Ayuda i want to start learning about cuba
hello, i am from the united states. my biological father was cuban but dipped so i have only been raised with my white family. but now i really want to learn as much as i can about cuba!
im trying to learn spanish (need to get onto that again ive been slipping) and i have no clue where to start on learning about a whole country. should i start with the specific people that are important to cuba? do i start with the beginning of the timeline and work my way up? are there any sources or media i can read or watch that may help me understand the culture more?
unfortunately all i know is a little about che guvera, cigars, and communism đ«© other than that i dont have much to work with. my mother doesnt want to help understand it either so im just on my own for this one lol.
id love to hear anything about cuba, and thank you for your time! â€ïž
20
u/champagnesupernova62 17d ago
Boring but through. Cuba: An American History, an award-winning book by Ada Ferrer that explores five centuries of Cuban history.Book OverviewAuthor: Ada Ferrer, a historian and professor at New York University.Publication Date: September 2021 (Hardcover) / June 2022 (Paperback).Awards: Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for History.Length: 576
7
u/Majestic_Definition3 17d ago
I enjoyed Ada Ferrer's book - it helped me to understand Cuba's history, its reliance on America, and its political struggles
5
u/zeldabelda2022 17d ago
Ditto this recommendation - I listened to it while commuting and thought it was riveting.
2
u/Psychological-Ice745 Planeta Tierra/Planet Earth 16d ago
Unlike some of the other comments, this book is great because it doesnât concentrate on Cuba after only after1959. You canât understand the history of the Americas without understanding Cubaâs history and this book does an amazing job at doing that.
1
u/CurryLover97 16d ago
This is an amazing book that really puts into perspective just how intertwined Cuba & the US have always been. I am reading it now.
-3
u/TerribleSyntax Mayabeque 17d ago
That book is crap, it completely whitewashes the dictatorship's repression and incompetence
6
u/Illustrator_Moist 16d ago
Jesus Christ, the book shits on the Cuban Government but it's not enough for these extremists. Historians literally have to lie about history to make you happy. Jesuuuuussssss
0
7
u/Leah_Mor Miami 17d ago edited 17d ago
There's more to Cuba than that but it's what dominates the more modern history of Cubans. Definitely learn about the pre-colonial era and work your way up. Some of the most important people are Jose MartĂ, Antonio Maceo, Mariana Grajales, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, Maximo Gomez and Hatuey, they're all considered national heroes. It's a lot of history for a comment but there's some books that can you can start with. I recommend you start with Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer. She also has Insurgent Cuba and Keeper of my Kin. My favorite Cuban movies are Fresa y Chocolate and Juan of the Dead. I grew up watching a show called Que Pasa USA? It's about a Cuban family in Miami and it's relatable to me. They talk a lot in both languages so it's good for learning Spanish. They have it available on PBS and Vix. Listen to old Cuban music and learn about the influence from west Africa and how influential Cuban music is. There's also some content  creators on Instagram that can be helpful. There's one called @learncubanspanish, she discovered as an adult that she had Cuban roots and everything new she learns about Cuba she's posts videos about it. You can also follow @cubasays, they talk about words used by Cubans that other countries done use. Do you know during what era your dad grew up in or left there? Â
0
u/nipsych 15d ago
these are awesome thank you so much! i will definitely check all of them out if i can, especially Ada Ferrer. i have already now followed those two accounts as well :]
as for my biological dad, i dont have too much on him. from what i heard by my mom, he fled from Cuba on a boat and got to the US around somewhere around 1995 give or take. by the time my mom met him, he had been here for almost a decade and in his early fourties. idk if that gives you much or not about him.2
u/Leah_Mor Miami 15d ago edited 15d ago
So he might have left during the balsero crisis (rafter crisis). There's a documentary called Balseros that's really good and it's available on YouTube. He lived in Cuba in the early 90s during the Special Period.
