to support their economies, and due to political pressure from a bunch of right wing fanatics in Miami we the American people are by and large not allowed to travel freely to any country we choose. The rest of the world is able to travel to Cuba freely but not us!
In my opinion if we had abandoned that failed Cuban embargo 40 or 50 years ago and flooded Cuba with not only tourists and business people looking to do business there, sharing life experiences, human rights, and freedoms, the Castro regime would have fallen on it’s face decades ago.
The real problem is not only with Castro but also with the former ruling classes from Cuba who now reside in Miami and who over the years haven’t shown much inclination towards democracy and free speech, who have at times acted like terrorists and fascists themselves.
The more recent refugees from Cuba, the Marielitos and others who Graham Green described as “the tortuable class’s†in his novel Our Man In Havana, seem to have a much less authoritarian attitude towards Cuba and the embargo and many of them go back and forth to visit relatives as permitted which I think is once a year or if an emergency arises.
Hopefully one day the ridiculous and ineffectual Cuban Embargo will be ended and that is when I predict that Communism in Cuba will quickly cease to exist, probably to be replaced by some form of European style Socialism. I don’t think the Cuban people will want to give up the free medical, free education, and some of the other benefits of Socialism they now enjoy.
But it might be an ugly scenario when the old Miami Cuban ruling class’s start demanding reparations and a return to the old plantation style exploitation of the tortuable working class’s.
End the Embargo now!
Here’s what I’ve learned here so far:
Viva Fidel — as Delgadillo photo says. Despite her obvious endorsement, Castro is a ruthless dictator. Cubans in exile fled his dictatorship and they come in all stripes.
Cuba does NOT have freedom of expression, nor association nor freedom of the press — so the world gets only a distorted view of what is really going on there.
If I generalized about anyone the way you do about Cuban Americans there would be hell to pay. So I guess to people in this forum Cuban-Americans are just fair game.
To go to Cuba and not bear witness to what is going on there vis-a-vis government-sponsored prostitution and political oppression and, instead, pay lip service to that oppression, ignore it or romanticize it in the name of journalism or artistic freedom is really sad.
Ignorance is bliss.
Everything I say here will be distorted because I’m a Cuban-American and that makes me a member of the “ruling class.” I’m not anything of the sort. I’m a struggling UCLA grad student. But it bears remembering that in Cambodia, which comes tomind as one example, the “ruling class” was exterminated. Even people with glasses were considered members of the “ruling class.”
But more importantly, I cannot tolerate getting gang bullied further.
I’m busy.
Have a nice day.
Here’s what I’ve learned here so far:
Viva Fidel — as Delgadillo photo says. Despite her apparent endorsement, Castro is a ruthless dictator. Cubans in exile fled his dictatorship and they come in all stripes.
If I generalized about anyone the way you do about Cuban Americans there would be hell to pay. So I guess to some people in this forum Cuban-Americans are just fair game.
Cuba does NOT have freedom of expression, nor association, nor freedom of the press — so the world gets only a distorted view of what is really going on there.
To go to Cuba and not bear witness to what is going on there vis-a-vis government-sponsored prostitution and political oppression and, instead, pay lip service to that oppression by ignoring or romanticizing it in the name of “artistic freedom†is really sad. I named examples in my earlier posts — the “discreet” beggar asking for “caramelitos,” the young prostitutes and their pimp, the tourism apartheid that exists in Cuba.
Ignorance is bliss.
Everything I say here will be distorted because I’m a Cuban-American and that makes me a member of the “ruling class.” I’m not anything of the sort. I’m a busy UCLA grad student. But it bears remembering that in Cambodia (which comes to mind as one example), the “ruling class” was exterminated. Even people with glasses were considered members of the “ruling class.”
But more importantly, you’re gang-bullying me and that’s not nice. I cannot and WILL NOT tolerate getting gang bullied.
Have a nice day.
Migdia,
I too, will never understand American liberals turning a blind eye to egregious human rights violations and justifying the dictators actions by being so naive as to believe that communistic (or socialistic) policies are in the citizen’s self-interest. Sad.
