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CUBANS |
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CUBANS |
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- LANGUAGE: Spanish
- LOCATION: Cuba
- POPULATION: 11 million
- PRONUNCIATION:
- RELIGION: Forbidden by Communism, but Roman Catholicism and Santeria are practiced clandestinely
Source Database: Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life
Table of Contents
CLOTHING | CULTURAL HERITAGE | EDUCATION | ENTERTAINMENT
AND RECREATION | FAMILY LIFE | FOLKLORE
| FOOD | FURTHER READINGS | HISTORICAL OVERVIEW | INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONS | LANGUAGE | LIVING
CONDITIONS | LOCATION AND HOMELAND | MAJOR HOLIDAYS | RELIGION | RITES OF PASSAGE | SOCIAL PROBLEMS
| SOURCE CITATION | SPORTS | VIEW MULTIMEDIA FILE(S) | WORK
A country of approximately 11 million people, Cuba is the largest island in the Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. It is located approximately 145 km (90 mi) south of Florida and is situated at the key approaches to the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. Columbus described Cuba as "The most lovely that eyes have seen." The island's topography is very diverse. Approximately 35% of the total land mass is made up of three extensive mountain systems: the Sierra Maestra (where Castro formulated his guerrilla-style revolution ), the Guamuhaya, and the Guaniguanico. Two extensive plains account for 65% of the entire island surface and house almost 95% of the total population. There are nearly 200 rivers, most of which are short, narrow, and shallow. The combination of trade winds, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, and sea breezes give Cuba a moderate and stable climate. Annual average temperature varies only by about 6°C (10°F); the average winter low is 21° C (70°F) and the average summer high is 27°C (81°F). The island has extensive arable land, accounting for more than half of the island. Other areas are used for cultivating sugar (Cuba's key export), rice, coffee, cocoa, and plantains. Nickel is the principal mineral on the island, and Cuba is the fourth-largest exporter of nickel in the world.
Cuba is home to a number of rare birds and animals, many found nowhere else. The island's Bee hummingbird is the world's smallest bird, measuring just 5 cm (2 in).
Cuba is not lacking in beaches, with more than 100 in total. The most famous is Varadero, considered one of the finest in the world. The island, like many of its neighbors in the Caribbean, is subject to hurricanes. More than 150 such storms have been recorded since the days of Columbus. Cuba has also experienced a number of earthquakes (about 200 since the 16th century), mostly along the southeast coast.
In the late 1800s, Cuba was organized into 6 provinces: Pinar del Rio, Havana, Matanzas, Santa Clara, Puerto Principe (later known as Camaguey), and Santiago de Cuba. In 1976 the island was reorganized into 14 provinces: Pinar del Rio, Havana, the city of Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Granma, Santiago, and Guantanamo.
Cuba's population consists mostly of whites, blacks and mulattos (a mix of white and black). Additionally, there is a small Asian population on the island. Very few Cubans can trace their ancestry to the indigenous populations.
Cuba was discovered and claimed for Spain by Columbus during his first voyage to the New World in 1492. The island's indigenous population of Arawaks, who had displaced the Ciboneys from most of the island, staged their last significant uprising against the Spanish in the mid-1500s. In the late 1700s, African slaves were brought to Cuba as were Asian indentured laborers in the mid 1800s. Despite several revolutionary movements and a brief period of occupation by the English, Cuba remained a Spanish colony through the late 1800s. Most notable among the rebellions was the Ten Years War which began in 1868. The rebels, known as Mambises, fought mostly with machetes for lack of guns. On 24 February 1895, Jose Marti, Cuba's patriarch, led the War of Independence. Key military figures in the revolution included Antonio Maceo (known as the "Bronze Titan"), Maximo Gomez, and Calixto Garcia. In 1898, the US intervened in the Cuban war and Spain relinquished Cuba's sovereignty to the US under the Treaty of Paris. On 20 May 1902, the United States ended its military occupation of Cuba, formally inaugurating the Cuban republic. The US and Cuba maintained close ties, with the Cubans leasing Guantanamo Bay to the Americans under the Platt Amendment.
Governments in Cuba during the early and mid-1900s were often plagued with corruption and were short lived, for the most part, with the US stepping in from time to time. Despite an unsettled political climate, Cuba's natural beauty made it a haven for people from all over the world, and a popular vacation spot for Americans. In the 1940s and 1950s, vice and corruption were widespread in Havana, with the government establishing alliances with members of organized crime from the US.