4
u/Moist-Chemical7385 16d ago
I recommend you strongly to read JosĂ© MartĂ, he wrote some things in English, but overall is the most universal Cuban that have ever lived, all Cubans modern identity relays on MartĂ writings, the guy lived in New York, and was able to talk 5 different languages
6
u/OpeningPotential2424 17d ago
I went to college at the University of Miami majoring in Spanish because I wanted to learn about my heritage as well, and Miami just made sense. Iâd recommend starting with general history for context and making friends with Cubans to get as close to them as possible. Iâve visited Cuba a couple of times, specifically to be with and around the people, and it has been one of my favorite experiences abroad. The government is evil, but the people are some of the most beautiful souls Iâve encountered. Much different from the ones youâll meet here in the U.S., I donât have anything nice to say about those ones đ€·đŸââïž
2
u/Valuable-Onion-7443 Mayabeque 12d ago
As opposed to the American government, that is not evil? lol saddens me to the acceptance of American propaganda widespread in the Cuban community.
I do agree with you though that the Cuban government is also evil in their way.
1
u/OpeningPotential2424 12d ago
Please point to me where I even hinted that the American government is not evil. It appears you made an assumption and Iâd like to know how you made it to that conclusion.
1
u/Valuable-Onion-7443 Mayabeque 12d ago
Honestly, I wasnât really trying to argue with you as I said I agree with you about the Cuban government, the thing is you canât really bring up the Cuban government without bringing up what the United States has directly done to cause Cuba to get to where itâs at. Itâs not purely the fault of the Cuban government, in fact itâs mostly caused by the United States. Though the Cuban government is incredibly corrupt and in need of reform.
1
1
17d ago edited 17d ago
[deleted]
2
u/OpeningPotential2424 17d ago
Iâve also grown up around Cubans in South Florida, and Iâve lived for years in Miami/South Florida as thatâs where Iâm from, and Iâve only had the pleasure of being around the ones in Cuba for a short time, but enough to get a sense for them. I can confidently say that they are not the same. Of course, not all Miami Cubans are the same, but generally speaking, they are not welcoming, they are very judgmental, and they are overwhelmingly white or white adjacent, and theyâve assimilated into a very toxic American environment, and they vote like it too. Against their own best interests. Thereâs a reason why thereâs a belief here in the U.S. among other Latinos, and Floridians in general, that the Miami Cubans are a problem for the community. Itâs not romanticization in this regard, itâs simple awareness. Your experience is yours, thatâs all I can say about that.
2
17d ago
[deleted]
1
u/OpeningPotential2424 17d ago
I donât think I have to always start by saying ânot all Cubansâ or ânot all Miami Cubans,â because that is something that should be understood, there are beautiful and horrible people in every group and in every country. That being said, I spent most of my time with black Cubans on the island. The truth is, they hardly get the opportunities to leave the island to move here or elsewhere for very obvious reasons, hence why theyâre not common to come by is the U.S. I see them mostly in places like NYC and D.C.
And no, they donât have to assimilate here to support MAGA, I never made that claim, so Iâm not sure where youâre getting that from. I did say, however; that the ones here in South Florida behave a certain way politically and culturally, and itâs very well documented and discussed. Itâs no secret that they are a problem. It seems to me that youâre here simply to argue, which I understand since I said something quite inflammatory, but it wonât change my opinions.
4
u/WildeDad 17d ago
I've read your comments and I think they are some of the most ignorant ones i've ever heard.
4
u/OpeningPotential2424 17d ago
You are allowed your opinions. Doesnât mean that theyâre true, relevant, or that I have to acknowledge them. Hope this helps!
3
u/WildeDad 17d ago
Do you know that only nine percent of cubans are black? Making this into some kind of a racial thing is just beyond ignorance!
1
u/OpeningPotential2424 17d ago
About 1/3 of Cubaâs population is African descended. Many will claim white simply because of the status it carries. The Cuban population has a huge Afro population, but they only make up a tiny fraction of the diaspora. Perhaps you know why?
1
u/WildeDad 16d ago
Well, that shows you really don't understand the situation there. You can't claim you're white or not. They do it by the race of the mother. If the mother is black, the child is labeled as black. If that mother is white, the child is labeled as such. I've beento cuba many times all over the country. And the black population is not that great. They have what's called mulatto, which is a mixture of either Spanish and black or white and black or other races and black. But it's been diminished over time. But even to make it a racial thing is ridiculous.
1
17d ago
[deleted]
1
u/OpeningPotential2424 17d ago
And yet you sat here to refute what Iâve been saying in this thread. That is, by definition, arguing. The passive aggressivism is unnecessary, say what you mean and mean what you say, you wonât hurt my feelings.