Migdia,
I too, will never understand American liberals turning a blind eye to egregious human rights violations and justifying the dictators actions by being so naive as to believe that communistic (or socialistic) policies are in the citizen\’s self-interest. Sad.
Thanx for your understanding, Che. You have a famous nickname. Are you Argentinian? My mom is related to Aleida March — Che’s widow (his 2nd. wife) — and they keep informed of each other’s health and family comings and goings through a third party, as the Cuban govt. doesn’t allow Aleida (or any prominent govt. official) to communicate with exiles in the US. The Cuban dictatorship separated many families by necessity or politix. Thanx for your support.
Migdia —
I wish DQ and Victoria had this double posting problem. I wouldn’t mind reading their comments twice.
Victoria, great post and great photos. Informative and enlightening.
i went to havana several years ago, just because i could. did the “fake passport” thing in mexico and then hit the ground at josé martà airport. i did no research about casa particulares or restaurants, despite my veg ways. i wanted to discover all that on the fly. i ignored suggestions like, “you should watch the movie ‘lucia’…” or “ak press has that book on cuban anarchists…” or “have you heard ibrahim ferrer?…” i just wanted to be there. it’s a place, it has people, and i want to meet them. period. how first world of me. it is the only place i have visited where i wish i had gone with another. i was approached so many times for a sale, it sometimes gave me that rarest of feelings: loneliness.
i did 10 days in havana, despite suggestions to hit santiago or camaguey or santa lucia. havana is an intense city, in many ways. i will visit the other parts another time. on the van/bus to a hotel, i was surprised by the number of people just sitting on curbs, lines of men just sitting. i had had simple thoughts like, “gotta find me some cuban punks or hip hoppers…” that was quickly forgotten. comments from some cubans (bicitaxistas, etc.) bout the crazy unemployment rate and the lack of so many things, dampened my simple ignorance. i remember my friends in qro saying, “take tooth brushes and soap and just give em away.”
i just walked around, like i always do. i asked about veg places and the food was ok, the exception being the delicious meal i had at el bambu. but biki, i believe, was a cool spot mainly because of the friendly staff. man, they were funny, especially celso, the guy who cleaned the bathrooms.
i was approached by MANY trying to sell me things, rum, monedas, cigars and of course, women. in fact, i started to keep count on day 4 or 5 of the number of women who hit me up. after deferring the intial offer (“vamo/s a otro lugar”), i deflected it into a conversation and eventually wound up eating with several. the discussions were “interesting” in that, the pauses were filled with said woman looking for other “customers.” i would buy this person a meal and she would recount some incident with an italian or german or talk about her baby or after learning that i worked in a school, literature or history. i learned some things about the streets of havana. the “funny” part was when after the 3rd or 4th visit to the same cafeteria, other women began to recognize me and mention, “el no va a comprar…” and they’d laugh. i don’t patronize prostitutes, in any meaning of the verb. humor in such a situation was quick, then back to “work.” even between laughs, loneliness was everywhere. these women are prisoners on several levels, i thought.
other memories: i remember meeting this guy and this woman at this plaza, and he sat near me and took off his shoes. i relaxed, after thinking he was going to try and “sell” her to me. they eventually gave me a short tour of the city. the woman said very little, until i directed my questions at her. she was very interesting and was studying medicine. they took me to this undergound (literally) dance club, he bought me a bag of peanuts before we entered, when the boss would not let me in (in cuban currency) he angrily stormed out. i gave him 5$ for the tour. he then said he now had money to buy us some mojitos, but i had to continue getting around. as we said our good byes, he warmly embraced me and said, while pointing at the large public transit, “don’t use the camellos, very dangerous. ” i waved good bye to him from inside the camello. in fact, some unidentified hand did grab for my wallet. i slapped it away and moved further up. it was very crowded, but i was close to people.