On 26 July 1953, Fidel Castro began his revolutionary movement with an attack on the army barracks at Moncada. In 1959, Castro's guerrilla movement successfully overthrew the existing government of Fulgencio Batista. Batista supporters were jailed and executed. Castro passed an agrarian reform act (which limited private land ownership), confiscated all foreign- owned investments, and established what would be a long- standing relationship with the Soviet Union. While the peasant class made some quick gains, middle- and upper-class citizens were stripped of most of their possessions. Over the next few years, approximately 1 million Cubans left home, most fleeing to the US.
In January of 1961, the US established an economic blockade of Cuba, halting the import of American goods to the island, and persuading a number of nations also to cease trade with Castro. In April, CIA-trained Cuban exiles staged the Bay of Pigs invasion, a failed attempt to topple the Castro regime. Later that year, Castro proclaimed Cuba a socialist country and declared, "I am a Marxist-Leninist and shall be until the day I die." The following year, the Cuban Missile Crisis (when the US discovered Soviet missiles in Cuba) was, perhaps, the most tense period of the Cold War. The crisis ended when the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles and, in exchange, the US promised never to invade Cuba.
In the 1970s, Cuba made some social and economic strides. Schools and low-rent housing units were built, countryside roads were paved, and health care improved for many. At the same time, however, the government became more controlling and oppressive. By the end of the 1970s, the economy began to slip and, aggravated by political oppression, life on the island became intolerable for many. Since then, numerous Cubans have sought to exile themselves from the island, most notably during the Mariel Boatlift of 1980 when more than 125,000 Cubans made their way to Florida.
Today, Cuba remains the only communist government in the Western hemisphere. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, an already struggling Cuban economy took a turn for the worse. Facing civil unrest in the wake of an all-but- collapsed economy, the Cuban government has been forced to dabble in capitalism and reverse its position on tourism. Farmers'markets were legalized in 1994 and Castro has opened the doors to foreign investors. Nonetheless, political and economic unrest continues and since 1994 tens of thousands have left Cuba, risking their lives in makeshift rafts in an effort to flee.
Music is, perhaps, the single most important aspect of Cuba's popular culture. Cuban music is a combination of Spanish and African influences. Typical styles of music include charanga, son, rumba, mambo, cha-cha-cha, and danzon. From a blend of these rhythms evolved "Salsa" (literally, "sauce"). Celia Cruz, now exiled in the US, is known throughout the world as the Queen of Salsa. Cruz began her career in Havana in the late 1940s with the group Sonora Matanzera. Other world- renowned Cuban artists include Beny More, Arsenio Rodriguez, and Israel "Cachao" Lopez. Notable postrevolutionary performers include the groups Los Van Van, Irakere, NG, Dan Den, and Yumuri Y Sus Hermanos. In addition to traditional music, teenagers are also known to enjoy rock and roll -of both the US and homegrown varieties.
In Cuba, ballet is to the fine arts as baseball is to sports -it reigns supreme. The Cuban National Ballet Company has performed the world over. Its founder, leader, and star, Alicia Alonso, is considered one of the best dancers of all times. Cuba's film industry, which saw a period of growth under government control and sponsorship in the early days of the Revolution, has declined in recent years. One film, produced in the 1990s, Fresa y Chocolate (Strawberry & Chocolate) won several international awards and was nominated for an academy award. The film tells of a young, straight militant who (although reluctant at first) befriends a gay intellectual.
Several Cuban writers and poets, including Jose Marti and Alejo Carpentier, have left their mark upon Latin American literature. A recent and notable example is Herberto Padilla who wrote an award-winning collection of poems, Out of the Game, about the myths of revolutionary society. While receiving critical acclaim worldwide, Padilla's work was banned in Cuba and Padilla was arrested.
Painters and sculptors prior to the Revolution demonstrated European influences, while postrevolutionary artists like Manuel Mendive and others have incorporated Afro-Cuban mythology and folklore into their work. Other artists have produced abstract works, and many have produced works with themes of protest. Under Castro's policy set forth in 1962, which states, "Within the Revolution, everything; outside the Revolution, nothing," artists who disagree with the Revolution and its ideals are silenced. The more outspoken ones are sentenced to labor camps.
One of the better-known pieces of Cuban folklore is El Bizarron, the story of a man who outsmarts the devil. However, most of Cuba's heroes come not from folklore but from real life. Jose Marti is Cuba's undisputed national hero. Marti was the mastermind behind the War of Independence and is noted for his inspiring prose and poetry. The verses of his most famous poem, "The White Rose," have been put to music in what is Cuba's most moving song, "La Guantanamera."