3
4
u/TerribleSyntax Mayabeque 17d ago
All the best resources to learn about Cuba are in Spanish so I would recommend you start with focusing hard on that. Unfortunately a lot of what you will find online will be rife with dictatorship propaganda. If you want to experience our culture firsthand, Miami and Tampa are where the biggest Cuban enclaves are in the US. Good luck!
2
u/ChampionPopular3931 17d ago
You live in a different reality.
6
u/Illustrator_Moist 16d ago
They will never admit to their disgusting ideology. It's all "super obvious" to them, and everyone who disagrees is because they're actually a bootlicking communist! There's no space for nuance with extremists. I can show people 1000 videos of people in Cuba agreeing with me but those are "communists who work for the government!" Apparently the communist party in Cuba is so powerful that you actually can't talk with a Cuban that agrees with them, as soon as you do they transform into a little comrade with a little comrade hat, and their whole lives evaporate away like they got Thanos snapped.
3
u/ChampionPopular3931 16d ago
I agree with you. Like these people are just living in different realities which is ânothing ever happened before the revolution in Cuba, and it was paradise until those communist came gave rights, free healthcare and free schoolsâ.Â
2
u/ChampionPopular3931 16d ago
And they are not Cubans. They are mostly people that left Cuba as soon as better options for wealth were offered. They didnât care about the culture or the people. Most of them are white corporate like Rubio. They killed any inner thought to accept reality, so they live on this made up narrative that they were the good people stolen of a land they were owed to.Â
Cubans in Florida are the biggest conservative and constantly voted against Cuban freedom to put more sanctions and embargo on the island. Itâs been 60 years, most of them only go to see family or to pass vacations. They return home and start rambling about communist and how much Cubans suffer. They manufactured this reality. They dont hesitate to vote against immigrants, when Cubans are escaping the horrible conditions they fomented and pushed to be put on the island.Â
2
u/Illustrator_Moist 16d ago
I'm a Miami Cuban, born and raised surrounded by Cubans, Cuban teachers, Cuban coworkers, classmates, etc. What I see vs what Ive been taught are two different worlds. My understanding was that Cuba was super totalitarian, and that people were dying of hunger, and everyone is in constant misery. These things are always true to some degree but exaggerated in some ways.
1) Cuba is poor. There aren't enough resources around so Cubans have to "resolver" - pretty much do whatever is needed to survive. The overwhelming reason for this is the embargo. The embargo has cost Cuba potentially trillions of dollars. Every nation needs to trade to survive. Especially a tiny island nation like Cuba.
2) Cubas natural trading partner, the giant landmass north of Cuba, is not only not trading with it, but also aggressively stopping Cuba from being able to trade with other countries, effectively killing whatever economy Cuba could have. Cuba's assets get frozen, production of commodities and tourism gets ground to a standstill. Things slow down and people have to focus on their bare necessities.
3) Any other country under this much pressure would have fallen. The is the longest embargo IN HISTORY! An illegal embargo, voted against by every country on the planet except for the US and Israel (lol) and now with the oil blockade literal genocidal intent from the US government. Babies in Cuba are dying because they need machines to run 24/7 and the US has stopped ALL OIL FROM ENTERING THE COUNTRY.
4) Because of all of this, the Cuban government has had to stay on high alert, constantly working on its military and creating alliances with whichever country it can. Observers come from all over the world to look at Cuba and take note of several indicators of how countries are doing. EVERY MIAMI CUBAN, and I mean every single one, from conservative to liberal, will tell you all the countries in the world are lying on their reports on Cuba. EVERY SINGLE ONE, with a straight face will tell you "yeah the education and health reports done by official reporting agencies that track this world wide are just straight up lying about Cuba". The concept of looking at actual data about Cuba, actual stats and figures they will burn you at the stake. This sub is the prime example. There isn't even a middle ground with these guys. Every video of people having a good time in Cuba is COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA, the people partying in the streets are GOVERNMENT AGENTS being paid to act like it's possible to have a good time, even when you're poor. The vanilla icing on the cake is that older people from Cuba, that I've known my whole life do have fond memories of being kids in Cuba, having friends, being good at figuring things out and being resourceful. I was taught Cuban poetry and sang la Guantanamera whenever I had the chance. I love calle 8, I love Hialeah and Kendall. Cubans are the most beautiful people on the planet. The difference I see as a teacher between kids raised in the US and the balseritos is that the balseritos have chispa, tienen cojones, and can add and multiply like nobody's business. Is it impossible that your tias in Cuba can be having a good time sometimes?