a lot happened in those ten days. some invigorating, some depressing. seeing hemingway’s “spanish civil war uniform” (or so it is pitched) in his house was interesting, as was the lady who offered to sneak some shots for me. earlier, she said, “for 2 dollars i can take some shots for you.” after a friendly conversation about los angeles, mexico and the u.s., she said she’d do it for for no charge. or when the airport baggage claim man said, “be careful with cubans, they will talk forever.” he rambled for 10 minutes. that was funny. so many memories from my short stay. i have many others.
as for some of the comments, i think the subject of cuba is always distorted. i’m still surprised when i hear teachers talk about their “amazing” trips to cuba with no mention of the poverty or crazy amount of child prostitution (at least in havana). are they blind? it is no socialist haven, as some try to believe. i think migdia is right to be angry at fidel and that situation, you know he ain’t waiting for his ration of black beans. when he falls, will his offshore accounts be frozen? most dictators/presidents are the same. but i think migdia’s guns ablazing approach doesn’t leave much room for a positive exchage. then to declare “bullying” is odd, when this person’s initial tone is at the least, very aggressive. can’t we just talk bout this?
there were no billboards of pepsi or coppertone, but those signs of “todos some che” are also on some bullshit. it’s just propoganda of another kind. a bicitaxista and i had a good talk and when he never said castro’s name but touched his chin/beard, well how profound is that? “many think that we don’t pay for school, or rent or food, but when you cannot leave the country, that is the price! ¡sabe/s que, cuba es una mierda!” he was pissed, and i think only because he pulled into a side street by barrio chino, did he let it out. he gave me his number and we talked several times when i met him for a ride. in fact, the conversations were very stimulating, guy was so knowledgeable about so much.
my recent trip to south america was filled with similar scenes, especially in medellÃn and lima. but are we not to go there now and visit? in fact, i plan on living in colombia in the near future. child prostituton is a plain as day reality. and so are kind, caring, intelligent people. i’m reminded of the months i spent teaching english to some kids in watsonville, who worked in the fields. missing appendages, deformed ears… surely, due to the pesticides. should i not have worked with them because they were being exploited? we even laughed at times, and dare i say, shared some poetry. is that elitist?
i have friendly offers to visit vietnam and sierra leone, is it okay to go? do i have to check if they are treating their people well? where are people treated well by any government? all governments do is take! it may be a matter of degree, but there are so many places that would be off limits if i went by the treatment of citizens.
how many are imprisoned in this country?
i want to meet people wherever they are. i would go to north korea, north dakota and northern ireland. i’d go anywhere where there are people. there are thousands of people in california without a roof over their head, must i leave now?
i think the anger and aggression should be paired with a respect for those of us who would like to learn more about Cuba. since there are some here who know that country and it’s history well, it would be good to share the wealth. aggressive accusations of “elitism” and declarations of “indignation” don’t really contribute to the conversation? isn’t this one?
p.s. i met this woman at a bus stop in havana, she asked where i was from and i told her. she was a teacher. we talked for about 15 minutes, in the shade, at a bus stop! damn, she was so kind. as we finished our conversation, she said, walking away, “la polÃtica: la ruina del mundo.” yup.
Chek out
http://twitter.com/yoanisanchez a woman who defected to Switzerland, I believe.
It’s not that I believe there isn’t poverty or inequality in other parts of the world, in that sense Cuba is certainly not unique — it’s just that with other parts people are aware of these issues, even if they’re not mentioned, whereas Cuba is sold to the world as a “workers paradise.” Naive people present Castro as some sort of savior — an unelected liar still in his monarchic office after 50 years. Nobody seems to care that Fidel was urging Nikita to annihilate the US during the missiles of October — that means everyone here. Even the shoe-banging Soviet thought that Fidel was a loose cannon. “We will bury you…”
Cuba is a sad place. And some time ago, I had already decided that I would leave it behind in my mind — and deal with it no more. Except it permeates everything I do — even if it doesn’t directly deal with the subject.
