...A humbling laughing matter On our pastoral counseling practicum class I learned many things while in Cuba, from topics that spanned culture, politics, and society. However, the two topics that interested me the most had to be the daily living of the Cuban people and my personal development as a counselor in a intercultural settings. In addition to that, I must say that within our group grace was prevalent in ways I have never experience before. Looking back I can definitely say that if there was any topic that I learned the most about while abroad I would have to say that topic would have to be myself. You see, the Cuban people have been in this situation for a very long time, and as even the Cubans say, I rather laugh at the situation them to be preoccupied. A situation of limitations and even lack of the very things they need on the daily basis, such as food, medicine and clothing among other things. Whereas in the USA, where there are no limitations the...
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...Professor Shaffer English 200 4 September 2012 Panic In my senior year in high school, I took Spanish 4, highest level of Spanish you can take in my school. The class was taught by a pretty cool teacher, DP. It was a long and hard course but because of DP, I learned a lot of different exotic Spanish cultures and interesting facts I would have never knew about. Well, with our cultures unit, we had to research different Spanish speaking countries’ immigration history and have a five minute oral report on how people have lived before and after immigration. My assigned country was Cuba and I knew nothing about this tiny country. Everyone was assigned on different dates and I was to go on last. I was happy that all the smart people got to go first because then I can ask them for help. Couple of days later, half of the people went and all received C’s and below. My good friend, Victoria, she got a D, and she was one of the smartest people in my class. When I asked her and many of my friends who went before what their report was about, they said they have no idea what they did wrong. I panicked and automatically thought ‘I am going to fail’. Also, how was I to pretend to be a Cuban immigrant when I know nothing of Cuba? And even talk Spanish fluently for five minutes straight? With all those questions alarming in my head wildly, I just froze and thought about my next move. Was I to just blab nonsense about what I know about Cuba- which is nothing, and receive a D like everyone...
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...that I most identify with is the Cubans community. Cubans immigrants, mainly the new ones have dealt with discrimination and prejudice, partially because of political beliefs. Cubans have felt a bias from Whites, African Americans, and other Hispanic cultures. The latest immigrants have even felt an injustice from the already established Cuban American community. Cubans have an extensive record of migrating to the United States. Migration was mainly because of political reasons. More recently however, migration is because of the decline of the current economic form in Cuba. “According to the 1990 U.S. Census, there are nearly 860,000 persons of Cuban descent in the United States” (Buffington, 2008). Of that total, 63% reside in the state of Florida, while the remaining is disbursed in the following three states: New York, New Jersey, and California. According to Buffington (2008), Many Cuban migrants moved even farther afield with the encouragement and assistance of the federal government. The Cuban Refugee Program, established by the Kennedy administration in 1961, provided assistance to Cuban migrants, enabling them to move out of southern Florida. Almost 302,000 Cubans were resettled though the Cuban Refugee Program; however, many have begun to return to the Miami area (Buffington, 2008). Miami in particular, seems to be the heart of the Cuban American community. Cubans in Florida did not face as much prejudice as other Hispanic cultures or other minorities for that matter...
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...aboriginal groups. Spain colonized the island in the 16th and 17th Centuries; bringing their culture, institutions, language, and religion. Agriculture served as the basis of the Cuban...
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...collection of values which many revolutions would aim to uphold: liberty, equality, and fraternity. Chicago Historian Sheila Fitzpatrick, however, argues that these are aims that “almost all victorious revolutionaries inevitably dishonour.”1 By examining the Cuban and Russian Revolutions, this can be seen to be too general a statement. Under Lenin, the Russian Revolution instituted one of the most progressive constitutions yet seen,2 while Cuba, with its unique role in relations between two Cold War superpowers, stayed mostly true to its primary goals of attaining social justice and equality. The objective that tends to be the most fraught by revolutions is liberty, because in order to completely reshape a society, power must be, at least for a time, concentrated in the hands of few. Thus, the Russian Revolution, particularly under Stalin, can be said to have dishonoured the goals of the original revolution, while the Cuban Revolution under Castro, for the most part, did not. The aim of eliminating inequality was central to both the Russian and Cuban Revolutions. Since before its independence, Cuba had been subjected to nepotistic governments that gave preference to Spanish immigrants; there was a distinct hierarchy in Cuban society that affected social and economic standing.3 Following independence from Spain, however, Cuba traded one dependence for another as it became heavily dependent economically on the United States, with a great deal of political interference from it...