Maybe the cherry on top is when they want you to believe that the embargo will be dropped if the Cuban government changes. Heck no. Why should a sovereign country have to do anything because of some other nation?? Why do we have to be the world police with these guys when we've been friends with evil ass countries before?? This is exceptional pleading. Hate the Castros, hate the Cuban government, pero why do you have to be in favor of the embargo? Even if you believe it's just an excuse WHY NOT JUST SHOW US AND DROP THE EMBARGO. Normalize relations like how we did with Obama, when I was able to start calling family in Cuba through Whatsapp. Y ya que theres no excuse, everyone can go... So why are you in FAVOR of stopping a country from doing what it wants if it's not even your business to begin with??
2
-2
u/Ok_Salamander_8436 17d ago
Ah yes, Florida cubans, definitivamente el mejor lugar para aprender una version no parcializada de la historia. Ya le dijiste que no lea propaganda de la dictadura, pero despues que lea la otra propaganda que te cae mejor đđ«©
2
u/TerribleSyntax Mayabeque 16d ago
Te guste o no la comunidad cubana de miami es la mas grande del mundo fuera de la isla, eso es simplemente un hecho. Y que propaganda? Las palabras de los cubanos que pueden hablar libremente? Que vaya a cuba tambien, a los barrios y poblados fuera del nido de clarias de miramar y el vedado, que le van a decir lo mismo. No me vengas a decir a mi que un cubano por haberse escapado de ese infierno es menos cubano.
5
u/Illustrator_Moist 16d ago
Cubans in Cuba are very different from Cubans in Miami. Cubans in Cuba hate Trump, Cubans in Miami love Trump. I wonder why that is? Hmmm đ€
3
u/SomeDudesBro 14d ago
To be fair cubas extremely old population seems to be the only one to really hate trump , most younger people seem in favor of American Intervention
0
u/Illustrator_Moist 14d ago
Uh... No lol. Id love to meet these people because all my cousins hate Trump (he's literally killing Cuban babies and not letting them have electricity? Also no one on this planet wants American intervention wtf lol)
2
u/SomeDudesBro 14d ago
Says the cuban living in Florida , come here mate , see the REAL Cuba
1
u/Illustrator_Moist 14d ago
Dale give me like a couple months. So real quick, do you think watching videos counts? If I showed you a video of someone saying something different from your narrative, does that have any value whatsoever? The only to know about what's happening in a country is to live there, right?
1
u/SomeDudesBro 14d ago
Good point really , thing is we are talking about Cuba , the information about the current cuban situation can be manipulated by the Americans or by the PCC alike to fit whatever narrative
For example if you told me egg prices where high in the US I would believe you , but if I told you egg prices where high in cuba , it would be harder to prove in my opinion
1
u/Illustrator_Moist 14d ago
Pero bro, if I show you a video of someone walking up to a random person in Cuba and asking their opinion, is it that easy to manipulate? The government just has people waiting by tourists so they can tell them how much they dislike Trump, just to do what? Support communism or whatever? Idk bro, this stuff is tough and I agree Im never going to have a shut and case opinion until I go in person by myself but bro Idk what to tell you. What do you think about Belly of the Beast YT channel?