When I wrote my screenplay “anonymous (street meat),” I created a totalitarian paralell world that was very much patterned after the Cuba that I imagine exists and have never seen. Then I filmed a short based on that — and images of Cuban presos politicos appeared in my head and made their way into the film. Images of the poor on the streets of Havana in the thirties and of guajiros. In fact, many of my friends were surprised when I told them that the quick fire images were Cuban images — prisoners of Conscience, poor white people under Machado. I shot pictures of homeless in Los Angeles and there were no differences. The poor are poor everywhere. But no one here is trying to sell skid row as a great place to express one’s “artistic freedom” or read avant garde poetry.
And I bristle when Cuban-Americans are attacked and lumped in as one monolithic group because that is simply not true.
I am used to pushing my way around because I am not a wallflower and so few people in entertainment listen to Hispanic voices. No matter what it is that they’re saying. And I work so hard to oversome that.
Migdia —
Correction: Perhaps Yoani is still in Cuba. I’ve received contradictory information. One thing is clear — the Cuban people are not receiving any news of what’s going on in Libya, where they’re shooting at people from helicopters. Here are some of Yoani’s tweets. People need to see this. Popular protests in the middle east give rise and hope to anti-Castro sentiment on the island. But the govt. reaction can be swift. Kaffafi is a good friend of the Castro brothers — “birds of a feather…”
#cuba #GY Para la tele oficial no existen las protestas en #Libia Silencio absoluto sobre el tema
about 16 hours ago via Ping.fm
Reply Retweet . #GY Demasiadas similitudes. Me pregunto si en #cuba Comites de Defensa de la Revolucion haran lo mismo que Comites Revolucionarios en #Libia
4:49 PM Feb 20th via Ping.fm
Reply Retweet . #cuba Preocupacion por situacion de estudiantes venezolanos en huelga de hambre. Mantenganme al tanto por sms. Estoy sin acceso web!
3:28 PM Feb 20th via txt
Reply Retweet . #cuba #GY Estamos bajo la oscuridad informativa. Que ocurre en Libia? Por favor se agradecen noticias por sms al +5352708611
From the web:
Yoani Sanchez, a University of Havana graduate in philology, emigrated to Switzerland in 2002, to build a new life for herself and her family. Two years later, she decided to return Cuba, promising herself to live there as a free person. Her blog Generation Y is an expression of this promise. Yoani calls her blog ‘an exercise in cowardice’ that allows her to say what is forbidden in the public square. It reaches readers around the world in over twenty languages.
In November 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama, wrote that her blog “provides the world a unique window into the realities of daily life in Cuba” and applauded her efforts to “empower fellow Cubans to express themselves through the use of technology.” Time magazine listed her as one of the world’s 100 most influential people in 2008, stating that “under the nose of a regime that has never tolerated dissent, Sánchez has practiced what paper-bound journalists in her country cannot
I find it hard to believe anybody thinks of Cuba as a Worker’s Paradise, I don’t care what the government says, nobody is that stupid. I agree with CT, meeting people is a good thing. Cuba is better for letting people in, even if they can’t see everything, instead of the N. Korea option that is truly sad.
Migdia, you need to get some perspective.
I have personal perspective. You see things through the prism of a country in which there is freedom of expression, which is prohibited in Cuba. I also have the perspective of someone whose family left everything behind for the government to dispose of as it saw fit. From simple memories to everything they worked for all their lives. That factoid doesn’t change for anyone who escapes Cuba.
But, why scold me? Why don’t you read Yoani Sanchez — or read about the people whose only protest option is a hunger strike. And death.
I don’t think that anyone here realizes the extent of government control that countries like Cuba and North Korea exercize over its people. It’s unimaginable for Americans.
I was, too, surprised that when a third cousin wrote to me asking me for some money to buy cranberry juice (she’s got an untreated blader condition) at the american market (for those with dollar currency), I tried sending $200.00 and she got about $80.00. The rest went to the third-party exchange and the Cuban government. That is just thievery! A 1000 minute phone card is used in less than 10 minutes because of government charges. I guess you have not been reading what people have been writing here — have you? No signs eanywhere — no consumerism. Literacy. Health care. But there are also no books (that are not banned), no money, no incentives. No freedom. The young prostitutes sleep with older tourists for a bar of soap. Pathetic.