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...himself and his family. There were several key events that led to Castro’s rise as a powerful leader and shaped him into the man who successfully led the Cuban revolution. First of all, although he benefited from a decent education and was exposed to the upper echelon of society at times, he also played with and grew up around the children of the migrant workers of the farm. He maintains that this conservative upbringing helped him to stay grounded and to develop empathy for the working class. Consequently, Fidel rebelled against what he perceived to be classism. While in law school in Havana, he became intertwined with the student protest movement. The government of the time decided to crack down on student protesters and a lot of student leaders were being killed. Instead of fighting against the governmental regime, however, the student protesters began turning on one another and becoming involved in crime. Being surrounded by this, Fidel decided to focus on political goals where he became enthralled by anti-imperialism and the opposition of U.S. involvement in Cuban (and Caribbean) politics. Law school exposed Castro to several student leftist groups and he became critical of the corruption and violence demonstrated by the Cuban government led by Ramon Grau. He ended up joining the Party of the Cuban People which was a socialist party formed by one of his role models and mentors, Eduardo Chibas. This socialist party preached a message of equality, social justice...
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...after her parents had fled from Cuba in 1964 during the Cuban Revolution. Her family having first settled in Los Angeles, California, Menendez could not speak any other language apart from Spanish until she enrolled in Kindergarten. However, she later moved with her family to Florida where she attended high school and thereafter joined Florida International University from where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts in 1992. Her story Traveling Madness basically involves four main characters who are all “dreamers”. The story is based on and highlights the plight and disillusionment visited on the Cuban population by the communist party and the ways in which different people dealt with the economic and social adversities that typified the era of communism in Cuba. Self-aware of the dangers that confronted them, some wished to fly away to the moon; others desired to set sail and vanish; and others actually thought they could drill a hole from Havana to Miami (Delbanco and Cheuse) From the foregoing, while self-awareness is a critical aspect of personal development and self-exploration, it does not always bear positive fruits – sometimes it acts as a source of frustration, conflict and stress. In spite of her age, Menendez has proven herself to be a prolific fiction writer; a fact attested to by her works of fiction such as In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd, Loving Che, and Adios, Happy Homeland. Borrowing from her Cuban heritage, Menendez employs a repertoire of literary tools...
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...CEO Wiederhorn states "Since Fatburger opened its first international location in Canada in 2006, the chain has gained a reputation for opening in unexpected places, such as Pakistan, Libya and Iraq.” (Taylor.2015) On what he foresees as a possible deterring agent to the franchises’ success, Wiederhorn points to the economy, and the spending abilities of the people there. Hopefully the economy will see a boost with the embargo being set aside, and this franchise can do good things to the Cuban people. From a social science perspective, I believe it is also a morale booster. While Mcdonlads is an american Company with locations all around the world, I do not believe the Cuban people are ready for that kind of corporate involvement. Moreover, having a relatively small franchise move into the company could help in keeping certain relations under boundary. Additionally, the name of the franchise, FatBurger, also proves as a way to establish positive change thinking in the country. Since many Cuban citizens have had issues with sustenance due to the embargos, the namesake of the franchise would prove as a beacon of hope for better things to...
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...Year 11 Preliminary English Assessment Task Task: Motorcycle Diaries Question Two: Define Communism. Discuss its origins and how and where it was spread. In your discussion you must refer to at least 3 countries, which have adopted communism and examine its success and failures and the reason behind both. You must also examine the role Marxism plays in Communist ideology. Communism is an economic and social system in which all, or nearly all, property and resources are collectively owned by a classless society and not by individual citizens. It’s an ideology theory of government where all wealth is shared equally so there is no class system, that is, no poor class and no wealthy class. Everything is shared and everyone is equal, whether you’re a doctor or a factory worker. In such a communist society, the wealth and resources were to be regulated according to the needs, abilities and contribution of the people. Differences between manual and intellectual labour and between rural and urban life were to disappear, opening up the way for unlimited development of human potential. Based on the 1848 publication ‘Communist Manifesto’ by two German political philosophers, Karl Max and his close associate Friedrich Engels, it envisaged common ownership of all land and wealth and the withering away of the power of the state. Max and Engels believed that capitalism (private ownership of all property) should be diminished and that uneven distribution of wealth and resources should...
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...Fidel Castro’s Influence on the Cuban Revolution, 1953-1959 The year was 1953 and Fidel Castro was a dashing and daring reformer that was determined to make a impact in a country that was ruled by an unjust president. With the Movement strong and confident, Castro delivered these strong words to his group of men: “In a few hours you will be victorious or defeated, but regardless of the outcome – listen well, friends – this Movement will triumph. If you win tomorrow, the aspirations of Martí will be fulfilled sooner. If we fail, our action will nevertheless set an example for the Cuban people, and from the people will arise fresh new men willing to die for Cuba. They will pick up our banner and move forward... The people will back us in Oriente and in the whole island. As in '68 and '92, here in Oriente we will give the first cry of Liberty or Death!” These words by Castro illustrates what type of leader he was and still is to this day. Castro is one of the most polarizing figures in Cuban history, with many natives of Cuba arguing that he was the central cause of the destruction of Cuba, while others consider him to be the visionary that saved Cuba from the destruction that would have come about if a capitalist system had been instituted instead of a communist one. Actions taken by Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution shaped Cuba politically and socially to what we know it to be today. Fidel Castro was born in southeast Cuba, in the Oriente Province on August 13, 1926...