→ More replies (0)1
u/TerribleSyntax Mayabeque 16d ago
Cubans in Cuba hate trump? Lmaoooo
0
2
1
u/Illustrator_Moist 16d ago
And they love Obama
2
u/SomeDudesBro 14d ago
Obama was called a Cheap hotdog seller when he arrives in cuba
0
u/Illustrator_Moist 14d ago
? By who? Not my family lol. Every conversation with a Miami Cuban becomes a purity test because everyone who disagrees with y'all is a communist lmfao
0
u/SomeDudesBro 14d ago
I'm cuban , my ideals are anti-communist so everyone who disagrees with me is pretty obviously a communist , that's like basic math
0
0
u/ChampionPopular3931 16d ago
Are you serious right now? Are you even from Cuba? You are totally brainwashed. No one in Cuba likes Trump even one bit.Â
1
2
u/jmasters99 16d ago
You should travel there, and really immerse yourself in the culture and understand the people and situation they are dealing with there it is a humanitarian crisis for sure . However there is something beautiful and unique about the land and history and the people who I have been around when I been there x2. The process to get the travel permit to go is a bit difficult because there are various steps that can be confusing. Also there the Spanish is fast and a bit of a accent so add that learning curve to your Spanish education. Write to me if you have any questions I donât mind helping
0
u/nipsych 15d ago
i really want to travel there someday but i think that will have to be something for the the far future for me unfortunately. both money wise and my mother lol.
also thank you for letting me know i will try to add that if i can đ right now im trying to learn with some apps and also thinking of getting some help from my friend who also speaks spanish :]1
1
u/Aggravating_Koala333 16d ago
You can start by going to miami and tampa as there are a lot of Cubans there. Also you might want to try going to Puerto Rico as the culture is very close to cuba and have shared history.
1
u/RoundNothing1800 GuantĂĄnamo 15d ago
Wikipedia is there for you, just look up Cuba. Then you can learn about the specific part of Cuba your dad was from, and your can even reach out to your family. Cigars and communism are just a small part of Cuba but the most famous part and honestly if you go online to ig, tik tok or fb you will find more of the same, that's traditions, traditions are not culture. My advice is to just read that Wikipedia summary page and then engage in conversation with Cubans.
0
0
u/Melodic_Effect8872 16d ago
ad a ferrer's book is a perfect start, love this. also check out "cuba si!" podcast if you want something more conversational.
-8
u/Old_Imagination_2112 17d ago
Iâm hoping that historically Cuba one day becomes a state in the USA.
7
u/OpeningPotential2424 17d ago
You see what happened to Puerto Rico? Why on earth do you think the U.S., a country with a documented imperialist and opportunistic history, would be any good? Cuba has to figure this out without its help.
3
u/Cristian305_ Miami 17d ago
I want a independent Cuba forever but if weâre being realistic If PR were to be independent it would be in a much worst spot.
4
u/OpeningPotential2424 17d ago
PR is broke and the people are struggling, and the U.S. is directly responsible for that. The U.S. is also directly responsible for the destabilization of central and South America, itâs also directly responsible for the misfortunes Cuba has been experiencing since its meddling during and after the Spanish American war. Please learn your history.
1
0
u/Cristian305_ Miami 17d ago
Much of the misfortunes Cuba is facing right now are directly tied to the government. Letâs not pretend thatâs not the case.
PR is factually in a much better situation currently just compare them to other Caribbean nations, as well many PR people themselves donât want independence, many want statehood which I agree they should receive.
0
17d ago
[removed] â view removed comment
2
u/Cristian305_ Miami 16d ago
Not the case yes PR is struggling but comparing it with other countries in the Caribbean itâs doing better. Cuba would be in a much better state the day the regime falls but considering the way you responded you have a pretty stronger âAmerica only badâ feeling. Donât get me wrong aint no saint.
3
u/Leah_Mor Miami 17d ago
What's that gotta do with what OP is asking? Stop making this about something it's not.Â
0
u/Old_Imagination_2112 16d ago
He said âanything about Cubaâ, so that means anything.
Now imagine if Cuba became a state. The economy would boom and Communism would become a distasteful memory.
-1
0
0
u/QuarterStatus3582 16d ago
do you like to read? itâs really dense and long, but if you enjoy reading i would recommend Hugh Thomasâs Cuba: A History. the book starts in 1762 and goes into details that most Cubans today likely donât know, and that I didnât find in other English sources on Cuba.
lots to be proud of in being Cuban. iâm not Cuban myself but my approach for my half-Cuban kids is to not let the political fight define their entire Cuban identity.
-3
âą
u/AutoModerator 17d ago
"Por favor, sigue las reglas de Reddit y del foro.
Please follow the rules of Reddit and the sub.
Please report any rule-breaking comments."
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.