I suppose we can joke about all this.
“Poets from all over the world gathered each day at a gorgeous cultural center in Havana, who’s grounds and building looked like a wealthy estate, marble spiral staircase and all. My traveling companion quipped, “There must be some angry family living in Florida, who got thrown out of here!†I mean, Delgadillo NEEDE to put that in her article, but no mention of the prostitutes she saw until someone else here brought it to her atention and even then she tried to rationalize it by saying:
“The women didn’t appear to be ‘pros’–it looked more like a hook-up to get a nice dinner, drinks, flowers and other little gifts the peddlers brought around. Sad that one of the points of the Cuban revolution was to end the overwhelming sex-trade business that commoditized Cuba youth.
Yes, Dona Junta—there has been a governmental economic embargo against Cuba since Eisenhower (I believe). Not because they are communist, but because all these US Presidents and politicians have hated Castro (in concert with all the Cubans that left after the revolution).”
This captions above from Delgadillo is nothing short of disingenuous. Take from the rich, presumably, to give to tourists like her. And the prostitutes are just girls “hooking up.” And, Damn the Cubans in Miami en masse. Wonder if Delgadillo would feel the same way if her relatives lost any small amount of business or enterprise — like a shoe shine or a small beauty shop. There’s no private property in Cuba — NONE! No one likes having what they work for confiscated. Not the rich, nor the middle class, or the struggling shop owner — NO ONE! But for the sake of “artistic freedom” that, incidentally, people in Cuba do NOT have — all is ok.
So — once again — I direct you all to Yoani Sanchez blog — she twitts about conditions in Cuba and her salvation is that the world knows about her, so the Cuban govt. would be hard pressed to do her in.
Take a look at what’s going on in Libya. People in Cuba aren’t getting related news because the Castro regime, which controls the one information source, Granma, is fearful of Cubans emulating the libyans with a similar explosive revolts. Any such denmonstrations would be difficult to contain without extreme measures and eventually the press would learn of it. Remember Tianaman Square? These were people who placed themselves in front of tanks in search of freedom.
But loony, murderous, drugged out (by all appearances), Kaddafe (sp) is the the Castro brothers long-time friend.
To get in on the conversation about Cuba, there has to be a halt to insults and misinformation about Cuban exiles and any of those people who witnessed oppression first-hand.
MC, what disinformation are you referring to? Will you not admit that the first wave of Miami Cubans aka the upper business and diplomatic class’s, have many times acted in an undemocratic manner? Acts like blowing up reporter’s cars and threatening violence on any Cuban that may disagree with the failed embargo? Will you not admit that many of these same Miami Cubans from the untortuable class’s became virtual dictators in Miami (the reactionary loudmouth Mas Canosa comes immediately to mind), and in fact have been linked to terrorist acts such as the bombing of the Cuban airplane that killed over 70 innocent victims, orchestrated by well known exiled Cuban terrorists Orlando Bosch and Posada Carriles. These same murderers who were welcomed as hero’s by many of the radical right wing Miami Cubans.
The machine-gunning of innocent tourists in Cuba by Miami based terrorists and on and on.
You are well aware of the history of these anti-democratic Cuban exiles MC, so quit acting like a victim and start acting like a person who has some semblance of rationale, and learn to disagree appropriately with people without disparaging their characters and becoming insulting if you want your own opinions to be respected.
Despite what many of the radical right wing Miami Cuban organizations espouse, there are many other Cubans who have a different take on how best to depose of the Castro regime, and then return Cuba to a real Jose Marti form of democracy based on liberty, equal justice, and free from the class, racial, and economic barriers Cuba has been plagued with for so long.
Who cares what master is holding a whip over you? It’s still a whip and it’s still being held by a master!