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...leftist views. He became known for his dynamic personality and radical perspective even as a boy. While a student, Guevara spent long periods traveling around Latin America. Through his first-hand observations of poverty, oppression, and powerlessness of the masses, Guevara soon became highly influenced by his informal Marxist studies. He concluded that the only solution for Latin America's economic and social inequities lay in revolution. His travels also inspired him to look upon Latin America not as a collection of separate nations but as a single entity, the liberation of which would require a continent-wide strategy; he began to imagine the possibility of a united Ibero-America without borders, bound together by a common 'mestizo' culture, an idea that would figure prominently in his later revolutionary activities. After completion of his formal studies, Guevara traveled to Guatemala. Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán headed a populist government that through various programs, particularly land reform, would attempt to bring about a social revolution. Explaining his motive for settling down for a time in Guatemala, Guevara wrote, "In Guatemala I will perfect myself and accomplish whatever may be necessary in order to become a true revolutionary." Guevara's main political contact in Guatemala was Hilda Gadea. Gadea introduced him to high-level politicians in the Arbenz government. Gadea was a member of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA), a political...
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...A year ago, I was driving around and listening to a local news station talking about the price increase for use of public buses. The general public did not make a big deal and complain about the price increase. Miami is a city where most people have their own means of transportation, so most people here don't use the public buses. The majority of the community was not affected by the price increase, and because it did not directly affect them, they are unable to see how it affects the minority. I am Cuban, and many Cuban people want to visit our island but the cost of tickets is absurd. The Airlines are basically charging whatever they want for luggage. Despite the astronomical costs of traveling to Cuba, Cubans are still going to Cuba and do not really complain much about the costs. Another issue that people have ceased to complain about is the raise in the cost of rent. Every day many people are losing their jobs, and they have not money to satisfy their principal needs. Despite all of this, the cost of rent is increasing every day. Another example is how the country is going through an economic crisis, and as a result people feel pressure to keep jobs that they may be unhappy with. Because of this, employers take advantage of their employees. Many companies are only offering part time positions and not paying medical insurance and overtime. Yet despite all of this, low salary is an issue that our society rarely complains about...
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...Introduction; Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926 near Biran, in the eastern Orient Province of Cuba. He was the third child out of six and had two brothers and three sisters; his father was a wealthy sugar plantation owner, although he is originally from Spain. His mother was a maid to his father’s first wife, Maria Luisa Argota at the time of Fidel’s birth. As his father married his mom at the age of 17 Fidel had his last name changed from “Ruz” to “Castro”. He soon got married in 1984 he married a woman named Mirta Diaz Balart who was from a wealthy home and had one child and named him Fidel and him wedding to Mirta gave him any strong political connections. Paragraph; In 1945 Castro began studying law at the University of Havana admitting...
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...Jose Rodriguez SPAN 2750 Professor Torres Dreaming In Cuban Dreaming in Cuban is a book that has to do with three generations of women and their assimilation into the United States as well as their traditional roots, which derive from Cuba. The novel is centered during The Cuban Revolution; there are four main characters throughout the novel (Celia, Lourdes, Pilar, and Felicia). This book gives really good examples of diversity between Cubans. Dreaming in Cuban also touches on incestuous relationships as well as resentment between families. Dreaming In Cuban begins with Celia; she is an ageing woman who devotes most of her time and life to the Cuban Revolution. The novel has lots of flashbacks and one way in which you can tell the book has flashbacks is the letters Celia writes to Gustavo Sierra de Armas, Gustavo is Celia’s first love that she can’t seem to get over. Throughout the book she writes about two decades worth of letters to him. Celia would write to Gustavo on the eleventh day of each month, the funny thing is she would never send the letters to him she would keep them in a box hidden away. She stops writing to him in 1959 when The Revolution succeeds and she becomes a Communist. Lourdes is Celia’s oldest daughter; she suffers a lot in this novel. To start off she is resented by her mother (Celia) also she is raped and tortured. Due to the fact that she is raped she becomes pregnant and loses her unborn son. Lourdes decided to leave Cuba and move to...
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...According to Sergio, a developed person is someone who is cultured and educated and moreover someone to whom he could equate himself as an intellectual (Underdevelopment). As previously stated his wife Laura is depicted as superficial like most Cuban bourgeois women at his time; hence, it did not work out between Sergio and Laura (Underdevelopment). Sergio failed in trying to educate both Laura and Elena (Underdevelopment). The film suggest that women in Cuba are underdeveloped intellectually and culturally, unlike the “mature” Hanna who is of European descent, since Laura and Elena are both Cubans of two different classes (Underdevelopment). Notably, Hanna the ideal European woman was portrayed to be very fair with fine, pale blonde hair while Sergio’s Cuban bourgeois class wife Laura had coarse hair streaked with blonde and the Cuban working class Elena is even darker than Sergio, comments on how class differences often match color...
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