Marti, who was born in 1853, lived in exile in New York City for a period of about 15 years beginning in 1881. Originally enamored with the US and its freedoms, Marti soon became disenchanted with the US and its threat of annexation of Latin America. Marti wrote of the US, "I have lived within the monster and I know its entrails." Marti, being of frail physique, was killed in his first day of battle. For exiles and island-dwellers alike, Marti embodies all that it means to be Cuban.
Fidel Castro is without question a modern-day icon of legendary proportions. He stands for all that is the Revolution, and for this he is revered by some and despised by others. However, none can dispute Castro's ability for delivering long and dramatic speeches. Perhaps the most famous of his discourses was a five-hour marathon at his trial following the Moncada attack where he uttered the famous line, "Condemn me if you will. History will absolve me."
Ernesto "Che" Guevara's image, on murals, billboards, and the like, can be found throughout Cuba. Guevara, a key figure in Castro's revolution, has been elevated to a stature usually reserved in other cultures for martyrs and saints. Cuban schoolchildren begin their day by reciting the patriotic slogan, "Pioneers of communism, we shall be like Che." Guevara, a medical doctor from Argentina, joined Castro and a band of other revolutionaries on board a used yacht named Granma by its original owner, after his grandmother (Granma later became the name of one of the 14 provinces and of the state-run newspaper). The yacht, which left from Mexico, made its way to Cuba, only to be captured by Batista. Guevara, Castro, and Castro's younger brother, Raul, headed for the hills, the Sierra Maestra, and from there staged the revolution that culminated with the overthrow of a fleeing Batista on 1 January 1959. After serving as president of the National Bank of Cuba, "Che" resigned his post in 1965 and went to Bolivia to join the revolutionary movement in that country. He was killed by the Bolivian army in 1967. Castro declared a three-day period of national mourning, and to this day the government sponsors campaigns with themes of "Let's Be Like Che."
The guayabera, an embroidered man's shirt, is considered a traditional, elegant article of clothing and is still worn today in both formal and informal settings. For everyday purposes, however, people tend to wear casual attire. As in so many parts of the world, blue jeans from the US are a hot commodity.
Like so many other aspects of Cuban culture, traditional Cuban cuisine is rich in both Spanish and African influences. Pork, the meat of choice in a traditional meal, is almost always accompanied by rice and beans. When the white rice and the black beans are cooked together, they are called arroz congri (literally, "rice with gray"). White rice and kidney beans make moros y cristianos ("Moors and Christians"). Plantains, which when green are fried up as tostones or mariquitas (also used as a derogatory term for gays), and when ripe as maduros, round out the meal. Yuca (cassava ), malanga (taro ), and boniato (sweet potato) are also common elements of a traditional meal. La raspita, the scrapings from the bottom of a pot of rice, would never make its way onto the plate during an elegant meal but is often enjoyed by the cook in the privacy of the kitchen or is shared in a small informal gathering. Typical fruits include avocados, mangoes, guavas, mammees, and papayas. Traditional beverages include guarapo (sugarcane juice) and rum.
Bleak economic conditions have made the traditional meal a thing of the past. The ration under the Special Period consists of a piece of bread per person per day, three eggs per week, and a portion of fish or chicken per month. A family of four gets one small bottle of cooking oil four times a year, and milk is available only for children under the age of eight. These items are often hard to come by, as are staples such as rice and beans. Many Cubans haven't had beef or pork in years. A piece of beef on the black market can cost as much as a month's wages.
Major holidays in Cuba mark significant points in the revolution (1 January and 26 July). May Day (a communist holiday worldwide) is celebrated, as is 10 October, marking the declaration of war against Spain in 1868. Catholics honor Three Kings Day on 6 January, Epiphany.
Cubans speak Spanish. Their names are composed of three parts: first (given) name, father's surname, and mother's maiden name; for example, Jose Garcia Fernandez.
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Cuba has been going through what it calls the "Special Period" -a mandatory belt-tightening way of life. Under the Special Period, energy consumption is drastically reduced, oxen are put to work in the fields, people get around on bicycles, and food rations are slashed to a minimum survival level. Once recognized as one of the best in the Third World, the health care system in Cuba today is such that patients must bring their own bedsheets to the hospital, and surgeons are given one bar of soap per month with which to wash their hands. Black marketeers, known as macetas, illegally buy and sell goods such as food, clothes, liquor, medicine, cigarettes, and gas. Paladares are illegal private restaurants.
In ironic contrast to the living conditions of the locals, tourists in Cuba enjoy the best of accommodations, food, and drink. For the tourist, nothing is lacking.