When I visit someone’s home, I do not brush my hand over the table to see if it is dusty. Then talk badly about their hygiene to others. If someone lets me visit them, (like City Terrace) I see it as a privilege. Your generalizations about me and what I stand for, without knowing me, without researching what I do, without speaking to me personally—-are not well formulated. What you do—closing doors, ranting, insulting, judging–does nothing to make the world better. If you could open yourself to a dialogue that is not finger pointing and accusatory, you might find that all of us here want justice, the end of human trafficking and corruption, the end of impunity for crimes against women, enough food on every table, education instead of prisons, healthy lives and freedom for everyone. I am an artist, you say you are one too—I use my art to open that dialogue, whether it be a painting, a story or a poem—art is a place where I feel we are all equal, where we can begin to speak freely from our hearts. That is what I find valuable—the rest are just things that I inherited that were already broken. There will never be peace or understanding until everyone lays down their gun and conscientiously works for it.
I think the Miami cop who arrested record store owners for selling 2 Live Crew albums was a first wave Miami Cuban, too. So un Castro-like of him…
Dear Ms. Delgadillo:
You say:
“What you do—closing doors, ranting, insulting, judging–does nothing to make the world better.”
But I have not insulted anyone here, nor have I ranted. My short UCLA film is linked on the website and I have also linked you to Yoani Sanchez — someone who had an opportunity to defect but chooses to be in Cuba and protest its conditions.
Yoani knows eminently what Castro’s Cuba is like and has the support of the free world, including Obama’s support.
Please, go to to http://twitter.com/yoanisanchez — read some of her twitts and get yourself informed. When you talk about people laying down their guns, you should read about what Qaddafi is doing to his own people.
Read how this Libyan revolt is not being reported in Cuba and how the Cuban people are under Marshall law over protests in the Middle East. Get yourself informed. Other posters here attack Cuban Americans and generalize. So there appears to be no way to reason with anyone here because they’re only interested in demeaning me simply for being Cuban-Americans. Is that ok by you?
Here’s what Yoani tweets:
#cuba #GY Gadhafi llama a opositores “ratas”… curioso, aqui utilizan otro sustantivo animal “gusanos” Todos los autoritarios son iguales!
about 10 hours ago via Ping.fm
Reply Retweet . #cuba #GY En operativos policiales de estos dias se estan gastando TANTO dinero que serviria para poner un vaso de leche ante cada cubano
about 10 hours ago via Ping.fm
Reply Retweet . #cuba #GY Esta Isla que algunos creen rodeada solo de mar, aunque en realidad la circunda el foso abismal de las restricciones migratorias
about 10 hours ago via Ping.fm
Reply Retweet . #cuba #GY En dias como este se pone a prueba la alternativa red que tenemos para enviarnos noticias por sms
about 10 hours ago via Ping.fm
Migdia Chinea
Here are some of Yoani’s twitts.
And, thanx. But I will not dignify some of these posters here with a response because they wish to demean me as a Cuban-American. I’m proud to be part of an immigrant group that places a high value in a university education. I will continue to decry the Castro dictatorship for what it is — an oppressive regime.
Somebody demeaned you as a Cuban-American? Must have missed that.
“I’m proud to be part of an immigrant group that places a high value in a university education”
The parting slap of MC (or is it?), is also very telling in so many ways
Here’s what I’ve learned here so far:
Viva Fidel — as Delgadillo photo says. Despite her apparent endorsement, Castro is a ruthless dictator. Cubans in exile fled his dictatorship and they come in all stripes.
If I generalized about anyone the way you do about Cuban Americans there would be hell to pay. So I guess to some people in this forum Cuban-Americans are just fair game.
Cuba does NOT have freedom of expression, association, nor freedom of the press — so the world gets only a distorted view of what is really going on there.
To go to Cuba and not bear witness to what is going on there vis-a-vis government-sponsored prostitution and political oppression and, instead, pay lip service to that oppression by ignoring or romanticizing it in the name of “artistic freedom†is really sad. I named examples in my earlier posts — the “discreet†beggar asking for “caramelitos,†the young prostitutes and their pimp, the tourism apartheid that exists in Cuba.
Ignorance is bliss.
Everything I say here will be distorted because I’m a Cuban-American and that makes me a member of the “ruling class.†I’m not anything of the sort. I’m a busy UCLA grad student. But it bears remembering that in Cambodia (which comes to mind as one example), the “ruling class†was exterminated. Even people with glasses were considered members of the “ruling class.â€
But more importantly, you’re gang-bullying me and that’s not nice. I cannot and WILL NOT tolerate getting gang bullied.
Have a nice day.
I encourage those who are interested to check out Yoani Sanchez and her link below — I’m done posting here for the reasons above re-listed. I am, indeed, very proud to belong to an imigrant group that values a high education and sacrifices time and resources to get it — with or without the help of parents. I urge people to get themselves informed about Cuba by reading diverse publications and to argue their points constructively without issuing ad hominems and resort to “guilt by association.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoani_S%C3%A1nchez
I’ll get informed about Cuba, Migdia. I’m going to visit the second the embargo’s lifted.
Perhaps it will be castro’s ironclad rule that will be lifted. There are proscriptions and beatings on the island against the mothers and/or wives of disidents on the aniversary of Tamayo who died protesting Castro’s oppression –and a blackout of information on what’s going on in Libya.
From Yoani’s Twitter:http: //twitter.com/yoanisanchez
. #cuba #GY tuve contacto telefonico con la blogger Katia Sonia que esta en casa de Laura Pollan, gritos del mitin de repudio ensordecedores!
about 1 hour ago via Ping.fm
Reply Retweet . #cuba #GY Acaba de empezar mitin de repudio muy fuerte frente a la casa de la Dama de Blanco Laura Pollan Voy a tratar de tener mas detalles
about 1 hour ago via Ping.fm
Reply Retweet
Delgadillo did not paint “Viva Fidel” on that wall in Cuba. It must have been a Cuban who is not aware that they live on a prison island.
Or someone from the government who wanted the tourists to see that. I’m amazed. No one here will give Yoani, a Cuban who lives there and risks her life to post the truth, a look. And she’s a woman. Amazing. Much easier to be a Communist here than to be a liberal democracy advocate in Cuba.
Migdia, you want us to get informed about Cuba. I can’t think of a better way of getting informed about a place than to visit it. As someone who is anti-Castro and democratic, wouldn’t you want me to get all sides of the story before forming my opinion? Surely you wouldn’t want me to just take the word of one person and shut out everyone else’s point of view. Your family escaped that kind of tyranny in Cuba, right? Let people get all sides of the story and let them form their own opinions. We might find that a lot of what you say is true. Then again, we might find out that you’re exaggerating a little, too, and perhaps that’s why you’re so defensive. We’ll never know if we can’t see the place, Migdia. People like you should be all for lifting the embargo, so blind liberals like me can visit Cuba and get a rude awakening as to how bad it really is. The number one rule of politics is to get out of your own way. As long as there’s an embargo, Castro sympathizers in America only have a paradise to envision, because they can’t see the real Cuba. Let them see it. Let us see it and let us form our own opinion.
Ok, fair enough. I’m not exaggerating because I’m sure things are much worse than I imagine for those who actually live there. But go and try speaking to people, if you’re able to do so without compromising them or yourself. I know someone who went there to do research for a screenplay and came back with stories to tell. He WAS a communist sympathizer.
There are a number of places in the world that I would not be interested in checking out and Libya, Somalia, North Korea and Cuba are some of them. They all have despots as rulers. But, please, don’t rationalize young prostitutes as just “hooking up” or street beggars as “discreet.”
In court your case would be thrown out for being “hearsay”. It is possible that your acquaintances never tell you their real feelings about Cuba, unless they enjoy long winded dogma.
LOL. The whole point of talking to people to get at the truth is NOT to talk to acquaintances, who will tell you what you want to hear, but to strangers who will tell you the reality about a political system in confidence, and in trust, without fear of persecution. Good job, Ms. Delgadillo — your powers of argumentation are amazing.
Please, forgive me. But I feel that I’m way UNDER my head here.