As a communist country, religious affiliation is deemed antirevolutionary in Cuba. Nonetheless, many Cubans maintain a Catholic tradition, although they tend to do so covertly for fear of persecution. Much more openly practiced, Santeria is an African-based religion introduced into Cuba by the slaves. Worshippers would disguise their gods in the images of the Christian saints so as not to be accused of heresy. Our Lady of Charity, for instance, is Ochun. The rough equivalent of a priest or spiritualist in Santeria is known as a babalao. When someone is initiated into Santeria, they dress all in white for one year. A small group of Jews live in Cuba and celebrate holidays such as Passover to the best of their ability, given the economic restrictions.
Cuba is often cited as a violator of human rights. Government control is strong. Members of neighborhood watch groups, Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, watch their neighbors and report on all nonconformist behavior to the government. In addition, special brigades of paramilitary agents have been formed to crack down on protesters.
Tourism has brought about what is being called "tourism apartheid" where the locals are not allowed into the resorts unless they are accompanied by foreigners. Additionally, prostitution is on the rise.
While blacks have made demonstrable strides in Cuba, only a handful are in the upper echelons of government. Gays and lesbians are openly discriminated against. They are banned from the Communist Party, and AIDS victims are quarantined.
The labor force in Cuba is divided almost evenly among services, agriculture, trade, manufacturing and mining, and utilities. Tourism jobs are highly sought after because of their access to dollars and foreign goods. Many teachers, doctors, and engineers have left their professions to work in more lucrative jobs as waiters or bellhops.
In 1961 the government initiated a campaign to wipe out illiteracy. Education is both free and mandatory, and today Cuba has one of the highest literacy rates in all of Latin America (94%). Shortages have dictated that textbooks be shared and workbooks be erased and passed along to the next class.
Higher education is also free, but admission is affected by one's political affiliations. Scientific and technical areas are emphasized. The University of Havana, founded in 1728, is the leading institution of higher education on the island.
Cubans are known for their warmth, friendliness, sense of humor, wit, and resilience. Cubans greet each other with a handshake and by saying hola ("hello"). Like other Latins, Cubans have very expressive body language -wrinkling one's nose, for instance, means "What?" Commiserating in difficult times is as much a pastime as are sports or television. Traditionally, when young girls dated, they brought along a chaperona (chaperone ); this has recently gone out of fashion.
Young girls in Cuba sometimes celebrate los quince (literally, "the 15"), the Latin American version of a sweet 16 party, but one year earlier. At los quince, often celebrated with great pageantry not unlike a wedding, the young lady will usually wear an extravagant gown made especially for the occasion.
Both tradition and economic necessity dictate the structure of the extended family in Cuba. More often than not, one or more of the grandparents live with a married couple and their children. For the same reasons, children tend to live at home until married.
Machismo is alive and well in Cuba. While women are expected to work outside the home, they are also expected to do the cooking, cleaning, and the like.
Handmade cigars are as much a craft as they are an export item. Considered the finest in the world, more than 3 million are produced (one at a time) each year. An experienced worker can make a cigar from start to finish in just two minutes.
State-run television operates anywhere from 6 to 12 hours a day, with mostly sports programming and some recent American movies. Other programming includes novelas (short-run soap operas) from Latin America. However, one will rarely find a young Cuban just sitting at home watching TV. Young Cubans, when they are not partaking in sports, will be involved with one or another of many government programs. The Young Communists Union, for instance, operates numerous computer instruction centers. Older Cubans can be found playing dominoes or chess, or sitting at Copelia, the ice cream parlor featured in the film Fresa y Chocolate, or simply strolling El Malecon, the boulevard that runs along the waterfront in Havana.
Sports are a very important part of Cuban life and identity. "Sports is a right of the people," reads a banner inside the arena in the athletic complex in Havana. Castro, himself an athlete and enthusiast, was once offered a contract to pitch on a baseball team in the US. Outstanding young Cuban athletes at the age of eight or nine are selected to attend an EIDE, a boarding school where they take academic courses and play different sports. The next step, at age 15 for those who excel, is to attend an ESPA, a school for athletic improvement and perfection. The top 1,000 athletes end up at a CEAR, a center for high- yield training.
Cuba has been referred to as the "best little sports machine in the world,"
consistently turning out champion Olympic athletes. In 1992, Cuba won more Olympic medals
per capita than any other country. Cubans excel in baseball, boxing, track and field, and
volleyball. Unlike the millionaire athletes of the US, top athletes in Cuba, albeit heroes
of society, make about 300 -600 pesos ($8-16) a month, which is two to four times the
average Cuban's salary.
